Goals & Strategies for Effective Time Management

As per my previous blog post, we are implementing some changes in the way we manage our time at JBR Graphics, Inc. Some of the suggestions we were given are really no-brainers but make a HUGE difference in my work day. Let's start with listing the goals we look to achieve.

Our Goals:

1. Eliminate phone and email interruptions.
2. Answer every call during our business hours. This will eliminate frustrated clients and loss of potential sales from new clients.
3. Identify emergency issues (ie: website or email down) and handle immediately.
4. Eliminate non-urgent calls to our personal cell phones.
   
5. Reduce stress from project time lines not being completed; increase work productivity.
6. No more STRESS!

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After speaking with Vicki, she had some simple strategies for this IT professional.

Vicki's Recommended Strategies:

1. Spend 90% of our day working on projects.
   Right now we are spending 90% of our day answering phones, returning calls, putting out fires and meeting with clients.
   
   
2. Return phone calls during a window of time during the day and inform clients of this when they call.
   Currently, calls are answered and returned on demand with continuous interruptions preventing work from getting completed. Many times we are unable to answer calls and the caller is asked to leave a message. More often, we aren't able to return calls in a timely fashion.
   
   
3. Meet with clients on certain days of the week only.
   When a client requests a meeting day and time we comply without hesitation causing our work day to be unstructured which makes it difficult for our day to flow properly.
   
   
4. Read and return emails only during a window two times per day and notify the client of this via our automated help desk response.
   Like the above, emails are returned on demand making it hard to get much done. Some days we can receive upwards of 150+ legitimate emails.
   
   
5. Utilize mind mapping for prioritizing our projects.
   I am a list writer and have lists EVERYWHERE. They aren't doing me any good anymore so this suggestion will surely be tried.

An update to follow soon with how we have implemented Vicki's suggestions and a progress report on our first full day utilizing the suggestions.

Bobbie Rathjens
Owner, JBR Graphics, Inc.