Retailers constantly complain about not having enough time in the day to get tasks done. This session will give you tips, tactics and tools to create more efficiency in your work schedule and get more done to drive your business forward.

1. 1
Are You Managing Your Time Or Is It
Managing You?
Simple Strategies to Organize Your Time and Get More
Done Every Day
July 24, 2013
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• Time Management
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Understanding The “Time” Problem
David Allen Observed:
“You Can't Manage Time,
It Just Is”
What You Really Have To
Manage Is Your Activity During
Time And Define The Outcomes
And Physical Actions Required
To Manage What You Do
Source: En.Wikipedia.Org/Wiki/Time_management

2. 2
Where Does My Time Go?
• On Floor Selling
• Contact Customers
• Follow Up On Shipping Orders
• Solve Product Quality Issues
• Deal With Competitive Pricing
Issues
• Plan Future Season Products
• Work On Marketing Strategy
• Hire And Train New Sales
Associates
• Product Training
• Coordinate Trade Show
Activities
My Lack Of Time Limits My Transition From
Crisis Management To Strategic Management
How Do I Find The Necessary Time To Become a Better Strategic Leader
That Drives Optimal Company Performance?
Time Is A Limited Resource;
You Cannot Create More Time, You Can
Only Utilize It More Effectively
Time Management Is The
Development Of Processes And
Tools
The Goal Is Increased Efficiency And
Productivity (For An Individual, For A
Business, For An Organization)
Time Management Doesn’t “Just
Happen”
For Anyone – It Is A Skill That Must Be
Worked On, And That Most People Find
To Be A Life-long Challenge
The Answer Is Improved Time Management

3. 3
..But I Don’t Have Time For Time Management
Source: Randy Glasbergen
Those Who Put Into
Practice These Time
Management
Techniques Routinely
Are The Highest
Achievers In All Walks
Of Life, From
Business To Sport To
Public Service
You Must MAKE The Time – These Skills Are
An Enabler To High Achievement
If You Don’t CHOOSE To Effectively Practice Disciplined Time
Management, You Will Be FORCED To Practice Crisis Management
Specific – Vague Goals Won’t Let You Know Reach
It Or Even When You Have Reached It
Measureable – Set Quantifiable Goals So You
Know How Far You Have To Go To Reach The Goal,
And When You Get There
Achievable - Your Goals Should Be Such That, If
You “Extend Yourself” You Can Just Reach Them.
Realistic - Establish Goals That Can Be Reached
And Are Not Just Purely Aspirational
Time Based - It Is Important To Set Time
Guidelines For Your Goals, That Keep Track Of
Progress And Alert You To When You Are Falling
Behind Schedule
SMART Goal Setting Is The Precursor to
Effective Time Management

4. 4
And While You’re At It ..Identify Your “Smart”
Hours
We Are All “Smarter” At Certain Times Of
The Day Or Night Than We Are At Others
You Are Smarter When
1. You Can Read Longer Without Falling
Asleep.
2. Ideas Come To You More Quickly
When You Are Writing Or Thinking.
3. You Are Better At Communicating Your
Thoughts
Use Your Smart Time of the Day To Execute Big Projects
Ask Yourself
How Does The Performance Of This
Activity/Task Help Me Or My
Organization Achieve Our Goals?
If The Answer Is Not Clear, Perhaps
You Should Not Waste Time On It
Focus On The Goal
Reduce The Pile Of Non-Value
Activities
Liberate Your Time To Maximize
Utilization On Value-Adding Activities
Distinguish Value From Non-Value Add Activity
To Reduce Physical And Mental Clutter
Activity Logs Help You Analyze
How You Really Spend Your Time.
Memory Is A Very Poor Guide
When It Comes To This, As It Can
Be Too Easy To Forget Time Spent
On Non-core Tasks.
The First Time You Use This Log
May Shock You To See The Amount
Of Time That Could Be Reallocated
For Work Related Activities
Activity Logs Are A Tool To Help You Discover
And Assess The Current Use of Your Time
Your Analysis May Be Able To Help You Free Up Extra Time In
Your Day By Reducing Non-value Adding Activities

5. 5
Where Does Your Time Go?
(Source: PDF No Task Left Behind? Examining the Nature of Fragmented Work. Gloria Mark, Victor M. Gonzalez, Justin Harris
The Average Worker In The
United States Loses 2.1
Hours Per Day Due To
Interruptions And
Distractions
• On Average It Took
Workers 25 Minutes To
Return To Their Original
Task – If They Returned
To It At All That Day
“Time Robbers” Steal Your Time And Distract
You From Pursuing Your Goals
• Time Robbers Are Activities And Individuals
That Divert Our Attention Away From The
Goals We Have Established For Ourselves
And Our Business
• Time Robbers Steal Valuable Time Away
From Us. Some Of These Time Robbers Are
Imposed Upon Us By Others. These Types
Of Time Robbers Can Fall Anywhere Between
Total Control To No Control
• Other Time Robbers Are Self-inflicted. In
Other Words, We Rob Ourselves Of Valuable
Time. As Such Most Of These Time Robbers
Are Within Our Total Control
Time Robbers Are Typically Categorized As
Self-Inflicted Or Imposed Upon Us
Imposed Upon Us
• Uninvited Interruptions
• Waiting For Answers
• Too Much Work
• Equipment Failures
• Red Tape
• Staff Demands
• Disorganized Supervisor
• Unnecessary Meetings
• Poor Meeting Management
Self - Inflicted
• Procrastination
• Socializing
• Personal Disorganization
• Absentmindedness
• Poor Planning
• Perfectionism
• Paper Shuffling
• Fatigue
• Lack of Self-Discipline

6. 6
Ways Of Overcoming Procrastination
Make The Task Meaningful
– Ask Yourself Why The Task Is Important To You And What It
Has To Do With Your Long-term Goal
Take The Task Apart
– Sometime An Assignment Can Appear To Be Overwhelming.
Breaking Large Assignments Into Manageable Parts Will Help.
Set Dates To Work On Each Of The Pieces
Keep Yourself Organized
– Having Everything You Need Right At Your Fingertips Will
Save A Lot Of Time When Starting A Project
Plan A Reward
– Do Something For Yourself That You Would Not Normally No,
But Withhold The Reward If The Task Remains Incomplete
Just Do It – Complete The Task
– The Moment You Find Yourself Procrastinating, Complete The
Task; Then, You Won’t Have To Think About It Anymore
Time Robbers Inflicted On You;
Poor Meeting Management and Attendance
More Than 11 Million Meetings Are Held Each Day
• Some Meetings Are Necessary - Make The Most Of The Ones
You Choose To Attend
Improving Meetings Requires Discipline
Send/Receive Meeting Materials In Advance
Create An Agenda In Advance And Distribute With Other
Pre-meeting Reading Materials
Start On Time – Get Others In The Habit
Cancel Meetings If Preparations Not Complete
Do Not Reread Pre-meeting Materials – Establish
Accountability For Proper Preparation
Stay Focused And Finish Early If Possible
Time Robbers Self - Inflicted; Lack Of Self-
Discipline
• You Know What You Need To Do, Yet You Seem To Have A
Hard Time Accomplishing Things
• A Lack Of Self-discipline Not Only Prevents Us From Getting
Things Done, But It Is Not Good For Our Self-esteem
Potential Solutions
• Start Small – Try To Break Large Tasks Into Small Steps So
They Don’t Look And Feel So Overwhelming
• Establish Tasks And Work To Accomplish Them - Take
Things One At A Time
• Regulate Breaks – Reward Yourself With “Free Time” After
Task Completed
• Recognize How Good It Feels To Get Something Done –
Celebrate Small Victories!

7. 7
If You Use Prioritized Task Lists, You
Will:
• Remember To Carry Out All
Necessary Tasks
• Tackle The Most Important Jobs
First, And Do Not Waste Time On
Trivial Tasks
• Eliminate Most Stress By Removing
Or De-prioritizing A Large Number
Of Unimportant Jobs
• Be More Focused, Productive And
Organized At All Times
Effective Task Prioritization Ensures That Key
Important Activities Take Precedence
Delegation, Partnering And Collaboration Are
Powerful Tools To Leverage Others’ Time
The Leverage Model Has Been Used For
Centuries To Facilitate Greater
Productivity
• Lose The “I Must Do It All” Mindset –
• Others Can Effectively Do The Job While
You Manage The Process, Save Time
And Enhance Your Throughput
• Invest Time To Train Subordinates – Then
Empower Them
• Search For Strategic Partners That
Compliment Your Team’s Skill Set
• Collaborate With Suppliers To Improve
Customer Service Levels, Engagement And
Loyalty
Like Any Scarce Resource, Time Requires
Organization And Scheduling
By Using Scheduling Properly, You Can:
• Understand What You Can Realistically
Achieve With Your Time – Limitations
• Plan To Make The Best Use Of The Time
Available – Optimization
• Leave Enough Time For Things You
Absolutely Must Do – Prioritization
• Preserve Contingency Time To Handle
“The Unexpected” – Flexibility
• Minimize Stress By Avoiding Over-
commitment To Yourselves

8. 8
Examples Of Tasks To Schedule:
• E-mail Correspondence
• Order Delivery Follow Up
• Strategic Planning
• Marketing Activity Planning
• Financial Duties – Collections,
Invoicing
• Mentoring/Direction To Sales
Managers
• Training – Leading And Attending
• Slack/Contingency Time
• Regular Meetings (Weekly
Performance Reviews, etc.)
Many Tasks Can Be Planned And Scheduled
As Recurring Activities
Striking A Balance Between Responsiveness
And Interruption Is A Challenge
Responsiveness Engenders Trust
Being A Responsive Communicator Builds Loyalty
And Support Throughout Your Entire Network
Responsiveness Can Be A Distraction
Being A Responsive Communicator Can Lead To
Continual Interruptions In Your Work Flow And
Ineffective Use Of Your Time
You Need To Find Your Balance
There Is No Ideal Balance For Everyone; You
Must Find Your Own Balance, But Understand
Your Potential Biases That Shape Your Selection
Of Balance
Time Management Tips
• Write Things Down
– Don’t Rely On Memory
• Prioritize Your List – Use ABC Method
• Plan Your Week
– Spend Some Time At The Beginning
Of Each Week To Plan Your
Schedule
• Carry A Notebook
– Write Down Those Great Ideas And
Brilliant Insights (Capture Your
Thoughts)
• Learn To Say No
– Say No To Low Priority Requests

9. 9
20 Minutes For Maximum Productivity- Using
The “Multiple Put Down” Technique
Work On A Task In 20-minute Increments,
With Absolute Focus, And Then Put It
Down, Over And Over, Until You're Done
• Alert Your Brain That A Task Is Coming
That Will Require Recall, Creativity, And
Brilliance – Wait A Day Or Two To Begin
Task
• When You're Ready To Start, Set A
Timer For 20 Minutes
• Silence All Distractions - Hit Start On
The Timer
• During The 20 Minutes, Focus On That
Task Without Interruption
20 Minutes For Maximum Productivity- Using
The “Multiple Put Down” Technique
• Stay "In The Zone" Until The
Timer Goes Off
• After 20 Minutes - Keep
Working Or Take A Break
• If You Keep Working, Reset
The Timer To 20 Minutes,
• Repeat The Process
• If You Decide To Take A Break,
Make It Short (Such As Refilling
Your Coffee Cup), Medium
(Returning A Phone Call) Or
Long (Going Into A Meeting, Or
Working Out)
Your Office - Tips And Tools
Defend Your Workspace
• Close Your Door
• Shut Off Non-work Related Web Browsers
• Google, Facebook, Personal E- Mail.
Clear That Desk
• A Messy Desk Can Also Lead To Interruptions
And Break Your Concentration
• Clear Off Desk At The End Of The Day
• Clear Icons From Your Desktop Computer As
Well
Put On Headphones
• Headphones Will Send A Signal To Others You
Are Working (This Works Even If You Don’t
Want Music On) The Key Is To Block Out Noise
And Let Others Know You Are Working

10. 10
Get The Tools You Need Up Front
Being Organized Like This Will Help You
Accomplish Tasks Faster By Having Everything
At Your Fingertips
Change Your Work Hours
Think About How Much You Can Get Done With
Uninterrupted Time Before The Head Office Or
Your Sales Team Get Going.
• If You Do Not Want To Tell Others You Are At
Work At 6 Am – Schedule Emails To Go Out
During Regular Business Hours
Spend Time With Other People
Schedule Lunch With Friends And Family
Members. Working From Home Can Create A
Sense Of Isolation And Can Lead To Reduced
Productivity
Your Office - Tips And Tools
Create A 5 Minute PDA Task List; Have Them
Ready To Utilize Spare Time In Small Doses
Got A Little Time? Get A Lot Done!!!
• Social Media Posts – Have Software On Your PDA
• Scheduling – Sync Your PDA With Your Office
Technology
• Communication – A Global Business World Creates
Multiple Time Zones Enabling Communication At All
Times Of The Day
• Family & Friends – Manage Calls When Now So It
Doesn’t Interrupt Work
• Reading – Have It Available At All Times; Kid’s Soccer
Games, Dance Class, Etc.
Email Tricks and Management
Be Quick, Very Quick: We Spend An
Inordinate Amount Of Time Waiting For
Responses; When Emails Come Back In
Under 20 Minutes, More Stuff Will Get Done
Delegate Through CC - Messages No
Longer Than A Few Sentences And
Connected To The Right Person Make Doing
Business Delightfully Efficient
Be Available All The Time - The Best Ideas
Often Come Late At Night And Are Often
Time-sensitive; Great Opportunities
Evaporate If They’re Left To Linger Or Get
Buried In A Pile Of Unread Emails

11. 11
• Set Go Smart Goals And Only Execute Activities That
Help Achieve Those Goals
• Compare Value Adding Activities For Prioritized
Execution
• Avoid Time Robbers!
• Resist The Temptation To Do Insignificant Tasks
Too Well; Let Go - Don’t Be A Perfectionist
• Organize And Plan Your Time
• Decide That You Don’t Have To Please Everyone
• Leverage Others’ Time To Help Achieve Your Goals
Let’s Make The Best Use Of YOUR Cherished
Time By Following These Simple Rules
Let’s Get Started ..Now!
Source: LetsTalk.com