| If you have worked
on very many big projects for your company, you are probably
familiar with the threat of focus creep. It is so easy to get
bogged down in the every day details of problem solving and
data crunching that, before you know it, you have wasted a lot
of time and resources pursuing ideas that are distracting you
from the project’s main purpose. One of the benefits associated
with our Driving a Successful
Project training program is that we give you the project
management skills to protect your team from focus creep. You
will stay on point, on schedule and on target to hit your production
goals, instead of creeping along out of focus.
Time management tips for making the most of your busy days
We've all heard of 'Internet Time,' but I lived it,"
says Kevin Dykes, the 29-year-old founder of AllianceBuilder.com,
an Austin, Texas-based Internet strategy and consulting firm.
"Wasting time is the quickest path to failure in this
industry."
Believe it or not, though, Dykes wasn't always so disciplined.
Before he cofounded another company in 1999 called US Creative,
he was a time-scattered freelance Web project manager. "Without
a doubt, I was horrible at managing my time during the business
day," Dykes admits. "Like many entrepreneurs, I
would easily lose my focus and begin brainstorming and researching
my own ideas. It led to some trying times."
Dykes' time-management struggle isn't unique, either, as
many of you could surely attest. And that can mean big problems.
"In many cases, entrepreneurs are busy putting out fires
instead of zeroing in on the core tasks that really count-the
things that result in real accomplishment," says Marty
Foley, a seminar speaker and author of the audio program How
to Get More Done with Less Time and Effort ($15, http://profitinfo.com/catalog).
"Lack of good organization and time management results
in undue stress and less time for family responsibilities.
In the case of entrepreneurs who get paid by their level of
productivity, it can also adversely affect them financially."
What can you do if you're always burning the midnight oil?
It's pretty easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day grind
that you forget the things you wanted to accomplish when you
started your homebased business. Determining what your goals
are will give you a quick reality check and help you find
some direction. "Big-picture goals about where you want
to go and how you want to spend the time getting there are
the key to creating your life," Dykes suggests.
Once you've plotted your course, find a simple time-management
system that works for you. "You have to find the methods
that work with how you naturally think," explains Dykes.
"For example, I can't use a Day Runner or a Franklin
Planner according to the system they prescribe, but I use
the elements that make sense with how my mind works."
Is it worth it to find the time to learn about time management?
Dykes reports his strategy lets him have more fun and less
stress. "I'm living and enjoying my life more. The second
benefit, which provides a foundation for the first, is having
greater success in my business so I can build the life my
wife and I want. I am now able to accomplish much more in
the same amount of time."
Make It Count
Stop working 12-hour days! Time-management guru Marty Foley
offers these tips for slicing your schedule into bite-sized
chunks.
1. Set goals. If you don't know what your destination is,
how can you get there? Write down your goals.
2. Keep and use a prioritized to-do list. Always tackle the
high-priority tasks first, and work on the low-priority ones
as time allows.
3. Exercise self-discipline. If you can stay focused on your
most important priorities, you'll see greater results from
your time and effort.
4. Automate where possible. With e-mail, use time-saving
tools such as autoresponders and filters.
5. Periodically analyze your business. Assess which activities
work and which ones you should eliminate.
By Heather Martin
"Project Management Skills are Necessary"
Project Management Quote
"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without
vision is a nightmare."
Japanese proverb
Suggested Reading:
A Guide To The Project Management
Body Of Knowledge:
by Project Management Institute
Fundamentals of Project
Management: Developing Core Competencies to Help Outperform
the Competition
by James P. Lewis
Project Management
for Dummies
by Stanley E. Portny
A Guide to the Project
Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) -- 2000 Edition
by Project Management Institute
Effective Project Management:
Traditional, Adaptive, Extreme, Third Edition
by Robert K. Wysocki (Author), Rudd McGary (Author)
The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management: Quick Tips, Speedy
Solutions, and Cutting-Edge Ideas
by Eric Verzuh
Project Management : A Managerial
Approach
by Jack R. Meredith, Samuel J. Mantel
Visualizing Project Management : A Model for Business and
Technical Success (with
CD-ROM)
by Kevin Forsberg
Agile Project Management : Creating Innovative
Products (Agile Software Development Series)
by Jim Highsmith |
