- •ChapTeR 1. Individual work technique: ноw то мaкe up for lost time
- •1.1. Lack of time
- •Results of the Research
- •From Whom to Learn
- •Waste of Working Time
- •What to Begin with
- •What Will the Recommendations Give You
- •1.2. Recommendations for organizing time
- •Rule 1. Make a daily schedule listing all jobs in the order of their importance.
- •Rule 2. Take up first of all the most important and urgent affairs.
- •Rule 3. Escape from routine work and try to stay alone at least for an hour.
- •Rule 4. Don't scatter your attention, concentrate on one job at a time.
- •Rule 5. Try to make over as many tasks as possible to others.
- •Rule 6. Update the system of control.
- •Rule 7. Don't allow the papers pile upon the table.
- •Rule 8. Use the effect of 7 "small things'
- •1.3. On thc applicability of recommended rules
- •Some Tips
- •1.4. Do not let us linger!
- •Habits Dominate over Us
- •Inertia Is Rooted in the Truth That It's Easier to Go on with a Job than Begin a New One.
- •Unpleasant job
- •Complicated job
- •Uncertain situation
- •Снaртer 2. Business communication
- •2.1. Business conversation, talks
- •Importance of business communication
- •2.2. Ten rules to prepare for and carry on a business talk
- •Rule 4. Choose the right place.
- •There should be nothing to disturb or divert you;
- •The place should correspond to the aims of the talk.
- •Rule 5. Objectives of the first part of a talk: a) to have the participants focus their attention on the subjects; b) to create the atmosphere of mutual confidence.
- •Rule 6. Bring your tactics in line with the aims.
- •Rule 7. Try to keep your partner talking most of the time.
- •Rule 8. Rise to the occasion.
- •Rule 9. Fix the information obtained.
- •Rule 10. Stop the conversation right after reaching the set purpose.
- •6.3. Particulars of various kinds of business talks
What Will the Recommendations Give You
These recommendations help to save 25—30 % of time on the average. I know people who have followed these recommendations and managed to do (not only in the office) twice the amount of work they did before. But, of course, those are exceptions, pleasant as they are. But 30 % of saved time is absolutely real and quite achievable for everyone, provided the recommended rules become the order of the day. This is proved by the results of polling of those who have followed these recommendations.
1.2. Recommendations for organizing time
These recommendations may be of use to a manager, professional and, generally, to any person who is concerned about lack of time — both at work and at leisure.
Although they are intended for managers, the greater parts of the rules are of use to every person — from minister down to housewife.
Rule 1. Make a daily schedule listing all jobs in the order of their importance.
This is the first and crucial link in rational organization of time.
One of the paradoxes of time is that when we spend time on planning it we save time.
The first two paragraphs of the instruction rules "How to work", developed by A.K. Gastev are as follows: "Before setting about a job, thoroughly think it over in such a way that you have a complete scheme of the job, an outline of all working techniques. If you can't think it out well enough, consider the main stages, and in the most thorough way— the initial parts of the job. Most jobs are slipshod, because they haven't been thought out well from the very beginning". The words "think out well" are underlined here with the purpose to draw your attention to the main idea.
Planning the order of the day is recommended to be done this way (see 15).
Jobs for the day are entered into a special notebook in the order of their priority:
The most important jobs (in order of their importance).
Urgent jobs (In order of their urgency).
Routine jobs which can wait (in order of their importance).
Jobs "Until called for".
It won't take many efforts to turn this notebook into a source of valuable information for considering the spending of time.
•Having done a certain job, cross out one entry and record (at least approximately) the amount of time spent on it.
•If the job is done completely, cross it out, say, with a straight line, if not completely — with a wavy line, if the job turned out to be outside your line of business — with a dotted line. After all, one can devise one's own signs to help get bearings in one's notes.
Looking through the notes will enable you to look with a critical eye at the peculiarities of your business style and your manner of using time.
You had better make your plan in the morning. If you have made it overnight, check yourself in the morning (you have followed the saying "Take counsel of your pillow."): during the night all troubles of the previous day quiet down, small things settle down, and your comprehension of importance of various matters becomes more objective.