- •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
Some Tips
• From time to time look over these recommendations, refresh them in your memory until they become stable working rules for you.
•Record any successes, even insignificant ones at first sight, which lead to saving time — that will help you sooner to accept the technique of rational use of your time.
1.4. Do not let us linger!
Being slow is one of the characteristics of human psychology. This is, certainly, the most salient feature with phlegmatic persons. However, it is difficult to find a man who doesn't linger, who doesn't put off till tomorrow a difficult or unpleasant thing (e. g. To take to task a careless and quarrelsome worker, to solve a conflict between the subordinates, to write a report on some involved problem, etc.).
Special research shows that this weakness (slowness) accounts for more lost time wasted on trifles than any other factor reducing the efficiency of the manager's work.
A reliable remedy for sluggishness is strict keeping to the rule recommended above: "Take up first of all the most important and most urgent affairs." But to make easier getting over the barrier of negative emotions as you set about an unpleasant affair, we shall not limit ourselves just to formulating the rule but consider the situation in detail. Sluggishness has two main allies: a) habits and b) inertia.
Habits Dominate over Us
It's difficult to change one's habits. But if one tries to do this he should begin with their description, of course. This can be done, for example, by listing the jobs and duties which we are used to doing at once, without thinking, and which we do easily as if among other things.
Of course, such a list is not made speculatively (it's very difficult), but in the process of your own work, regarding it-as if from aside spirit. Your relatives, friends, colleagues would describe your own habits and make your task easier.
Pay special attention to the habit of postponing — what kind of things are you inclined to put off?
Inertia Is Rooted in the Truth That It's Easier to Go on with a Job than Begin a New One.
Keeping this in mind, we recommend starting a new job with the easiest step. (By the way, many of you may remember from childhood the antipsychological recommendation — begin doing lessons with the most difficult subjects.)
It can be supposed that with many schoolchildren this increased difficulty has tipped the balance of decision in favour of football or cinema instead of the lessons. Parents win ask their children a traditional question: "It's evening. Haven't you yet sat down to your lessons?" and get traditional answer "I didn't know how to begin." The commonest cases are as follows:
Unpleasant job
Such jobs are most often put off with the hope that things will "turn out right" somehow.
However, things don't turn out right but get even worse. For example, hesitation about increase in wages leads to conflicts and loss of the most valuable workers. If the conflict is not settled, it grows and deepens.
Sometimes it's just enough to think about the negative consequences of jobs that are not taken care of on time — and your sluggishness is gone.
Having done the analysis of your work, you are likely to confirm the fact that 80 % of your subordinates are responsible for 20 % of conflicting situations, and 80 % of troubles arise from 20 % of your own affairs. Those affairs and troubles must be the focus of your attention. In this way you will considerably reduce your "arrears in business".
You would be well-advised to fix the time (real time) of having an unpleasant job completed and put it down in such a way that the note should be in sight during the day. Your associates had better be in the know about that time.
If the job is particularly unpleasant, you may promise yourself some prize for its completion. This prize may be something you have been dreaming about, but all the time denied yourself the pleasure (e. g. devoting the whole evening to reading, idling about for some time, buying something you wanted to buy very much but grudged money, etc. — everybody can think of a prize like that.