Coaching 5 project managers, we identified that 2 have concerns about how they are managing their time, multiple project and customer needs, they often “feel disorganized”…
We talk weekly over the phone, have email check-ins three times a week, and meet monthly for face to face coaching.
Our weekly discussions focus on small steps towards defined goals.
Below is a field-assignment that I shared with the 2 who are focusing on time management:
Field Assignment
Choose 1 of the following things and only 1 to focus on for the next 7 days.
- Determine how many ‘outstanding customer needs’ exist that are over 1 month old…currently within you inbox. Meaning how many customer questions/needs have not been answered in over a month. Determine a plan and actively work to lessen that number by 5%. Meaning if you have 100 outstanding customer needs that are over 1 month old, determine and plan to complete 5 of them. Recommendation pick the easy-quick ones first.
- For the next 7 working days in the morning flip a coin. Heads you spend 30 minutes that day organizing 1 thing (inbox, office, client files, etc…) and you document what you organized, how you are organizing it, what was easy about organizing it, and when it will be helpful. Tails you do nothing different that day. Recommendation use a quarter
- Seek out someone (either within your company or outside your company) who you think has their work flow optimized and is achieving the goals you would like to achieve. Someone who you think “… if I could do that, my work-life would be better”. Invite them to coffee or a conference call and ask them how they manage to find time to get their work done? THEN spend 2 days any 2 you choose behaving ‘As-if’ you were this person. Recommendation I know it sounds crazy BUT behaving ‘As-If’ you are that person you will find somethings that work for you and some that don’t…
Do one of the options. And I will ask you about it when we talk again…