USING YOUR TIME EFFICIENTLYanything else I can help you with?” If he doesn’t
jump to the point right then and there, he didn’t
have one.
Keeping yourself focused helps you keep others
focused, especially during a phone call. If what’s
being discussed doesn’t move something forward
in a palpable way, shift the focus until it does.
People who may feel like chatting in the morn-
ing or at midday are less likely to be chatty
around fi ve o’clock. If you need to cut off a
lengthy description of their weekend at the lake,
ask politely if you can call back to hear the end
of the story, then call back about 4:45. The rest
of the lake saga will probably be brief.
AGENDAS SQUEEZE OUT
THE SMALL STUFF
Avoid getting bogged down in the
small stuff, particularly during meet-
ings. Well-thought-out agendas help
you and the meeting attendees focus
on the “vital few” ideas rather than
the “trivial many.” They help everyone
keep their eyes on the prize. Setting
the proper agenda is half the battle
when it comes to running efficient
meetings.
SOURCE:Defeating Procrastination by Marlene
Caroselli (Skillpath Publications, 1997).THE BOTTOM LINE