by Kentigern » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:03 am
Dear all,
As part of my PhD I did a day course on work and time management. Here is a strategy that has been useful to me.
At the start of each working day make a list of all the appointments you have, and make a list of every task you currently have to do with it's deadline, even if it is not urgent.
The next step is to rank every task you have to do. The ranking system you use is as follows:
(1) Urgent and Important
(2) Urgent and Unimportant
(3) Not Urgent and Important
(4) Not Urgent and Unimportant
Save this list with the rankings on your computer or put it in a prominent place on your desk or behind your desk.
During the day do all tasks ranked (1) first, then do tasks ranked (2), then do tasks ranked (3), then do tasks ranked (4). When you complete a task score it out.
If during the day you are given new work to do, or remember work that you have forgotten about, add it to the list with it's deadline and rank it using the scheme above.
The next day make a list of appointments for that day. Then use the previous days list of things to do to make a new list of things to do and the deadline for completion. Rank all your tasks again as some may have changed ranking over night, for example a task that was not urgent yesterday may now be urgent. Then follow the same strategy. Start of by doing tasks ranked (1), then (2), then (3), then (4).
If you can keep to this strategy, tasks will not be forgotten about and there is a far better chance that tasks will be completed on time.
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A second strategy I find useful is if I am given a deadline for an important piece of work, I set myself a deadline a few days before the official daedline, and work to my earlier deadline. In this way if things go wrong it is not the end of the world.
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I hope this is helpful.
Gordon
Gordon Lawrence
