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WORKSMART
done activity will help you be more realistic in
future planning.
Plan out your calendar for the upcoming week
- This is the time to review your “done” list for
urgent and non-urgent deliverables needing
to be completed and slotting the work time to
produce the deliverables into your calendar.
It’s important to be realistic with yourself on
how much time is needed to complete the
deliverables and not set yourself up for failure.
Remember to ensure your calendar includes all
activity that consumes time in your day.
Document what you plan to get done for the
following week - For items you are committing
to getting done, update your Friday planning
meeting for the next week to include the dones,
which you’ll review in a week’s time.
4. Make difficult calendar choices - If there just
aren’t enough hours in the week to get things
done, look to see what needs to change. Perhaps
it’s a change in due date or altering or deferring
other items in your calendar that are taking
up time. Whatever the case, be willing to make
some decisions about what you do and who you
meet with.
5. Find hidden time in your calendar - Are
there meetings you just don’t need to be at?
Are there one-hour meetings that can be done
in 30 minutes? Can the frequency of recurring
meetings be reduced? Can some things be done
JULY - AUGUST 2021
through offline communication, i.e. email? Ask
yourself where time spent in meetings can
be reduced or eliminated without materially
adverse business impact.
6. Remember that you own your calendar, it
doesn’t own you - Certainly things may happen
during the week which could alter what you get
done (or when you do it). Don’t beat yourself up
if it does happen, just look at the frequency and
reasons behind the changes. If they’re happening
on an exceptional basis because of unforeseen
work hitting your plate, then accept it as part
of the job. If they’re happening frequently,
then it could be you’re either not realistic in
your planning or you’re allowing yourself to be
distracted. It’s up to you to decide, just be honest
with yourself.
A common thread through these principles is
discipline. You can put the best-intentioned
techniques in place but if you don’t follow them,
you’re dooming yourself to emails at midnight.
Seriously consider the principles, put your spin
on them, and put them into action.
Lonnie Pacelli is an accomplished author and autism
advocate with over 30 years experience in leadership
and project management at Accenture, Microsoft, and
Consetta Group. See books, articles, keynotes, and self-
study seminars at http://www.lonniepacelli.com
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