Message #18001

[andream]

AND just a comment from the peanut gallery here, your To-do lists need to be fluid, added to as your day goes on.  Here's what I do, I have a steno pad and each day starts out with a blank page which is dated at the top.  (steno pads work really well for this because you can use the reverse side of the page quite easily, you'll see why that's important in a second).  Anyhow, start your fresh page each day with your own selfgenerated to-do list.  Accomplish your tasks, crossing off things as you complete them...when bossies ADD to the list, put those items on the reverse side of the same dated page...again crossing off what you manage to get done, and somehow managing not to bite anyone when they add more STUFF for you to do.

At the end of the day, or the very beginning of the next day, take the items from your page that weren't accomplished and the bossie added tasks as well and put them at the top of today's new page, and include the stuff that got tacked onto your list by outside forces with an asterick so you know they were "add in's" to your original list.  Then add tasks that you self generate to the end of this new list, again using the reverse side of the "new" page to add those tasks given to you by bossies.  repeat day after day until your steno pad is ragged edged and filled up then file it away and start a new one.

Why keep a separate list of stuff people lob at you during the day in addition to your own self generated list?

Because it provides a clear record of when you're being sidetracked, new duties you're taking on and who assigned them and the outcomes of them, (or at least whether they got done or not) this little steno pad can become your way in to outlining the reasons you need a raise, demonstrating why some things get done and other's dont (for instance if a higher up reprioritizes your day for you) and when it's performance evaluation time, gives you a nice little way of looking back on what you've done for the last few weeks or months, or even years depending on how long you keep the magic archive.

I once had a group that I supported, and when a big deadline for a project wasn't met was able to clearly show my direct Manager why, who had funneled projects to me at the last minute, who followed up, and who didn't and where my time had gone in relation to this particular project which had been passed to me along with my other, ongoing duties.  Worked like a charm and I got a pay raise too once my manager had seen what I acutally did in a day, he was truly impressed and well...it worked for me...and having that pad in hand, all day everyday on my desk, in my hand if I went to a meeting, worked better than any diary I've ever used, it was simple and straight forward and to this day, I Still use my system.