1. Why traditional “To Do” lists don’t work
2. Personal time management in dealing with overwhelm
3. Mastering the steps of delegation
4. Getting over the 'you've got mail' syndrome and managing
email better
5. Claiming your energy back from time stealers
My first question to Robyn was:
You say traditional "TO DO" lists often don't work. Why is this?
Robyn: To do lists ARE actually really important in learning time
management. The interesting thing is that most people will make
a To Do list and then start with the easiest thing first. That’s not
always the case, but I would say that around 80% of the people I
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work with would say that they start with the easy things first, the
things they can get out of the way quickly and feel a little bit of
success with.
Start with what’s important
The problem with this can be that the bigger and more
challenging things which, in fact, will make the long-term
difference, tend to linger, so they become a stress source in
themselves. People tend to say, “I’ll just get this out of the way so
I can concentrate”. But the reality is that this is doing things back
to front.
"Successful people start with the most important things first"
If we do something of significance first thing in the day then we
feel more effective in the time management game and are likely
to have a higher level of energy. This is because we have the win
of achieving one or two of the big things that are really important
on our list.
And here’s another point on energy, We talk about time
management techniques and strategies but the reality is it is
energy management. When I say that to people, there is a little
quiet moment of reflection as they realize that is really what is
going on.
Plan for the week
Another important time management exercise around To Do lists
is weekly planning. On my website as well as lots of free time
management tips I have a free report: How To Master Time in 90
Seconds, which I really encourage people to download.
In that, I explain what I call my Toolbar of Time which shows
there are four significant areas that we need to talk about time
management strategies and techniques.
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The four things are:
1. What’s our big picture – do we know what is important? What
are our goals? If we understand the relationship between goal
setting and time management then we are in a better position to
push back and say no to the things that are time stealing.
2. Planning and prioritizing: Which of course takes in the To Do
lists.
3. Time Management Techniques and Tips: The shortcuts and the
quick ways to make things work better and the system
improvements we can do. How can we better manager our
emails, our phone calls, our meetings, interruptions and so on. I
encourage people to become a “walking question mark” around
learning time management that is constantly looking for better
ways to do things, from our domestic tasks through to our
business systems.
4. Sanity Gaps: Which is where we fit in the work/life balance
issues and deal with stress and time management.
Not enough people plan on a weekly basis. We should use our
diary (whatever type we choose, online or paper) as a planning
tool to lock in some of the higher value things we need to do as
well as appointments. Successful people treat their diary as a
planning tool, not just as an appointment reminder.
To consolidate these and get into action, I really encourage you
take advantage of Robyn’s books, CD’s, and a membership
program that gives access to interactive webinar seminars and
interviews with no geographic boundaries. Robyn invites you to
visit her Getting A Grip on Time website and take charge of your
time and your energy.
Source: Wendy Buckingham - : http://www.all-about-becoming-
a-life-coach.com/time-management-strategies-and-
techniques.html#ixzz1qnLySlYa
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4.22 STRATEGIC PLANNING
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its
strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its
resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and
people. Various business analysis techniques can be used in
strategic planning, including SWOT analysis (Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats ), PEST analysis
(Political, Economic, Social, and Technological), STEER analysis
(Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Ecological, and
Regulatory factors), and EPISTEL (Environment, Political,
Informatic, Social, Technological, Economic and Legal).
Strategic planning is the formal consideration of an
organization's future course. All strategic planning deals with at
least one of three key questions:
1. "What do we do?"
2. "For whom do we do it?"
3. "How do we excel?"
In business strategic planning, the third question is better
phrased "How can we beat or avoid competition?". (Bradford
and Duncan, page 1). In many organizations, this is viewed as a
process for determining where an organization is going over the
next year or more -typically 3 to 5 years, although some extend
their vision to 20 years.
In order to determine where it is going, the organization needs
to know exactly where it stands, then determine where it wants
to go and how it will get there. The resulting document is called
the "strategic plan."
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It is also true that strategic planning may be a tool for effectively
plotting the direction of a company; however, strategic planning
itself cannot foretell exactly how the market will evolve and
what issues will surface in the coming days in order to plan your
organizational strategy. Therefore, strategic innovation and
tinkering with the 'strategic plan' have to be a cornerstone
strategy for an organization to survive the turbulent business
climate.
Contents
1 Mission, vision and values
2 Mission statements and vision statements
3 Methodologies
4 Situational analysis
5 Goals, objectives and targets
MISSION, VISION AND VALUES
Mission: Defines the fundamental purpose of an organisation or
an enterprise, succinctly describing why it exists and what it
does to achieve its Vision. The mission could be either for the
long term or the short term. A corporate mission can last for
many years, or for the life of the organisation or may change as
the organisation develops. It is not an objective with a timeline,
but rather the overall goal that is accomplished as organisational
goals and objectives are achieved.
Vision: Defines the desired or intended future state of an
organization or enterprise in terms of its fundamental objective
and/or strategic direction. Vision is a long term view, sometimes
describing how the organization would like the world in which it
operates to be. For example a charity working with the poor
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might have a vision statement which read "A world without
poverty"
It is sometimes used to set out a 'picture' of the organisation in
the future. A vision statement provides inspiration, the basis for
all the organisation's planning. It could answer the qiestion:
"Where do we want to go?"
Values: Beliefs that are shared among the stakeholders of an
organization. Values drive an organisation's culture and
priorities.
Strategy: Strategy narrowly defined, means "the art of the
general" (from Greek stratcgos). A combination of the ends
(goals) for which the firm is striving and the means (policies)by
which it is seeking to get there.
Mission statements and vision statements
Organizations sometimes summarize goals and objectives into a
mission statement and/or a vision statement Others begin
with a vision and mission and use them to formulate goals and
objectives.
While the existence of a shared mission is extremely useful,
many strategy specialists question the requirement for a written
mission statement. However, there are many models of strategic
planning that start with mission statements, so it is useful to
examine them here.
A Mission statement tells you the fundamental purpose of
the organization. It defines the customer and the critical
processes. It informs you of the desired level of performance.
A Vision statement outlines what the organization wants to
be, or how it wants the world in which it operates to be. It
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concentrates on the future. It is a source of inspiration. It
provides clear decision-making criteria.
An advantage of having a statement is that it creates value for
those who get exposed to the statement, and those prospects are
managers, employees and sometimes even customers.
Statements create a sense of direction and opportunity. They
both are an essential part of the strategy-making process.
Many people mistake vision statement for mission statement,
and sometimes one is simply used as a longer term version of the
other. The Vision should describe why it is important to achieve
the Mission. A Vision statement defines the purpose or broader
goal for being in existence or in the business and can remain the
same for decades if crafted well. A Mission statement is more
specific to what the enterprise can achieve itself. Vision should
describe what will be achieved in the wider sphere if the
organization and others are successful in achieving their
individual missions.
A mission statement can resemble a vision statement in a few
companies, but that can be a grave mistake. It can confuse
people. The mission statement can galvanize the people to
achieve defined objectives, even if they are stretch objectives,
provided it can be elucidated in SMART (Specific, Measurable,
Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) terms. A mission
statement provides a path to realize the vision in line with its
values. These statements have a direct bearing on the bottom
line and success of the organization.
Which comes first? The mission statement or the vision
statement? That depends. If you have a new start up business,
new program or plan to re engineer your current services, then
the vision will guide the mission statement and the rest of the
strategic plan. If you have an established business where the
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mission is established, then many times, the mission guides the
vision statement and the rest of the strategic plan. Either way,
you need to know your fundamental purpose - the mission, your
current situation in terms of internal resources and capabilities
(strengths and/or weaknesses) and external conditions
(opportunities and/or threats), and where you want to go - the
vision for the future. It's important that you keep the end or
desired result in sight from the start.
Features of an effective vision statement include:
Clarity and lack of ambiguity
Vivid and clear picture
Description of a bright future
Memorable and engaging wording
Realistic aspirations
Alignment with organizational values and culture
To become really effective, an organizational vision statement
must (the theory states) become assimilated into the
organization's culture. Leaders have the responsibility of
communicating the vision regularly, creating narratives that
illustrate the vision, acting as role-models by embodying the
vision, creating short-term objectives compatible with the vision,
and encouraging others to craft their own personal vision
compatible with the organization's overall vision. In addition,
mission statements need to be subjected to an internal
assessment and an external assessment. The internal assessment
should focus on how members inside the organization interpret
their mission statement. The external assessment — which
includes all of the businesses stakeholders — is valuable since it
offers a different perspective. These discrepancies between these
two assessments can give insight on the organization's mission
statement effectiveness.
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Another approach to defining Vision and Mission is to pose two
questions. Firstly, "What aspirations does the organization have
for the world in which it operates and has some influence over?",
and following on from this, "What can (and /or does) the
organization do or contribute to fulfill those aspirations?". The
succinct answer to the first question provides the basis of the
Vision Statement. The answer to the second question determines
the Mission Statement.
MY MISSION
Great people are ordinary people with commitment.
“Men and women fail in their life, not for lack of ability, or brains,
but simply because they have never organized their energies
around a central goal.” (Elmer Wheeler.)
So, just what is YOUR personal mission?
- What is the purpose of your existence?
- What gets you out of bed on a cold winter's morning?
- What force drives you to action and productivity?
It's never too late or too early to do some serious thinking about
what it is that drives you and what your personal mission is or
should be. In all likelihood, this is the most important thinking
you can do, to make a difference in how you take charge of your
life!
Determine what it is you want in life, and make it CLEAR and
SPECIFIC.
This is precisely the purpose of your mission statement.
Your mission is the reason for your existence. It acts as a
beacon—a clear and specific objective that everything else is
guided by. When it is known, understood, accepted and
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communicated, positive things happen and energy and effort are
no longer wasted. You will always know when you are headed in
the right direction.
The mission-setting process doesn't have to be complicated or
longwinded.
Here is an easy model to begin with:
To use my……………………………………..(skills, talents, etc.)
to…………………………………………….……(actions, etc.)
so that…………………………………….…….(result).
If you can do that in 25 words and commit it to memory and to
your heart then you know your mission.
Examples of mission statements
- To create things of beauty so that others are inspired by and
can enjoy them. (An artist)
- To create magnificent buildings for social gatherings so that
people can celebrate in maximum comfort. (An architect).
- To support others in their work so that the team gets the best
result. (A manager)
There are three important properties your mission statement
must possess:
Unique: It must be yours and not belong to anybody else.
Stimulating: It must stir you into action.
Motivating: It must personally inspire you.
If this is your first time with a mission statement, don't agonize
about your mission statement. Just get something down. If it
doesn’t feel right, change it until it does or come back to it later.
It's useful to review your Mission Statement every three months,
and make those small adjustments that may occur as you grow.
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MY VALUES
Why set Values?
It is important to set long-term goals within the context of your
values. If the goals you set are out of alignment from these
values, it will make those goals extremely difficult to achieve. For
instance, if you value health, but you set a goal to achieve the top
salesperson's award and do nothing but work all year on that
goal, with no exercise, eating poor foods and getting little sleep,
you might end up in hospital instead of receiving that award!
So list the values that determine the standards that you set. For
example: love, health, truth, happiness, creativity, achievement,
knowledge, passion, freedom and contribution.
Check with your mission statement and note how these values
can help as rudders, steering you on the shortest course to your
mission¾the beacon that illuminates your way.
Clarifying Values
Coachee instructions:
For each of the values listed on the left, indicate its level of
importance by placing a checkmark in one of the columns to the
right. Don’t think too long about each one because your first
reactions are often the most accurate. When you’ve completed
the survey, identify the five values that are most important to
you and write a short definition of what that value means in your
life.
Action values:
Possible levels of importance:
Unimportant, not very important, Important, Critical
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“I would like to . . . ”
Create ideas
Take responsibility
Make things
Experience variety
Fix things
Improve society
Help people
Laugh often
Design systems
Take risks
Perform physical tasks
Be in nature
Organize things
Manage people
Create beauty
Work in teams
Explore ideas
Other:
Follow directions
Result values:
Possible levels of importance:
Unimportant, not very important, Important, Critical
“I would like to have. . . ”
Achievement
Security
Beauty around me
Structure/order
Knowledge
Stability
Pleasure
Wisdom
Power
Family harmony
Recognition
Friendship
Wealth
Self-respect
Adventure
Inner harmony
Comfort
Integrity
Independence
Equality
Leisure time
Love
Possessions
Other:
Simplicity
Personal quality values:
Possible levels of importance:
Unimportant, not very important, Important, Critical
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“I want to be . . . ”
Generous
Happy
Fulfilled
Efficient
Healthy
Open-minded
Moral
Competent
Physically attractive
Logical
Spiritual
Sensitive
Ambitious
Creative
Caring
Fair
Cooperative
Environmentally aware
Disciplined
Honest
Positive
Other:
Needed
My Top Five Values - What this value means to me
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Source: Christine Bennett, WorkVantage Inc.
MY ROLES
Why base your Goals on your Roles?
In life, you have different roles depending on what you are doing and to
whom you are relating. For example, when you are talking with your
parents your role is son or daughter, but when you are talking to your
children your role is mother or father. At work you may at various times
be a manager, a subordinate, a co-worker, a friend, a confidante, etc. At
other times you may be a tennis player, runner, and so on.
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Identifying your roles and developing a vision for each of them makes it
easy to determine the long-term goals that will make your vision real.
You may find it useful to categorize your roles into personal
development, career, family and social areas. Within personal
development you can later categorize your goals around the first three
items of the Check-in (physical, mental and confidence)
There's an old story about the young woodcutter who wanted to be the
best. When he thought he was being beaten by an old hand, the young
man decided to miss his breaks and just keep chopping. At the end of the
day, however, the old man still had more wood. You see, he stopped for
breaks during the day and spent some of that time in keeping his axe
sharpened.
Having well-tuned personal development goals is like having a sharp axe.
Keep your axe sharp by keeping the physical, mental and confidence
personal role as positive as you can. It will enhance the achievement and
fulfillment of all your other roles.
MY VISION:
Creating your Vision for Each Role
A vision describes exactly what it will look like when you have fulfilled
your role. For example, for the role of team leader, your vision could
state:
The team achieves results which are 10% above budget, the team
members support each other and doing their best as individuals, and
coachee queries are minimal.
For a role as father, your vision could state:
I spend one day each weekend with the children and organize my time to
attend school functions as appropriate. I enjoy being involved in their
hobbies and interests and love my children very much.
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METHODOLOGIES
There are many approaches to strategic planning but typically a three-
step process may be used:
Situation - evaluate the current situation and how it came
about.
Target - define goals and/or objectives (sometimes called ideal
state)
Path - map a possible route to the goals/objectives
One alternative approach is called Draw-See-Think
Draw - what is the ideal