Articles ::
How can I get 25 hours in a day?
Short on time? James Butler suggests some novel ways of managing your time to maximum effect.
Many in the waste industry will have asked that question, or muttered it under their breath as their boss drops more work on their crowded desk with a casual "We needs that committee report by 5 o'clock". Of course, the answer is that you can't make more time, but you can take a number of steps to increase your effectiveness in the time you do spend at work.
Jobs in the waste industry are characterised by certain key features, which most readers of Wastes Management will recognise:
- Responsibility across different disciplines - causing competing priorities
- Performance criteria demanding prompt responses
- Reactive service - to the public, customers or circumstances
- High productivity expectations - Best Value can mean less people on the job
- Equipment reliability can be a major factor in productivity - and our vehicles operate in some of the toughest working conditions.
This means that any strategy for dealing with the issue of time management, or effectiveness, must appreciate these particular pressures and adapt accepted wisdom if the concepts are to be of any use to busy waste managers. Follow this ten-step process to see how you can improve your effectiveness and achieve more in your time at work (or spend less time there!).
- Take Stock:
- Where is your time going now? What fills your 40, 50 or 60-hour week? Analyse your diary for last week, or spend this week jotting exactly how you spend your time. Look for time-wasting activities - interruptions, emergencies or unnecessary/unproductive meetings.
- Value Your Time:
- Consider the cost to your organisation of your time - can jobs be delegated to lower-cost employees (giving them chance to develop and gain experience)? Remember the best Value argument of Effective vs Efficient? To me, efficient means you do the task well in a short time at low cost. Effective means you do the right job well in a short time, etc. Ensure your time is spent on the most productive tasks for your unit or organisation.
- Do It, Dump It or Delegate It:
- If ever there was a slogan that should be adopted by a waste manager, this must be it. Aim to handle paper, e-mails, etc. only once. Train your department or assistants to screen junk mail and handle communications that don't need your involvement. If you do need an involvement, immediately schedule a time to deal with it, then file it until that time. And dump stuff! We have a whole recycling industry we need to support out there, let go of all those 'maybe one day' piles of paper.
- Prioritise:
- If you are facing competing responsibilities, prioritise them. Are some licence conditions more critical than others, is it absolutely crucial that some customers' bins are serviced, are some areas of more town more sensitive in terms of cleansing standards?
- Decide at a department and personal level what your priorities are, and then actively schedule them into your work plan so they do happen. Don't leave crucial stuff to the whims of fate.
- Clear Clutter, Simplify and Focus:
- Look at your desk or office right now. I wonder how many 1100 litre bins could collectively be filled by Wastes Management readers right now (for recycling, of course)? A US study claims five working weeks a year are lost just trying to find stuff on workers' desks. Clearing this physical clutter will increase efficiency. It is also widely believed that clear working environments create a clearer, more focused mind.
- As well as a physical clearout, ensure you simplify your workload. Give up on all those 'nice to do' things that never get to the top of the list (including the Cabinet member for the Environment's per wish-list perhaps). Focus on your core business, your goals and your priorities.
- Feed The Goose That Lays The Golden Egg:
- Particularly in our business, one of the great drains of time is reactive or crisis management. Aim to reduce or prevent this by using proactive management. Look at where crises are arising and treat the source, as well as the symptom. For example, instigate regular maintenance and vehicle checks to reduce breakdowns, reconsider street cleansing schedules or set out in your schedule committee meeting cycles and when reports need to be written.
- Under-Promise And Over-Deliver:
- The commercial waste industry is a major offender in the opposite, leading to customer retention problems and management being dragged into resolving customer complaints. Ensure you (or more importantly your sales force), understand the benefit of under-promising - allowing you to over-deliver and impress the client. Be realistic about vehicle reliability, likely service success levels, etc.
- Another important part of under-delivering is reducing your availability. Many of us work in open plan council buildings or busy traffic offices/site cabins. Set limits so you can only be interrupted at certain times, so you can focus on tasks until they are done. Remember to retain the option of allowing interruptions if the site is on fire or the MD turns up
- Plan, Plan, Plan:
- To fail to plan is to plan to fail. Progressively fill in your diary, starting with annual events such as budget preparation followed by quarterly or monthly tasks, before planning your week and then your day. Spending 20 minutes at the start of the day prioritising your work will save you far more than that in terms of effectiveness. Remember to schedule some flexibility, because you need to be able to react. Remember, plan the big stuff first, and the little tasks last - it's a lot easier to get the mattresses in a skip if you put them in first.
- Recognise We Are All Human:
- Well, most in the waste industry are. Zero waste when it comes to time is about as achievable as zero waste for London. But the point of both is to encourage a radical rethink of your current approach. Some days it won't work and you'll fall into old habits. Don't beat yourself up, just realise you get another 24 hours tomorrow and you have the opportunity to get back on the wagon and manage yourself to effectiveness.
[Published in Wastes Management, March 2003]