SZBT Logo Block 
 

"Think Zink" Newsletter
Productivity Matters 
What's Your Function?                                                         May 2009
 
Sarah Zink CaricatureDear :
 
Productivity is such a subjective word - particularly when you aren't sure what you're doing here. Sounds silly, but you might be surprised at the number of people who go through the day performing functions with little or no thought to what their end product is.
 
Why are you here? And I don't mean in the existential way - what I mean is: what job were you hired to do? What are the critical components necessary for the completion of the tasks upon which your performance is measured?
 
All too often, we get away from the essential functions of our job, and become mired in unnecessary tasks, meetings, and processes that have little or nothing to do with our job function.

Always remember that YOU are responsible for focusing your energies on those tasks that produce measurable results RELATIVE TO YOUR JOB FUNCTION. Results are great, but how do they relate to why you are here?
 
In this newsletter, you will find hints, tips, and tools to enable you to better determine how to become more productive.
 
 
Warm Regards,
 
Sarah's Internet Signature

Sarah Zink
 
P.S.  Are you writing a newsletter and need some "snippets" of information? You are welcome to quote anything in this e-zine, provided you give appropriate credit. 
 
Busy Doesn't Equal Productive
 
Just because you're busy doesn't mean you're being productive. For instance - as a salesperson, your job might be to set appointments - so don't get caught up in the "dial frenzy" - instead, use your time to do some pre-call research. Think about it - would you rather have: 50 intelligent dials that result in three meetings or 90 go-for-broke dials that result in zilch? Too many employees have the attitude of: "I left 55 voicemails today. I didn't make any sales but I was busy. Gimme a paycheck." While this might be learned behavior, YOU are solely responsible for the productivity in your life. Today is the day to make a change.
 
Cruise with Sarah!
 
Set sail in October with Sarah and friends for a 5-day Caribbean Cruise to Progresso and Cozumel on the Carnival Ecstasy leaving from Galveston.
 
Cost is $500 per person (double occupancy) with a $200 deposit due by June 1. Space is limited.
 
Price includes port charges, taxes and gratuities. Travellers insurance extra. Click HERE to request more information.
 
Check out Zink Bytes!
In This Issue
Busy Doesn't Equal Productive
Cruise With Sarah
What are you REALLY doing?
Dot the Paper!
What are you REALLY doing?
 
For one week, I want you to track what you're doing - NOT how much time you spend on a project, but rather, the focus of the project. Look for the following "traps":
 
  1. Pulling It All Together - are you spending more time pulling the tools and resources together to perform a project than you spend on the project itself? Constantly gathering resources saps productivity.
  2. Interruptions - This may be the telephone, people dropping into your office, unanticipated events or visitors, anything that stops what you're doing. Some interruptions you can control - others you can't focus on controlling interruptions.
  3. Crisis management (fire fighting) - When you're handling emergencies, (real or not), you're not focused and working on what's important. Resist the urge to be the firefighter for other people's emergencies.
  4. Meetings - Meetings can be a time waster if there isn't a specific reason, agenda and timeframe for holding them. It's too easy to fall into the habit of holding meetings without realizing that some of that time could be spent more effectively.
  5. Email/voicemail - It's easy to spend quite a bit of time on the telephone or Internet without any real reason or intention. Time is wasted when  you're unclear about what you want to get out of what you're doing and when you stray off the point and drift. It's so easy to justify to yourself that you're working hard when in fact what you're doing may serve no useful or effective purpose at all. It may be just a distraction. 
Click HERE to schedule Sarah as a speaker
for your next event.
Dot the Paper! 
 
A lot of time wasting occurs shuffling papers from one pile to another on your desk. When a piece of paper comes across your desk, you should do one of the following four things immediately: Act on it , File it , Delegate it to someone else  or throw it away. This includes your emails as well. Delete junk emails and throw away junk mail as soon as it is received. Unless you can justify keeping paperwork then you should bin it.

Do you really need a pending tray? Are those piles of "to do" papers working themselves? 

A simple exercise to see if you are falling into the trap of shuffling papers around your desk is every time you pick up a piece of paper place a dot in the corner of the page and see how many dots you end up with on the page before you take action on it. 
 
If you would like Sarah to come and speak
to your group, organization or company,
please click HERE.
 
Quick Links...
 
Join Our Mailing List!