 |
Increasing Your ROI
All requests are not equal; all customers or clients are not equal; all to-do-list tasks are not equal; all work responsibilities are not equal. You can do fifty things today and get little, if any, return on your investment for having done them. Or you can do one or two things which have a large return. You possess personal capital. It is comprised of your time, effort, knowledge and skills. Investing that capital wisely yields a return on your investment. The higher your return on investment (your ROI), the more profit you earn. Profit in this context yields discretionary endeavors. And discretionary endeavors tap into the most powerful thing you can do to create career results - initiative. There are hundreds of books filled with an equal number of approaches to managing your tasks and time. Use whatever works for you. But as you do, keep your ROI in mind. Every day you invest your capital. Sometimes you invest it wisely, sometimes foolishly, sometime neutrally. The better investments you make, over time, the better your returns will be, over time. Think long-term ROI. Here are three of my personal ROI strategies: 1. Prioritize people over tasks. Family or staff or a boss asking for something, regardless of what, should go to the top. Requests from your key people list should be met immediately, if possible, with a sense of urgency. These are the people that pay you the biggest dividends (love, support and economic well being) so do the requests from this group first and you will build equity for the long-term. When you hit life's potholes, that equity will help carry you through. 2. Work smart and fast. If you're slow on the computer, increase your skills. If you pace yourself or spread your work out through the day, don't. If you don't have time to train someone to help you, make the time. The more you can leverage yourself and the more work that you produce, the more valuable an asset you become. Invest in yourself. 3. Choose making progress over being busy. Spend a day answering emails, reading mail, completing miscellaneous and unimportant tasks, and at the end of the day you're no further along on your important work than when you started. Sure, those recurring tasks need to be done, too. But choose first to make progress, then do the recurring tasks, not the other way around or you'll find there's no time left for the big stuff that offers a better return on your investment. Want to be winning at working? Invest your personal capital wisely and you'll find your ROI compounding year after year and your career stock rising. (c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved. Sign up to receive Nan's free biweekly eColumn at http://www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor. Visit http://www.nanrussell.com or contact Nan at info@nanrussell.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Time management critical to excelEconomic Times, India - 19 hours agoIf you examine the matter closely, time and timing is everything. If you want tell somebody something that in your opinion is critical, it is better to say ... |
Part-Time Management AccountantThird Sector (registration), UK - Sep 4, 2008As our name suggests, the Leadership Centre for Local Government has the mission of creating thriving and prosperous communities – and you’ll play a very ... |
Team well-versed in time managementBoston Globe, United States - Aug 24, 2008By Christopher L. Gasper FOXBOROUGH - The schedule makers did the Patriots no favors this preseason, giving them three games in an 11-day span. ... |
No clowning around with time managementCalgary Herald, Canada - Aug 25, 2008Many students resist when they first hear their parents tell them to "get a job." But it doesn't take long for them to value working as a way to gain ... |
Learning time management a must for HawksGazette Online, IA - Aug 27, 2008Time management is the key for these student-athletes. Between the books and football, there's little time for anything else. It's easy to slip up, ... |
Time-Management - Google News
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Shifting Priorities Are The Norm
Years ago when I started in this business, it seemed many clients had difficulty identifying their priorities. This isn't as true today as it was then.
Time Management -- Urgent vs. Important
"It's just been one of those days?I can't seem to get anything done! I've got way too many things on my "To-Do List". Oh the list started out innocently enough as a single handwritten column on one sheet of lined paper; but now it's grown to a three-column table in a spreadsheet software program! I get no satisfaction from checking off each item as I finish it.
6 Time Management Tips for Moms
Many of you have expressed the challenge of not having enough time to accomplish all your needed tasks and not being organized. Having good organization and management skills is absolutely imperative to your business.
Top Ten Motivators
Setting goals is the easy part -- but sticking with them over the long run can be a major challenge! Some people think that motivation requires will-power and dedication. Actually, staying motivated is all about setting up an environment that is conducive to you accomplishing your goals.
Realistic Time Budgeting Tips
I'm sure we've all had the experience of having a certain block of time available, and our to-do list tasks or goals that we want to accomplish in that time frame, only to turn around at the end of that period of time to have the frustrating experience of not getting nearly enough done that we thought we could. What happened? Where did all the time go? This can be in our personal / family lives, our jobs or our businesses.
How to Conquer the Five Major Time Wasters?
* spreading yourself too thinTaking on too many things at once can hinder organization. Set specific priorities.
31 Ways to Get An Extra Hour Out of Each Day
How can you get an extra hour out of each day? For many small business owners this is a daily challenge.
I myself have often wished that there were 27 hours in the day.
Time Management - Keeping a Clean Desk
I have worked with so many people over the years that have made me wonder how on earth they can work at their desk when everything that was in their drawers and in their filing cabinets have ended up in piles on top of their keyboard. One co-worker of mine couldn't remember what colour the top of his desk was! I had to say something, but when I did, he told me that he knew where everything was and needed all that paperwork for different projects he was working on.
Effective Time Management Techniques
TIME MANAGEMENTWith the creation of the universe, God gave humankind a miraculous gift. A wonderful gift which cannot be seen or touched but without which there will be no meaning in life.
Overcome Procrastination - Discover ways to get more done in less time
So What Then Is The Opposite Of Procrastination? Urgency is the opposite of procrastination. When we have a sense of urgency to get things done, we do them.
Procrastination: Why We Do It and How to Change
PROCRASTINATION: You've known about it since high school or college, when everybody boasted about it. Everyone put off papers for a basketball game or a night on the town.
Linking Purpose To Everyday Behaviors
How do you know what's the best use of your time right now?Link your daily behavior to your purpose.You'll make better choices and see the value in seemingly insignificant or trivial tasks.
Time Management? NO!
Many people want to be coached to manage their time better. I say NO! to that.
Peace Of Mind At The Workplace
Work brings together people of different characters and behavior, and this often causes friction, resentment and stress. Sometimes the boss is too demanding, colleagues may be unpleasant, there might be too much work or the working conditions may not be comfortable.
Time Management Mastery
From Potential to PerformanceOne of the great things about life is that we can realistically be or do anything we choose to. This includes being a good time manager! We must believe that we can be a good time manager - that we have the potential.
Time Management is Life Management
Many of the clients I work with in success coaching can relate to the following example.If you have ever been to the circus, you have probably seen the side show in which a clown or juggler puts a plate on a stick and spins it.
Time Management is Cause Control
Recently I've experienced a barrage of time wasters. Everything you can imagine, most of them unexpected, many of them self inflicted.
Organization Tips That Add More Hours To Your Day
One of the most common complaints that small business owners have is lack of time. What most don't realize, however is that their lack of time stems from a lack of organization.
How Are You Viewing Your Time?
In working with and coaching people across the country, one of the top requests we continually receive is how we can help people manage their time better.Many people think of their time management skills in relationship to their time organization device.
Time Management
Isn't it amazing that some people can produce huge results in the same 24 hours that we all have? Whether or not we realize it, we victimize ourselves by not appropriately deciding what to do with our time. Instead, we let our time decide what to do with us!Time is a commodity, and no matter who we are, we experience many demands on this precious commodity.
|
