Take Small Steps to Improve Time Management
When you are really behind, small gains in efficiency and time management might not make much sense to you. While these efforts add up to real improvement, you probably feel like you do not have the time to take baby steps: You need a major change, and you need it now.

On the contrary, small steps are the only way out when you are way behind. Instead of looking for a quick fix, make the following changes, and commit to making realistic progress:

• Prove you can do it. Overcome one small change to prove to yourself that change is both possible and beneficial. Once you see that you can tackle a problem or meet a goal, you will have the confidence to do it again and again.
• Prioritize. If you are facing a backlog of tasks, pick a few items that you can dig into right away. Choose ones that will have an immediate, appreciable impact.
• Do not get ahead of yourself. Once you have a few small wins under your belt, will you be ready to tackle a massive overhaul of the way you work? Instead of committing to revising every single practice within the next month, keep identifying specific high-priority steps that you can take right now. They will add up to genuine change.
• Share your strategy. Others may be as frustrated as you are with your former ways of working. Let everyone know that you are making lasting improvements. Acknowledge the time it will take honestly: “I may have 999 miles to go, but I am picking up the pace right now.” Your honesty and drive will inspire others to do the same.

Build on Excitement
Excitement is one characteristic of successful workplaces. Excited workers show abundant energy and willingness to complete projects and assignments on time and on budget. They have faith, hope and passion. However, workers who are too excited may need your assistance to calm down, take stock and move from excitement to action. You might be able to generate some excitement among your staff, but the next step is to get them to buckle down and focus. To focus the energy of your staff, ask a few questions.

• “What concrete steps can we take to turn this energy into an action plan? What is the first thing we should do?”
• “What might need to change so everyone involved feels as excited about this as we do?”
• “What are the parts of the plan that we feel a little less excited about? How should we address that?”
• “Whom should we involve so we can stay excited about this?”

Adapted from Communication Briefings, June 2011