Task management- Getting things done while staying relaxed

1. Task management- Getting things done whilestaying relaxed Jamie Wooldridge, MD Pulmonary Medicine

2. Lecture Qualifiers • Time management seminar - 8 hour course • July 2007 • Actively completed more exercises • Today- 60 minute lecture • Brief overview • Contact me for individual help

3. Your Career DevelopmentAirplane analogy • 50,000 ft- What is your life long purpose for being? • 40,000 ft- What are your goals for the next few years? • 30,000 ft- What are your objectives for the next year? • 20,000 ft- What are your current areas of responsibility? • 10,000 ft- What are your current projects? • Runway- What are your current actions?

4. Your Career DevelopmentAirplane analogy • 50,000 ft- What is your life long purpose for being? • 40,000 ft- What are your goals for the next few years? • 30,000 ft- What are your objectives for the next year? • 20,000 ft- What are your current areas of responsibility? • 10,000 ft- What are your current projects? • Runway- What are your current actions? Focus of this lecture

5. “It’s possible for a person to have an overwhelming number of things to do and still function productively with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control.”

6. Productivity (Achieving Goals) St ress

7. Definitions • Task Management- not Time management • Only 24 hours in the day • Work- anything that you want or need to be different than it currently is • No difference between “work” and “personal life” • Methods applicable across life/work spectrum

8. Why Implement this System? • Stress- most people experience from inappropriately managed commitments they make or accept • Many more agreements to do something than most realize- • every agreement is being tracked by the less-than conscious brain • Open-loops – Work agreements that have not been completed • write manuscript, write prescription for medication, follow up on labs, start running

9. Why Implement this System? • Open-loops cause distraction • mind not clear to think • Commitment to open-loops often unclear • making progress in completing loop difficult • RAM memory of brain • Too full remembering open-loops instead of thinking

10. YOUR CHOICE? Unhappy Brain without organization system Happy Brain without organization system TTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTT MM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM TTTT

11. Key Objectives to System • Capture EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE that needs to be done into a logical, trusted system outside your head and off your mind • Now, later, someday, big, little, in between, personal, family, job- EVERYTHING!!

12. Key Objectives to System 2. Disciplining yourself to make front-end decisions about all the inputs in your life so that you will always have a plan for “next actions” that you can implement or renegotiate at any moment

13. Exercise • Write down the project or situation that is most on your mind at this moment

14. Exercise • Write down the project or situation that is most on your mind at this moment • Describe in single sentence intended successful outcome of this project or situation

15. Exercise • Write down the project or situation that is most on your mind at this moment • Describe in single sentence intended successful outcome of this project or situation • Write down the very next physical action required to move the project/situation forward

16. Until all those projects/situations in your life are clarified, next actions set, and the resulting data stored in a trusted system -

17. Until all those projects/situations in your life are clarified, next actions set, and the resulting data stored in a trusted system – Your brain will not stopthinking about them = STRESS and UNPRODUCTIVE

18. ARE YOU READY?

19. The Five Steps of Work Flow • Collect things that command your attention-STUFF • Process what they mean and what to do about them • Organize the results • Review as options to choose what to do next • Do

21. COLLECT1

22. STUFF? • Our own thoughts • Conversations- personal, phone • E-mail • Meetings • Regular mail • Voice mail • Other Stuff ??

23. Collection Tools (buckets) for STUFF • Physical in-basket • Writing paper or pads • Computers/PDAs • Dictaphones • E-mail

24. Jamie’s BUCKETS Write everything down!!!!!

25. Successful Collection • Every open loop must be in collection system, out of your head • Keep close to you • Few Collection buckets • Too many- not able to process • Empty them on regular basis • Emptying dose not mean finishing the open loop, just processing it • Don’t look unless you are read to process • Set time limit • No skipping

26. PROCESS2

27. Processing STUFF What is it? Is it actionable? (Do I need to do something?)

28. Processing STUFF • What is it? • Is it actionable? • (Do I need to do something?) NO

29. Processing STUFF • What is it? • Is it actionable? • (Do I need to do something?) NO TRASH- no longer needed INCUBATE- No action now,might need something done later REFERENCE- Useful information that might need later

30. Incubate- Someday/Maybe Reference Files Trash- USE IT

31. Processing STUFF Is it actionable? YES

32. Processing STUFF Is it actionable? YES Can it be done in less then 2 minutes?

33. Processing STUFF Is it actionable? YES Can it be done in less then 2 minutes? DO IT 2:00 clock available to download

34. Processing STUFF Is it actionable? YES Am I the right person to do this? NO DELEGATE IT

35. Processing STUFF Is it actionable? YES Am I the right person to do this and take longer that 2 minutes? DEFER IT Calendar Project List Waiting For

36. Projects • Anything that you need to do that will take two or more steps to complete- “Open loops” • Each project needs to have defined outcome • Comprehensive list • No need to prioritize • Don’t actually “do” projects- do action steps related to projects • 40-100 open projects at any time

37. Uses for Complete Project List • Eliminate anxiety of forgetting • Improve focus on current work • Rational priority selection • Accurately assess goal alignment • Pruning

38. Identify Projects for Focus (Pruning?) • It’s your job… • You promised • Related to long term goal • Interesting • Easy to do, but no real payoff • I think I can do this better than anyone else • The men refuse to do it

39. Identify Projects for Focus (Pruning?) • It’s your job… • You promised • Related to long term goal • Interesting • Easy to do, but no real payoff • I think I can do this better than anyone else • The men refuse to do it

40. Projects- examples • Big projects- • Developing a pediatric sleep center • Increase referrals to lung center • Moving into Coventus • Anna’s birthday party • Little Projects- • Complete clinic notes • Getting established with new doctors • Motivational interviewing training for Lung Center • Exercise program

41. ORGANIZE3

42. Organize- Tools • Eliminate- TRASH- • Yes your trash can is a tool!! • Deleting emails • Deleting includes saying “no” Just say “NO”

43. Organize- Tools • Incubate- No action now- but might do later • Someday/maybe list • Aerodigestive center • Learn how to incorporate learning styles into lectures • Establish a pulmonary clinic in Hamburg • Learn to play the banjo • I store list electronically with support hard copy files- Color coded- purple

44. Organize- Tools • Reference- Useful information, might need later • Hard copy or Electronic files • Reference Files- A to Z • Label manila folders • Or one folder per hanging file- green files • Tickler Files- 43 files (month, each day of month) • Hard copy files match electronic files

45. Tickler Files

46. Organize Tools • Calendar (delegate) • Project/next action List • Waiting for List • Project Files

47. Organize Tools • Calendar (delegate) • Project/next action List • Waiting for List • Project Files (Lists- must be easily reviewable)

48. Yes action - tools • Calendar • Project List • Project Files • Next Action List • Waiting for List

49. Project Support Materials-Project Files • Relevant information to project • Details • Plans • Supporting information • Filed identical to project list • Hard copy folder • Electronic • Hard drive on computer • Email folders