Time management and giving back to the community are two topics that keep resurfacing when having discussions with other business professionals. As I retire from the WEtech Board after nine incredible years, it was truly an honour to be a founding member of this organization we built for the Technology and Innovation Sector. The WEtech Team and President Yvonne Pilon are just amazing!
Many people ask how can I accomplish so many things with work, volunteer, family and leisure time. My answer to the question is: I just do it. It does take a lot of people to make this happen. I’d like to thank my business partners, Ali Jaber, Mazen Jaber and Shawn O’Rourke along with the AlphaKORians who ROCK! They make it easy to tell our story! I’d like to thank Carmela and our daughters, Haley and Syd, for always being there and to help keep life in perspective.
As I look at giving back to the community, I am joining another Board (stay tuned for a new non-profit organization to help children) and joining a second non-profit organization board just starting up (stay tuned for this movement to help women in the work world). With this in mind, I wanted to share an update on Making Your Time Count blog. What are you doing to give back to the community?
So you already know I am an early bird. First thing every morning I prepare my task list by creating a new list starting with the most important task first. Having the discipline to complete task one and then move on to task two and so forth. It is difficult to always be disciplined because everything new becomes an instant priority. One of the keys to managing your time is to schedule your priorities and not to prioritize what is in your schedule. Go back and read this sentence again.
An interesting and effective tool is creating a “Do Not Do List”. This may seem strange, however reviewing this list helps to remain focused on the priority tasks. This is all part of letting go things you should not be involved in and yes it is tough!
Setting agendas for meetings has helped manage time more effectively. How many meetings to do you attend and find not much was accomplished or no action items to take away? It is OK to add/change the agenda as long as you have one.
When someone asks for your time, besides asking them to set an agenda, I have found giving them some “homework” separates the time wasters from the ones who are genuinely interested in making a difference. Ask questions and ask for some deliverables for the other person to bring to the meeting along with their agenda of course.
Consider this: all of us have the exact same amount of time. How do you make your time count?