The biggest time problems experienced by business people are interruptions, many of which are self induced.
A study mentioned by Vince Poscente in his book The Age of Speed, involving 36 office workers found, that on average, they spent only 11 minutes of a typical workday focused on a given task before they were interrupted - and once interrupted, it took them nearly half an hour to return to the task, if they did at all. Another study of more than 11,000 office workers revealed that interruptions caused more than 2 hours of lost productivity per day - that's 25% of the workday wasted.
There are many things you can do to ward off external interruptions, such as engage voice mail, turn off your cell phone and close your office door; but there is still the tendency to interrupt ourselves as ideas pop into our heads, or we suddenly remember we forgot to do something or we think of something we have to get someone else to do.
That's when a Personal Organizer comes in handy. First of all it gives us someplace to record things other than our To Do list, and allows us to capture information at the time so we don't forget it. In its simplest form a Personal Organizer is a half-size binder with several forms. These could include note paper, telephone directory pages and others; but here are three of the most useful forms.
Telephone & Visitor's Log
When talking on the telephone, use a Telephone & Visitor's Log to record the person's name and number, the date of the call, a brief summary of the conversation, and any action required as a result of it. Fill it out as you talk on the telephone. The action required section is on the extreme right of the form, where it stands out. When you've completed the action, put an X through it. You could also note the date that action was taken for future reference. A log prevents you from having to rely on your memory, ensures that you remember to get the caller's number in case you have to call back, and provides a permanent record of any promises, prices quoted, or other information that could be of use at a later date. And just as important, it forces you to focus on the call rather than other conversations or noises surrounding you.
Delegation Record
One of the advantages of the Delegation Record is that it eliminates incessant interruptions to yourself and others. While working on a project, and unrelated thoughts pop into our minds, the tendency is to grab for the phone, email, - or even shout to someone across the room. Constant diver