Time Journals

· It's amazing what you learn!
· Monitor yourself in 15 minute increments for between 3 days and two weeks
· Update every 1/2 hour: not at end of day

Using Time Journal Data

· What am I doing that doesn't really need to be done?
· What am I doing that could be done by someone else?
· What am I doing that could be done more efficiently?
· What do I do that wastes others' time?

Procrastination

"Procrastination is the thief of time"

--Edward Young

Balancing Act

"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion"

--Parkinson's Law

Avoiding Procrastination

· Doing things at the last minute is much more expensive than just before the last minute
· Deadlines are really important: establish them yourself!

Comfort Zones

· Identify why you aren't enthusiastic
· Fear of embarrassment
· Fear of failure?
· Get a spine!

Delegation

· No one is an island
· You can accomplish a lot more with help
· Most delegation in your life is from faculty to graduate student

Delegation is not dumping

· Grant authority with responsibility.
· Concrete goal, deadline, and consequences
· Treat your people well
· Grad students and secretaries are a faculty member's lifeline; they should be treated well!

Challenge People

· People rise to the challenge: You should delegate "until they complain"
· Communication Must Be Clear: "Get it in writing" --- Judge Wapner
· Give objectives, not procedures.
· Tell the relative importance of this task

Sociology

· Beware upward delegation!
· Reinforce behavior you want repeated
· Ignorance is your friend --- I do not know how to run the photocopier or the fax machine

Meetings

· Average executive: > 40% of time
· Lock the door, unplug the phone
· Maximum of 1 hour
· Prepare: there must be an agenda
· 1 minute minutes: an efficient way to keep track of decisions made in a meeting: who is responsible for what by when?

Technology

· "Computers are faster, but they take longer" --- Janitor, UCF
· Secretaries are better than answering machines; where are the costs & benefits of a technology? (transcription)
· Laptop computer (and docking station)
o You can scavenge time and work anywhere
o At CMU, you still have internet access
o One machine in your life is the right number

· WWW; only do things once (post them)
· Google (now with image search!)
· ACM Digital Library (I haven't been in the library in over five years)