This came across my desk today from the Franklin Covey organisation and is so good I thought I’d send you a copy. I especially like the comments on deadlines. Time is so precious yet we so often seem to treat it as though we have an endless supply of it.

(A friend) Paul.

Communication

When you communicate, your actions and words reflect directly on you and your company. The following are some simple but effective guidelines for communicating in the workplace.

* Quality is better than quantity. Be succinct and send communications only to those who need to receive them. Only use “reply to all, send to all, and send to group,” when appropriate.

* Communications are a moment of truth. You can’t hide or salvage poor ones, you can’t change them after they have been sent.

* Errors cause the recipient to focus on the error rather than to focus on the content.

* Know the difference between private communication methods and public communication methods. Speaking on the phone and sealed personal communications are private, whereas fax, email, or unsealed written communications are considered public.

The way you choose to communicate affects how people behave.

Got Deadlines?

It’s a sure bet that if someone gained access to your bank account and stole all your money, you would be a little upset. But what about those things that sneak into your life and steal your time? You probably don’t even notice them. We call those underhanded interruptions “time robbers.” Take a few minutes to look at the list of time robbers below, and identify the items on the list that are the biggest barriers to your productivity.

* Interruptions

* Waiting for answers

* Unclear job definition

* Unnecessary meetings

* Too much work

* Poor communication

* Poor information sharing

* Shifting priorities

* Equipment failure

* Red tape

* Conflicting priorities

* Untrained staff

* Peer/Staff demands

* Interoffice travel

* Mistakes of others

* Revised deadlines

Not all of these time robbers are avoidable; some are simply beyond your control. But remember, you do have control over how you deal with the interruptions. With this in mind, take the time this coming week to focus on those time robbers that challenge you the most. What is it going to take to avoid or manage them more effectively? Once you’ve identified those that you can prevent, make a plan to begin obliterating them. You’ll be able free up time for your more important priorities.

Bad Work Habits?

Do you have some bad work habits that you’re having a difficult time changing? Maybe you are often late for work, or you hate to respond to e-mail? Certain bad habits can impact your performance. Overcoming these bad habits can increase productivity and satisfaction in the work place.

You are a product of your learning and experience. No one else has the same knowledge set as you. You have your own script, partly written by what was handed to you by others’ expectations, your learning, your environment, and your day-to-day experiences. Regardless of your past scripts, you can revise or replace them with more effective ones.

In fact, you are the only person who can change your scripting. And first, you have to determine which habits are negatively impacting your work performance. Take some time and identify a habit you would like to change. Look at the following checklist and see if you can identify what’s keeping you from making necessary changes.

* What are the obstacles I am encountering?

* What will happen if I don’t make a change?

* Who is impacted by my bad habit? What impact am I having on them?

* What actions can I take to reduce the barriers to change? Which of the actions should I implement first?

* What is a reasonable deadline for making the change?

Do you want to change? If so, go for it! Use the checklist to keep you focused and on track in reversing or revising your work habits. Use the checklist whenever you want to make a change. The more you use it, the better you will become at removing obstacles to change.