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Keep Running
The Newsletter of Kent Trainers
May 2009: The Making Time Edition
Failing to Plan = Planning to Fail
This old project management saying is Time Management Tips
equally applicable when planning a social
event, a product launch, or the next year We asked our time management trainers for
of trading. In uncertain times, however, their favourite tips to help you to get more
we often hear people on our courses say: from the time you have.
“Why bother? Our plans can’t possibly You can’t save time. Time isn’t like money;
predict such an uncertain future.” you can’t save it up for a rainy day. What
But that is not the point of a plan. As you can do is use it well. Decide what are
General Eisenhower once said: “I have the three most important things to get done
always found that plans are useless, but today and make time to tackle them.
planning is indispensable.” (A favourite Unpleasant tasks can spoil your whole day,
saying of one of our financial planning as you anticipate your discomfort. Get them
trainers!) The purpose of planning is to out of the way early and promise yourself a
think through scenarios and balance reward when they are done.
optimisation against agility in the face of
changing events. Make a big, uncomfortable task easier by
just setting out to do the first part. When
Without a financial plan, you cannot you’ve done it, your momentum will lead
pursue the ultimate business success you to the next steps.
formula:
If you have a big stack of papers you
● Survey your situation – understand
haven’t dealt with for weeks, put it all in a
events and the pressures you’re under
folder and move the folder to a drawer. If
● Figure out how this compares with they’ve waited for weeks, they probably
your plan aren’t important, so stop wasting energy
● Make a decision about what’s next worrying about them. (Unless, of course,
● Act on your decision with total they are from the Revenue and Customs!)
commitment Use the start of your day. Once a week,
● Now return to the first step and report start work half an hour earlier. Get a good
coffee and a nice snack as a reward, and use
Without a plan, your business success will
the time to catch up and get ahead.
be down to good luck. And that doesn’t
sound like business at all; that’s gambling. Learn more: Time Management on 21 May.
Learn more: Financial Planning and
Budgeting, on 12 May. Get procedures right: Get More Time
How much time does your business waste
from:
● Poor recruitment decisions
20 of the Best Management Tips ● Poor performance management
from Kent Trainers are available in e-Book ● Poor induction and training
format.
Employment Law Essentials on 19 May will
Just call our office on 01892 836110, or show you how to save time and money by
email us on info@kenttrainers.co.uk getting things right first time.
Tel: 01892 836110 1 www.kenttrainers.co.uk
A Limited Company, number 05830872 info@kenttrainers.co.uk
Athelbrae House, 10 Linnet Avenue, Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6XQ, England
Make Time to Manage Make Time to Lead
Management and leadership are all about Leadership is a strategic role, yet how many
people. One of the best pieces of advice leaders make time in their week (let alone in
one of our trainers ever got was this: their day) to really think. Once a week, take
an hour from your diary for a good quality
“As a manager, getting your own work review and for forward thinking. Leave your
done is important, but not as important as phone behind – just take a notebook and pen
for your staff to get their work done. This to a quiet place where you won’t be
is your real job: to help your staff succeed disturbed: a local coffee shop, a park or an
at theirs.” empty meeting room.
So don’t consider your staff’s requests for Use the time to think about what is around
advice, guidance, and support as thee next bend, what are you missing,
interruptions to your work; consider your what’s really going on, what are we missing,
work as something to get done in the what are the real issues and how can I deal
times between managing your team. with them effectively? If you aren’t thinking
By seeing both sides of your responsibility these thoughts, then who is?
as important and scheduling your time Learn more: Our two day Leadership
accordingly, you can really make time to Programme, on 22 May and 23 June will give
manage. you time to think about your leadership.
Learn more: Our popular three day
Management Programme starts on 19 May
and continues on 16 June and 17 July, and
will offer you a broad range of basic
management skills, including, of course,
managing your time and delegating.
Make Time to Market
In tough times, buying decisions take Same time with enhanced productivity
longer. When people do decide to buy,
here are four things that will help them to We wonder how many hours are wasted each
buy from you. year by software users who are unfamiliar
with the wide range of productivity feature
1. More information is better. When available to them.
money is scarce, we want to be
doubly sure we’re spending it well. The single most widely used piece of user
software is Microsoft Word. Here are some
2. Your best customers are your best of its top features for saving you time:
customers for a reason – your services
fit their needs. So focus on what you ● Mail Merge
can do for them. ● Page Layouts
3. People may say they want “cheap”, ● Headers and Footers
but in fact, the want value.
● Change tracking
Emphasise it.
● Summaries
4. In tough times, we want comfort, so
be sure to highlight familiarity, and When you know how to use these properly,
security you can produce better documents, faster.
Learn more: Increasing Sales through Learn more: Microsoft Word 2003 –
Effective Marketing is on 21 May. Intermediate Level is on 22 May.
Tel: 01892 836110 2 www.kenttrainers.co.uk
A Limited Company, number 05830872 info@kenttrainers.co.uk
Athelbrae House, 10 Linnet Avenue, Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6XQ, England
