Do you want to be successful? Then........consider this

Pascal's Quote

If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter
        - Blaise Pascal

Strategic Planning Quote

If you do not know where you are going, you will end up someplace else
        -Yogi Berra

Work Quote

Let the beauty we love be what we do
-RUMI

Getting things done - Do one thing at a time

Managers like to think that they can do many things simultaneously, but even the most effective manager can only tackle one problem or deal with one issue at a time. Many times, your mind may seem to be racing at 100 miles an hour - tomorrow's meeting with the vice president, the project that's due in a couple of weeks, the inbox full of e-mails. But if you allow your mind to dart from one thing to the next, you easily can become overwhelmed. In most cases, that will increase your stress, build tension in your workplace and harm employee productivity. As a manager, combat feelings of being overwhelmed by establishing priorities. Decide which phone call to return, deal with the person who called in a calm, intelligent manner and then turn to the next task. Resist the temptation to think ahead.

Additional reasons to implement 5S in your office

A lot of people ask about why they should implement 5S in their offices if 5s is a concept that was developed in the manufacturing environment.

In addition to all the benefits that we have already mentioned in this blog, I will list some other considerations that you might want to take in to account when trying to decide whether or not you should apply 5s to your office:

You can't work to the best of your abilities when your office is a disorganized mess.
Your workspace is a visual representation of what kind of person you are; that's how your clients and supervisors see it.
Out-of-control office clutter costs money in time, effort, late fees and lost business.

Most people excuse their messy offices by saying they don’t have time to clean. But dealing with the consequences of a chaotic workspace takes far more time than simply cleaning. If a clean office increases your productivity by only 20%, that can convert into approximately $40,000 to $50,000 in value over the next 10 years. A clean office also pays off in reduced stress and anguish.


Office clutter is intimidating, frustrating and time wasting. Your workspace represents you to your clients, superiors and co-workers. It reflects your personality and work habits. What do you want your work area to say about you? (Or do you just want it to be quiet?)

When your desk is a mess, people assume you are incompetent, indecisive and uncaring.

Office clutter is not only unsightly, it’s dangerous. Workplace accidents occur when someone trips on an electrical cord or a box, walks into an open file drawer, has to dodge a falling pile of junk, or slips on loose papers or spilled coffee. To check if your workspace is safe, ask yourself the following questions: Is anything stored on the floor, on stairs or in precarious stacks? Is junk blocking access to fire escapes, doors, windows or walkways? Are chemicals stored properly? Are the electrical outlets overloaded?

These reasons might motivate you to push forward your 5s effort in your office.....if this is still not enough please let me know.

The following video shows a great way to explain 5s

TIme Management Tips- How to Manage your email more effectively

Less is more – Unless your job requires hourly e-mail monitoring – such as receiving
orders from customers – only check e-mail twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon.

Prioritize – Millions of people turn their computers on in the morning and
immediately check their e-mail. That allows e-mail to dictate their schedules. Paying
attention to your projects, goals and tasks is much more important.

Turn off and tune in – Pull the plug on the ping or fl ashing signal that alerts you to
the arrival of a new e-mail. All that does is interrupt your work.

Fight the urge – Breaking the e-mail habit means trying your best for a week or two.

Make a sign as a reminder of your commitment. Resist the urge to check habitually.

Filter, filter, filter – Find a reliable program to keep spam out of your in-box. Notify
family and friends that you’d rather not receive jokes and other useless e-mail.

Reply, divert or delete – Decide what to do with each message: Reply right away, send
it to a particular sorting folder or delete it. Don’t just let stuff sit in your in-box.

Reply in brief – See if you can keep your e-mail answers shorter than five sentences.

Quotes on lean thinking and time management

The wise do only what needs to be done.

A fool and his inventory are never parted

Benefits of 5S , Why should I care about 5S in the office

Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain, these are the famous 5S that people talk about. 5S has been a tool that have been normally used in the manufacturing environment and for this same reason when companies try to implement 5S in the office, they face a lot of resistance from the office workers. I normally hear people saying : "this is for the shop floor at the office we do thinks different" .

What people normally miss is the purpose of doing 5S.

What is the purpose of 5S?
The purpose of 5s is to make problems and opportunities for improvement visible, such as: excessive time looking for files, tools, papers, safety issues, excessive office supplies,etc.

These are other benefits of using a 5s program in your office, shop or home:
- You can't work to the best of your abilities when your office is a disorganized mess.
- Your workspace is a visual representation of what kind of person you are; that's
how your clients and supervisors see it.
- Out-of-control office clutter costs money in time, effort, late fees and lost business.
- 5S helps you get rid of things that take up space, even stuff you think you might need "someday."
- Sort through and reduce piles of paper by using a four-box sorting system.
- 5S helps you avoid daunting heaps of paper, put things right back after you use them.
- The discipline of 5S allows you to organize materials for the next day before leaving your office. So the next day you are set to go.
• 5S enable yourself to find what you want when you want it.

5s is the starting point for a Lean journey. The real power tool to drive change with your team, once you have implemented 5s is: Shop floor management or Office floor management.

Here an example of office shop floor management:

What is a SMART goal?

Every time you create a goal, this goal needs to be SMART, that means it should meet certain criteria in order to be an effective goal.

Specific. You can describe the details.
Measurable. You can measure the goal using either quantitative or qualitative assessments.
Achievable. You can achieve the goal.
Realistic. The goal is realistic given existing constraints, such as time and resources. Timebound. You must achieve the goal within a specified time frame.

What is Goal Setting

Goal setting is a formal process during which you define targets that you plan to achieve. When you set goals, you commit to outcomes that you can accomplish personally or through your team.
Goal setting creates a long-term vision for your unit, and provides the motivation to get you there. It has the additional benefit of helping you decide how you want to focus your resources and spend your time.

By setting goals and measuring their achievement you can focus on what is most important to accomplish on a daily, weekly, and annual basis provide a unified direction for your team achieve more and devote less energy to noncritical tasks motivate your team and boost its overall job satisfaction.

How do I learn to say "no"?

Do you find yourself saying yes to every request that you get from your boss or your colleagues?

Maybe you are trying to be nice to them, but remember that when you do so, you are putting aside the things that you had in your schedule, so please learn to say no.

First, you need to be clear about why you are saying "no." This will help you stand by your decision and avoid guilt. If the request is unreasonable, but you still want to say "yes," perhaps you can offer a reasonable alternative.

Try to commit only to those tasks that support your goals. While you may be tempted to commit to a task outside of your stated goals to be a team player, you should only do so if it does not jeopardize your other work. If you do not have the time required to devote to it, you are not helping anybody by committing to it.

Learn to say "no" to non-priority projects, even when they are presented by management. List the projects you are currently working on and ask the requester to decide on priorities when he or she adds new projects to your responsibilities.

How to work with "to-do" lists

A "to-do" list is one of the simplest, and most commonly used, scheduling tools. It captures all of the tasks that you need to carry out on a given day. Many people use to-do lists in combination with a weekly or monthly schedule, and many planners and computer calendars have to-do lists built in. The lists allow you to break down the tasks on your schedule as specifically as you require. For example, where your schedule might direct you to "return phone calls" at a certain time on Tuesday, your daily to-do list would likely detail each person you need to call.
An effective to-do list includes the following:

- tasks in priority order
- meetings you are scheduled to attend
- decisions you need to make
- information you are waiting for
- calls you need to make or expect to receive
- memos, letters, and e–mails you need to write
- any unfinished business.

Find a point in the day, possibly at the end of the day or first thing in the morning, to write down your to-do list. Periodically review your list as the issues of the day arise.

Here are some strategies for creating and using your list:

- Be realistic about how many things you can do. A rule of thumb is to include half the number of things you think you should be able to do.
- Include time required and completion date for each task.
- Don’t worry about putting items on the list in a particular order.
- Cross off each item as you complete it.

Save old lists in a box or drawer. You’ll enjoy seeing how much you’ve accomplished.

Time Management Series Post (7) How to handle interruptions

As a manager, you often are presented with interruptions that must be addressed immediately (for example, binders for your important meeting did not arrive).

You can often delegate the handling of the interruption. But in the cases where you are the only one who can address the interruption, handle it quickly, so you can return to your priority tasks. Even when handling the interruption takes half the day, focus your energy on the time in the day you have left.

Review the types of interruptions that tend to occur, and try to develop contingency plans. Then authorize others to deal with the problems if they happen again.

You do not always need to be open for visitors. In some cases, you may find it appropriate to refuse to see a visitor without an appointment.

Determine whether your unexpected visitor has an immediate crisis or an issue that has to be dealt with quickly. Schedule another time to meet with the visitor, if possible. (For example, "I think I can help you, but right now I’m in the middle of something. Can we meet after lunch about this?") Refer the unexpected visitor to another appropriate person, if possible. (For example, "I can’t pull away right now, but check with Bob and see if he can help. Let me know what the two of you work out.")

If you must meet with someone, make a note of where you are before you break away from your work. Quickly return to that task after the interruption.

Phone calls can be extremely distracting. You spend time not only in taking the call, but also in taking follow–up action, and then in recapturing your mental position before the interruption.
Some strategies for managing phone calls include the following:

screening telephone calls, using either an assistant or voice mail referring the caller to someone else, where possible keeping the call brief and focused if you must take it (determine the amount of time you want to spend in advance, and do not exceed it).

improving your phone skills to reduce the length of time you need to spend on the phone carving out a block of time in the day when you take phone calls and letting everyone know the schedule working in a room without a phone using e-mail instead of phone calls as much as possible
Try to handle paper only once. Respond to it, file it, pass it along, or toss it out.

For quick responses, communicate in person, by e-mail, or on the telephone. You can also respond directly on the memo you received. Avoid sending back a paper with the comment "let’s discuss." Instead, set up a specific time to meet.

Time Management Series Post (6) How to get rid of time waters

Do you have a colleague that always come to talk to you when you are in the middle of something, do you always get that unexpected phone call from your boss asking you to do something, or simply your stress does not let you get to do the things you need to do?

If your answer is yes to any of this questions, that means that your are dealing with time wasters.

A time waster is anything that keeps you from doing things that have more value and importance to you.

Identify your time wasters, and then develop strategies for dealing with them. For example, instead of personally handling certain emergencies, set procedures in place for others to handle them or to prevent them in the future.

For each time waster, brainstorm strategies that match your personal style. That means, don’t commit yourself to making 10-minute call backs if you enjoy making personal contact in a relaxed manner. Instead, spend your energy on organizing your thoughts before a call, so you complete all your business in one call and don’t need to make additional ones.

Experiment with the strategies you develop and keep the ones that are effective. And, let your colleagues and direct reports know that you are working on managing time wasters. Enlist their support and ask for feedback. Remember, though, that only you can determine whether you are using your time wisely.

Some common time wasters include

- interruptions
- unexpected visitors
- telephone calls
- paperwork
- procrastination
- meetings
- travel

Next: How to handle interruptions

Time Management Series Post (6) Creating your schedule

In times where lay offs are in the news everyday, no wonder if you are faced with doing more things with the same amount of time that you had before some of your people or colleagues were laid off. Therefore here are some tips to create your schedule taking in consideration the different things that we had already discussed. The KEY, your priorities should come first.

To build your schedule, take your top priority tasks and block them into time slots over several weeks or months, using a scheduling tool that allows you to take a daily, weekly, and monthly perspective.

Keep in mind what you have learned about the times during the day when your energy is at its peak. Important work or activities that need creativity and intelligence should be scheduled for the time when you are most alert. Routine or mundane tasks should be carried out during the periods of low energy.

Schedule only part of your day, leaving time to deal with crises and the unexpected.
Combine tasks, where possible. You might be able to open mail while you’re booting up your PC.
Consolidate similar activities, such as returning phone calls, appointments, paperwork, and meetings, to one block of time. For example, make all your phone calls at one scheduled time during the day.

Identify tasks to work on when you have unexpected free time.

Try scheduling backward. Determine what time you have to leave that day and then work backward. Put in the most important things first.

As the week progresses, move uncompleted priority tasks to the days still left in the week. When your schedule changes, be sure to record what really occurred. If you begin to see a trend, rework future portions of your schedule to reflect what you have learned.

Once you have created your schedule, keep it easily accessible. A wall or desk calendar should always be in view; a computer-based calendar should always be open on your desktop. Check on your progress throughout the day to see if you are on target.

To build your schedule, take your top priority tasks and block them into time slots over several weeks or months, using a scheduling tool that allows you to take a daily, weekly, and monthly perspective.

Next: How to get rid of time wasters

Time Management Quote

"Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose"
--Lyndon B. Johnson

Time Management Series Post (5) How to schedule your time

It is important to understand the reason for scheduling your time in a written form. A schedule is a written commitment to accomplish your tasks in a specific time frame. It also gives you a chance to visualize your days. If your schedule becomes overbooked, you might want to revisit your priorities. You should keep only top priority tasks and activities on the schedule.

Using different tools to schedule your time allow you to see if you can afford to handle any unplanned activities or requests.

Scheduling tools also provide you with a list of reasons why you are not available.

Some of the most common scheduling tools are:

• Wall calendars, daily and weekly planning guides
• Agendas
• to-do lists
• Scheduling software

Tasks, the backbone of your goals

Breaking your goals into manageable tasks is the first step in time management. List of the key task required to achieve each of your goals and put them in sequential order.

Once you have done that, estimate how much time each task will require. If you have completed a similar task before, you can often use that as a basis for a time estimate. Establish deadlines for the completion of the tasks.

Remember to identify the tasks that add more value to the accomplishment of your goals, those tasks should get more attention than the other ones.

Next: Creating a schedule

Time Management Series Post (4) Trying to do too many things

It is important to acknowledge that one can not achieve all, even your top priority goals.
If you try to do too much this could have a negative impact on all areas of your life.

Keep in mind the following:
-Ask for feedback from your boss and direct reports
-Learn to delegate
-Try to avoid pursuing low priority goals altogether, they have limited value and little importance
-Know your key responsibilities and focus on your top priority goals and tasks
-Resist the urge to step in and take over because others are not doing their job or not doing it to your standards
-Do not assume everything has to get done

Next: How to schedule your time

Time Management Quote

"The whole point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone"

--Lady Stella Reading