Getting it All Together: Time Management for Librarians

An SEKLS Workshop

led by

Rosemary Honn and Lisa Farrar Wellman

of Ottawa Public Library

November 13, 2007

Icons for workshop handouts are shown at various parts of this blog. Double click on the image to see the handout.

We first did some brainstorming to identify the things that troubled us:

Habits of Ineffective Time Use

• Interruptions

1. E-mail
2. Phone Calls
3. Co-workers/Patrons

• Distractions
• Avoidance
• Procrastination
• Short attention span
• Setting priorities
• Disorganization
• Technological difficulties

After the brainstorming, we discussed ways to overcome those problems. Many of the ideas listed below came from the members of the workshop. Others came from Rosemary and Lisa. The dialog was going strong. We were on a roll!

Interruptions

Change the way you see the interruption: “This patron isn’t an interruption. This patron is my reason for being here.”
Don't think “I gotta do this dumb thing” but “I get to polish this skill!” Don't see the job as "Argh! I have to be on the Reference Desk” but “I’m getting a chance to give great customer service!”
If it takes 5 minutes or less to res olve, handle it on the spot. If longer, schedule an appointment.
Make complete notes so you can get back to where you were
Empower others to handle situations whenever possible (Don’t make yourself indispensable)
When in a spot where you will be interrupted (public desk) work on tasks that are interruptible. Pick tasks that are a. Small and b. Portable. A good example is taking review journals to the Reference Desk and reading the reviews. You can write notes on slips of paper for the ones you want to order, or make notes in the corner of the magazine.

Just say no:

1. State you are concerned.
2. Explain priorities (You have a deadline)
3. Stand up; walk with them (to escort them from your space)
4. Set up a time to meet later

Set boundaries
“Let me finish this so I can give you my full attention.”
“Thank you for your patience”
Patrons who give too much information: Smile. Say, “I’m sorry, but that’s not my business.”
Lonely talker monopolizing your time?
1. Keep a doorbell under reference desk to ring other staff for help
2. One person library? Keep cell phone in your pocket. Speed dial library phone to create a “rescue”
To e-mail or not to e-mail?
Pro: lets receiver read it at his/her convenience and answer after thinking about it or doing necessary research
Con: Takes lots of time – no immediate answer.
Rule of thumb: If it can be handled in a 5 minute conversation, telephone, don’t e-mail.
Telephone interruptions:
Hang up on conversation while YOU are talking – other person will think you were cut off (Who would hang up on himself??)
Sales calls:
Ask for a donation
“I’m sorry. Our budget is spent for this year. If you’d like to donate this book, we’d be glad to consider it”
Ask for reviews
“I’m sorry. We can’t buy books unless they have had a positive review in a critical review source. If you can provide me with reviews, I’d be glad to look at your material.”

Distractions

Self-discipline!

Dealing with troublemakers
1. Use humor/age
“Hey, Kids, I’m too old to listen to that kind of music. Would you turn it down a bit?”
“You know I’m old enough to be your grandma. I don’t need to hear language like that.”
2. Have programs for them
3.Enlist troublemakers as volunteers /have busywork ready
“Hey, Johnny, while you’re waiting for a computer, would you do this for me?”
4.Teen partners with younger readers
5.Teen Advisory Board
6.Let them have input on creating their space in the library – decorations, layout
7.Give them a list of recommended YA titles (YA core collection book from Neal Schulman publishers) and have them help you pick books for YA area
8.Magnetic board for poetry wall. They post their poetry (after librarian reviews it)
9.If really bad, have policy on dealing with troublemakers, and enforce it.
10.Know when to call the police.
11.Regularly occurring problem? Ask local law enforcement to walk through your building at that time of day once or twice a week.
Ottawa Public Library has targeted their “lost teens”.
Started an Anime Club
Invited guest speakers from college
Kids really enjoy it
Will be making their own movie

Procrastination/
Avoidance
Don’t make excuses. Just tackle a project.
Use peak time well – guard it!
Break a large project into smaller, more manageable parts.
Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy
Eat the whole frog, one bite at a time.
If a project takes less than 2 minutes, do it now.
Can’t get started? Bounce ideas off someone.
Post-it notes above desk/on computer:
“Don’t play Freecell”
Inspirational quotes
Post-It Portable Workspace by Tammy Cravit
Personal rewards: When I finish this I can take a break and …..
Vibrating timer: I have this much time to do this project.
Pick your projects. If likely to be interrupted, choose “Easy to get back to”
Don’t leave a project in a spot where you don’t know what to do next. (It’s harder to get started if you don’t know where you’re going.)
Listen to books on tape while doing housework
Use music:

1. Play classical music in background as white noise

1. Play music that is only 30-60 minutes long. Must be done when music ends.
2. Clean a room/ do a major project to upbeat music – Theme from Rocky; Sousa marches

Apply ideas found on Rosemary’s blog: http://dailyplanit.com/
Time map as discussed by Julie Morgenstern
Alternate negative and positive projects so you aren’t “stuck” doing the hard ones all at once.

Short Attention Span

Remove distractions.
1. Only have on your desk what you are working on.
2. Worst case scenario: bare desk with 1 paper and 1 pencil
Focus on one thing
Use a timer: “I have 15 minutes to complete this report”
Reward yourself when finished
Focus on focusing
Be creative

1. Let your mind wander
2. Jot down your ideas at random
3. Come back to them later when you can focus and act on them

Bounce ideas off others
Recruit Teammates to help you:

1. Tell what you are doing
2. Give them your priorities
3. Ask them the help you stay on task

Setting Priorities

Why are we here? Patrons!
Remember -- we are here to serve them.
What will serve them the best?
TIME!
What has outside deadlines?
What is most urgent?
Level of importance
What does the Boss say is most important?
What will give you the best return on your investment?
Plan ahead so you don’t have to live in the crisis zone.

Organizing
Plan your day each morning (in shower, while brushing teeth, while driving to work)
Review the day at the end (what needs to be carried forward? What was a success? A learning experience?)
Make a schedule and stick to it.

Keep most used items close to hand. Organize your desk to serve you -- not as just a flat spot to drop things.

Use a tickler file – file folders set up for day/month/year. This description comes from Making Time Work for You by Harold L. Taylor. Make a manila folder for every day of the month. Create hanging files for every month of the year, and one for the coming year. The manila folders will live in the hanging file for the current month and be moved to the coming month as the day ends. When an item comes across your desk, determine when you need to deal with it. If now, do it today. If later, file the item in the manila folder for the day you will handle it.  (Say June 15.) When June 15 comes, that morning you pull the June 15 manila folder and find that item waiting to be handled. When everything in the folder has been handled, you place the 15th folder in the July hanging file and it becomes the July 15 folder.

Calendars

1. Use only one calendar so everything is in one place
2. Highlight high priorities
Use online calendars so they can be shared and can be accessed from work and home. Some calendars, like Yahoo and Google can be accessed from many platforms. Others can be shared with specific people.

1. Shared family access
2. Syncs with Outlook and Outlook Express
3. Syncs with PDAs

To-do lists

1. Do the easy ones
2. Work on hard ones a little at a time
3. Electronic to-do lists: set alarms for repeating tasks
4. Cross it off when it’s done – there’s a lot of reward in this!
5. Prioritize items to know which ones are the most important, give the best return for your effort

E-mail

1. Use folders and filters to route e-mail to labeled areas
2. Route lists to a folder
3. Route specific people to their own folders
4. Move answered e-mail to a different folder (in e-mail or elsewhere on computer) so it doesn’t stay in Inbox
5. Delete after you have answered it!
6. Make decisions immediately
7. Just like paper mail there are only three things to do with e-mail:
8. Act on it
9. Pass it on
10. Discard it

OHIO = ONLY HANDLE IT ONCE

Post-it notes! :Portable folder with post-its listing to-dos. Goes with you.
Post-its above desk so you see them
Simplify!

1. Eliminate stuff.
2. Are you doing this for a good reason or just because we’ve always done it?
3. Keep only what you use and need

Consider alternative formats

1. E-books. Keep the content—get rid of the bulk
2. Audiobooks. Read (safely) while driving

Brainstorm aloud/ tape record your thoughts (Good use of travel time)
Fake yourself out – set personal deadline one day before real deadline
When feeling bogged down, listen to audiobooks of favorite time management books as a pep-talk.
Two good ones: 10 Natural Laws of Time and Life Management by Hyrum Smith
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Finish one project before starting new ones.
This doesn't mean you can't have more than one project in the works at the same time, it means when you are working on one thing -- don't multitask. Just do that thing. To keep those multiple projects afloat, schedule time each day to work on one part of each project.
Don’t re-invent the wheel. Use form letters, agendas, checklists, etc.
Bribe yourself with chocolate (or yarn, or whatever your weakness is!)


Getting Things Done
A synthesis of many good time management techniques can be found in David Allen's book Getting Things Done. 


Good Reading

Best Organizing Tips by Stephanie Winston
Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy.
Getting Things Done by David Allen
It’s All Too Much by Peter Walsh
Making Time Work for You by Harold L. Taylor (of taylorontime.com)
Making Work Work by Julie Morgenstern
Manage Your Time, Your Work, Yourself by Merrill E. and Donna N. Douglass
Post-It Portable Workspace by Tammy Cravit
Productivity Power by Jim Temme
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (The Covey of Franklin-Covey)
Sidetracked Home Executives by Pam Young and Peggy Jones
Simplify Your Space by Maria Ramsland
10 Natural Laws of Time and Life Management by Hyrum Smith (the Franklin of Franklin-Covey.)
Task Order-Up by David Seah
Time Management for the Creative Person by Lee Silber
Woulda/Coulda/Shoulda by Arthur M. Freeman

Blogs/Websites

http://dailyplanit.com/
http://www.businessballs.com/
http://davidco.com/
http://www.flylady.net/
http://www.franklincovey.com/
http://www.shesintouch.com/
www.taylorontime.com/desktest/html
http://2time.wordpress.com/ime.wordpress.com/