The Dean's List #3

How do you keep track of what you have to do?

The first thing I do is try to minimize the number of things that I need to put off till later, and again, the phone helps with that. If I get something I can reply to immediately, I just reply to it immediately. If it's an email I have to get to later, I just leave it as unread. Even if I've read it, I go back and I mark it as unread. That way, when I get to a desk, I can go back and I can look at all the unread emails. If it's a big project, then I'll calendar it, especially for things that don’t have an email reminder, like scheduling.

How do you make sure nothing falls through the cracks?

Well, I mean, they do, right, as was brought up before. I think that’s just part of it -- and trying to be gentle with yourself about that. One of the ways I try to keep that from happening is by really clearly communicating to my department chairs, my AA and my clerk what I'm working on and when I expect to have things done. That way, they’ll say, “Hey, you were going to get this to me on Thursday.” They're going to remember even if I don’t. If I don’t give them a date, then two or three weeks have passed and they’re asking, “When are you going to get me that thing?” I usually say I’m going to get it to them, earlier than I have to so that if they end up calling me on it, I can fix it, and fix it in time. I'm relying on their memories as well. Usually, for administrative stuff like that, they have fewer of those things they're trying to remember than I do. And it's more important to them, perhaps than it is to me. I mean, it’s in the front of their minds but kind of in the back of mine.

How do you choose what you're going to bring home or stay late for?

I try very hard with this. I mean, in some ways, I bring everything home, but in some ways, also, I never stay late, right? By the time the family routine is kicked into gear for the evening, I'm spent. By the time I've done the homework and bedtime and dishes, and everything, I'm done. If it's a student concern, that's at the top of the list. I will reply to a student within 24 hours, whether it's nine at night or not. Everyone else can usually wait a day. Otherwise that train never ends. I remember that from being a faculty member--if you reply to an email at 11, you're probably going to get another one at 11:03, and it's just going to keep going. You've got to put a stop to that and I try to make very few exceptions to that.

What do you feel like is the best kind of productivity or time management trick you've learned?

I feel like the best thing that I've come up with is just try and knock out the little stuff as fast as you can. I find that when I get a quick, short email that I can answer, my brain is like, “That's resolved.” I already know the answer, so it's not going to take up my mental space. The problem is, if it doesn't take up your mental space, that's what falls through the cracks. If I already know the answer, I need to communicate it, because otherwise, it's just going to fly away. I'm not going to be sitting there thinking, “Oh, I need to tell this person this thing I already know.” That's not the kind of thing that rolls around in my brain. The thing that rolls around in my brain is the thing I can't figure out an answer to. So if it’s short, shoot off an answer and then it’s not in your court anymore. You usually get an, “Oh, wow, thanks for the quick response!” People love that, and they go on about their day, and you're not going to get a follow up email.

Are you currently trying anything new about organization or productivity?

No, I’m just keeping up as best as possible. And what has been working has been working. I don't really have the bandwidth to think of novel improvements to my processes.

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Something to think about:

“Connect instead of control.”

--attributed to so many people that I’ll just acknowledge it wasn’t me

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The Rabbit Hole (resources, content, etc. that’s relevant to the job):

From Fast Company magazine: How to finally stop micromanaging and start delegate more

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