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O P I N I O N
Getting more done
“So many [AEC firm leaders] feel they are being pulled in so many directions that oftentimes, at the end of a day or week, it is hard to see what was accomplished.”
M ost of those I know who are owners and managers of AEC firms will admit they would like to get more done. So many feel they are being pulled in so many directions that oftentimes, at the end of a day or week, it is hard to see what was accomplished. That doesn’t lead to high job satisfaction (or life satisfaction, for that matter!).
Mark Zweig
❚ ❚ Working off a “do” list. There is nothing that can take the place of a simple list of tasks to accomplish that you can check off when done. I keep mine in “notes” in my phone. Those who get a lot done use a “do” list as one of several tools in their “productivity toolboxes.” It may sound old-fashioned to use one but they work. “Learning to be an effective delegator has to be part of your productivity formula. It takes trust in other people and really good communication skills to work. The most productive people in this business are good at it.”
I have worked with so many high achievers in this business over the years. Here are some the things I see them doing: ❚ ❚ Getting up early. You can get so much more done when you get up early. There are three hours between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. Those might be the very most productive hours of the day. You have to use your time wisely when the interruptions are at a minimum. ❚ ❚ Allocating time. You have to allocate blocks of time to your most important activities. Dedicating these blocks where you shut the door and don’t do anything else is a tactic productive people often use. Those blocks are used for matters such as making client calls to find more work, or spending time mentoring your successor. Creating these blocks of time for critical activities is one way to be sure the distractions of the day don’t pull you too far off course.
See MARK ZWEIG, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER January 6, 2020, ISSUE 1326
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