Working Knowledge
A Monthly Column about Life on the Job
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By Elisa F. Topper
American Libraries Columnist
Elisa F. Topper is a career consultant in the Chicago area. Contact her at working@ala.org.
Column for April 2003
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 Our director just announced a hiring freeze to deal with budget cuts. I'm barely keeping up with my own work, and I panic at the thought of taking on even more as people leave or retire. Can you offer any advice to get me through the busy days ahead?
Out of Time in Texas
 A "band-aid" approach isn't the answer for the long run, but you can use the following tips to get you started on the right approach to managing your time.
First, try to minimize interruptions in your day by scheduling office hours and projects behind closed doors. Then consider delegating duties to volunteers or students as a temporary solution to staffing shortages. A word of caution, however: Be sure to evaluate if delegating actually takes up more time in added supervisory duties.
Above all, keep in mind the words of Peter Drucker in The Effective Executive (Harper and Row, 1966): "Doing the right thing is more important than doing things right." Concentrate on effectiveness first; then focus on efficiency.
TIMELY TIPS FOR TIME MANAGEMENT:
The current economic climate and an increase in staff cutbacks are causing employees everywhere to feel pressured. While we can't control what is happening nationally, we can gain some control in the workplace by effectively managing our time. While no single method works for everyone, you can tailor the experts' advice below to your own individual work style.
- Keep only supplies you need on a daily basis on your desktop, says the National Association of Professional Organizers.
- Overcome procrastination. Try the "Swiss cheese" method suggested in Alan Lakein's classic How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life (Signet, 1974): Punch holes in a daunting project by breaking it into smaller tasks.
- Conquer clutter. When in doubt, throw it out.
- Handle paper only once. Barbara Hemphill in Taming the Paper Tiger at Work (Kiplinger, 2002) advises following the FAT principle: File it, Act on it, or Toss it out.
- Keep office visitors from overstaying their welcome: Stand up or set a time limit with the person and adhere to it.
- Consider your biological peak times—do you do your best work in the morning hours, early afternoons, or later?—and schedule difficult tasks accordingly.
- Plan regular, uninterruptible hours—"quiet time" to work on complex projects, when you can focus your energies without being sidetracked.
- Minimize interruptions by turning your desk so you don't face office traffic.
- If your employer allows, adjust your schedule to work on major projects from home.
- Save the last five minutes of your day to review your to-do list, suggests Liz Davenport in Order from Chaos: A Six-Step Plan for Organizing Yourself, Your Office, and Your Life (Three River Press, 2001). Place a mark next to each item on your list: a check mark for work done, an arrow for items to be rescheduled, and an X for things that are no longer issues.
- Finally, reward yourself for achieving each step toward a goal.
Time Management for Busy Librarians
- Dewey Need to Get Organized? A Time Management and Organization Guide for School Librarians by J'Aime L. Foust. 2003. Linworth.
- Making Every Minute Count: Time Management for Librarians by Ann Nauman and Marvene Dearman. 1991. Library Learning Resources.
- Time Management Handbook for Librarians by J. Wesley Cochran. 1992. Greenwood Press.
- Time Management, Planning, and Prioritization for Librarians by Judith A. Siess. 2002. Scarecrow Press.
(c) Copyright 2003 American Library Association
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