The Personal Efficiency Program

INTRODUCTION: Personal Efficiency Program: The Missing Link.Source of the Problem.How Do We Cope?Down to Details.No Longer a Missing Link.Working with Others.It Will Not Be Easy, But It Will Be Worth It.CHAPTER 1: Do It Now!Why the Personal Efficiency Program Works.Start with Your Desk or Work Space.Overcoming Procrastination.Not Everything Can or Should Be Done Now.Build Decisiveness into Your Work Habits.Establish Do It Now Work Habits.Perfection.Discipline.Follow-Up for Chapter 1.CHAPTER 2: Organize It Now!A Soldier's Story.Cleaning Out the Clutter.Where Does Clutter Come From?Why Clutter Stays There.Out of Sight?Don't Overlook the Obvious.Start with the Basics.Your Office Toolbox.Become Familiar with Tools As They Come on the Market.Organizing Files-Beginning with Paper.Tips-What to Keep, Where to Keep It, and What to Throw Away.Tips for Improving Your Paper Filing System.Filing and Labeling.Organizing Electronic Files.Let the Computer Find Your Documents for You.Organizing Shared Electronic Files.Organizing E-Mail.Creating and Organizing Your E-Mail Address Book.Organizing the Computer Desktop to Access Applications and Files Easily.Organizing Other Media.Summary.Follow-Up for Chapter 2.CHAPTER 3: Do It Routinely.Keep a Time Log.Electronic Time Log.Overcome Information Overload.Beyond the In Basket.Batch the Routine Work.Schedule and Avoid Having to Decide.Parkinson's Law and the Allocation of Time.Blocks of Time.Batching Telephone Calls.One More Thing!E-Mail.Paper-Mail/Memos.Searching the Internet.Reading.Weekly One-on-One Meetings.More Effective Meetings.Dealing with Interruptions.Making It Work.Pitfalls.Follow-Up for Chapter 3.CHAPTER 4: Plan It Now!Purpose of Planning.Planning Principles.PEP Planning Process.Daily Planning.Weekly Planning.Shaping the Diary-A Monthly Planning Process for Senior Executives.Project Implementation Planning.Criteria for Project Planning.Implementation Mapping.Planning on a Computer.Strategic Planning.Goals.Personal Goals.Values.Values on a Personal Level.Visualization-What You See Is What You Get.Follow-Up for Chapter 4.CHAPTER 5: Follow-Up and Follow-Through!Persistence.Forget Remembering.Preoccupation and Time.Organize Efficient Follow-Up Systems.Work Groups.Follow-Up and Delegation.Delegation-Using Your Electronic Tools.Exceptions to the Rule.Back Up Your Systems.Make Follow-Up Part of the Work Process.Follow-Up for Chapter 5.CHAPTER 6: Do It Right, Now!The Origin of PEP.Why Quality.Kaizen.PEP-A Practical Tool for Quality Improvement.4S.Identifying Your Customers and Their Needs.Benchmarking.Focus on Prevention.Project-by-Project Improvement.Continuous Change.Quality and Team Effectiveness.PEP and Reengineering.Reengineering and Technology.Follow-Up for Chapter 6.CHAPTER 7: Do It Now!-From Wherever You Are!WHAT IS THE NGW.Evolving Work Environments.COMPANY ISSUES.Is Your Company Considering a Next Generation Workplace?Management's Role in a Successful Move-Leadership.The Missing Link-Proper Equipment to Support the NGW Initiative.MOVING TO THE NGW.PEP and the Move to the NGW.PEP and the Move Process.The Key to Success-Structural Consistency of Information Organization.Remember: Information Loses Value in Time.Molecules or Electrons? One-Not Both.Key Elements for a Successful Move.Advantages of the PEP Move Process.Rules to Help You Move.WORKING WITHIN THE NGW.Welcome to Working in the NGW World.Managerial and Support Effectiveness.Common Issues Faced Working in the NGW.Work Issues in the NGW Home Office.Work Issues in the NGW Mobile Office.Attention-Notebook Users: A Word of Caution.Final Thought-There Are No Dumb Questions.Follow-Up for Chapter 7.CHAPTER 8: Be a Do It Now Manager.Management by Walkabout.An Example of MBWA.Why MBWA Works.Face-to-Face Communication.Follow-Up Method.Delegation.What Does a Do It Now Manager Do?Concentrate on the Process of Work.Building Teams.Don't Be Tied to the Desk.Start with Yourself.Electronic Tools to Enhance MBWA.MBWA in an Alternative Office.Closing Thoughts on MBWA.Follow-Up for Chapter 8.CHAPTER 9: Organizing the Team to Act Now!Surveying for Areas of Potential Improvement.Establishing Common Platforms and Standards.Document Control.Shared Software.Task Management.Managing Complex Activities-Project Planning.Contact List/Address Book.Company Intranet.Don't Overlook Low-Tech Solutions.Initiating Project Groups.Follow-Up for Chapter 9.CHAPTER 10: Maintain It Now.Entropy.Maintenance and the Work Cycle.Make It Easy.Should You Be Maintaining It in the First Place?Maintenance and Do It Now.Make Maintenance a Habit.The 21-Day Challenge.Maintenance of Common Files.Maintenance and Travel.Preventive Maintenance.Maintenance and Continuous Improvement.Periodic Catch-Up.Minimum Maintenance.What to Do When It All Goes to Pot.Follow-Up for Chapter 9.EPILOGUE: Just One New Habit.APPENDIX A: Meeting Improvements Checklist.Meeting Preparations.Chairperson.Assistant.Participants.APPENDIX B: Time Stealers.Meeting Time Stealers.Phone Time Stealers.Poor Delegation.Irresolute Manager.Poor Communications.Poor Decision Making.Lack of Systematic Working.Computer Malfunctions.APPENDIX C: Recommended Reading.INDEX.ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY.