Getting Work Done (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)

It’s important that the physical space you are working in is conducive to getting work done.

By taking the time to understand your goals and how you spend your time, and then prioritizing and assigning times to your work, you can create daily to-do lists that are realistic and that ensure you’ll get the right work done at the right time.

But logging your tasks and how long it takes to complete them will let you clearly see where you’re spending too much time and where you need to begin to reallocate time to achieve your goals.

You will use these goals in two ways: first, to prioritize your daily work; and second, to gauge your progress (in other words, to benchmark what you’re accomplishing and whether the changes you make as a result of this book are effective for you).

In order to truly understand what work is most important and how to become more efficient, you need to first identify your goals and recognize how you’re currently spending your time.

• Prioritize your tasks
• Create to-do lists that work
• Organize your physical and virtual workspace
• Develop a daily routine and stick to it
• Stay focused and stop procrastinating
• Work more efficiently with others
• Assess your progress

During this period of review, revisit the goals you outlined in the beginning of “Identify What Needs to Get Done” and ask yourself if you’re now on track to meet them. If there’s still room for improvement, examine which tools are contributing to your productivity and which aren’t.