How can I maximize my efficiency at the office?

Funny how you say “lifehacks”. Try searching through this website for anything specific you want like “task management”.

www.lifehacker.com

I’ve found a ton of useful websites, apps, and ideas through Lifehacker.

I found it useful for me to keep a list of active projects with the current tasks under each for easy reference.

I put critical path deadlines on my calendar.

Delegate, delegate, delegate.

Three tricks that work for me that I learned from David Allen:

Ubiquitous Capture Tool: I keep a piece of folded paper and pencil in my pocket at all times. Whenever I need to remember anything I just jot it down. Later I take the info from my pocket paper and integrate to my to-do list. That way I really don’t have to remember.

Items on your to-do list are not huge, like Finish Major Product Rollout. The items on the to-do list are the next specific action that is needed, Make a List of Customers that Still Need to be Contacted. Use next actions.

Sort your to-do list by location—where you need to be to do the action. Instead of sorting by priority, sort by office, home, car, errands, calls to return, etc.

And one from somewhere else forgot where
Eat the Frog: this means do the most unpleasant thing you have to do all day, first. Get it out of the way and the rest of the day is a lot more pleasant.

I second @erichw1504 ‘s suggestion. Lifehacker.com is a great resource and it almost all about this kind of thing.

The one rule I try to live by is (also from David Allen): if something takes you five minutes or less, do it right away.

This takes care of all those persnickety minute items that clutter up your brain, and this tiny tip has actually made a huge difference for me.

However, the other thing I try to do is work without a clock. The idea is that if I have to write an essay or take 100 pages of notes, I will be constantly checking the clock and waiting for that magical 45-minute mark where I think, “Okay, now I can take a break.”

If you set a timer for, say, 1 hour, and get to work, your mind is completely focused on the task at hand, not how much time it takes. You get it done faster and without distraction.

You’re welcome!

Check e-mail in the morning, before lunch, and around 3:00. Use the business rules in your e-mail program to automatically put e-mails in folders.

Keep a list of what you have to do, with deadlines, either in Microsoft project, or SharePoint. When you get a request for work, make sure you are the right person to do it, before agreeing to take it on.

Even if you’re not required to keep a timesheet at work, keep one. It’s helpful in discussions with managers to be able to document how your time is spent. The only way to gain efficiencies is to know exactly what you’re doing, how long it takes, and be able to evaluate if it’s work you should be doing in the first place.

Oh, so you are the one that took my position when I retired! Just kidding, of course, but your job sounds similarly demanding. Time management, organization and proper planning are the keys and the others gave good suggestions in that regard. It’s a bit disturbing that you feel the need to document everything you do to cover your ass because that is a huge waste of time and energy that could be better utilized at completing your other tasks. But, that is undoubtedly a reflection of your boss and I trust not unfounded paranoia on your part. Just keep juggling and keep smiling. See ya…Gary aka wtf

@marauder76, been there, done that!

I used to keep a file with MY name on it and in it I would put a copy of any memo, report, etc. I did. This way I could show my crazy boss the work I’ve done if ever I needed AND, when I quit, I would take that entire file with me.

BTW, when you quit, take a copy of the company’s telephone directory so that you can call people for references and spell their names right if you ever need to.

My crackpot boss used to have me call various meetings. For no reason. Yet, I’d have to come up with agendas. After awhile I got smart. I kept a loose leaf book with tabs for each meeting type (“Executive”, “Staff”, etc.). When I thought of a good agenda item, I’d write it on a page in that meeting’s loose leaf section. This way, when the bitch told me to call a meeting, I was ready.

And I kept a log in that same loose leaf book. Pretty much a phone log. Entries might read “Called Mr. D about phone problem. Left message”. This way, when the bitch yelled “Why isn’t the phone fixed?!!!!”, I could show her how the problem wasn’t me.