Presented at GaCOMO14 by Linda Marie Golian-Lui, Sandra Barclay, Alan Lebish, Jennifer Young, Kennesaw State University.
Additional information at http://libguides.kennesaw.edu/eatthatfrog
How to Eat an Ugly Frog and Love It: Practical Advice on Managing Workplace Priorities
1.
2. How to Eat an Ugly Frog and Love It: Practical Advice on Managing Workplace Priorities
2014 GaCOMO/SELA Augusta, GA Friday, October 3 10:00 -10:50 am
Presented By:
Dr. Linda Golian-Lui (Lead Presenter),
Sandra Barclay, Alan Lebish & Jennifer Young
Kennesaw State University
Library System
4. Today’s Materials
I. Eat That Frog Handout
II. QR Information Cards
III. LibGuide for Bibliography / PowerPoint
IV. Ugly Frog Exercise
V. Business Cards
5. Today’s Outline
I. Never Enough Time
II. Your Organizational Value – Linda
III. Focus – Jennifer
IV. Eat Your Frog with Gusto - Sandra
V. Find Your Frog and Eat It - Alan
VI. Ugly Frog Exercise
VII. Conclusion
6. Part I: You Never Have Enough Time
Law of forced efficiency – there is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the important things.
9. What is a Frog?
Your MOST important task at each moment
More than likely to be the task you would procrastinate
Satisfaction in knowing your most important task for the day is DONE
If you have two frogs – eat the ugliest one first
Tip: Try it for 15 minutes
12. Part II: Your Organizational Value
What do I do, that no one else is responsible for doing?
What special role / function can I fulfill in my library?
What type of legacy do I want to leave behind?
How can I make a difference?
13. Tip 1: Set The Table
Decide what you want to achieve / special role
Confirm with supervisor
Write it down
Set a deadline
Resolve to do something every day (Frog 1)
14. Tip 2: Plan Every Day
10 minutes of planning can save over 100 minutes of execution
Have a plan for each day
Consider a plan for each week
Consider 6-month / 1-year plans
Prioritize daily
15. Tip 3: Apply the 80/20 Rule
20% of the tasks we need to complete produce 80% of the results we are looking to achieve
The 20% tasks are often the tasks we want to procrastinate on
Choose the important tasks over the unimportant
16. Tip 4: Consider The Consequences
What are the consequences of you taking OR NOT taking action
Keep a long term perspective
Ask yourself – what can I do that, if done well, can make a real difference
Never be at the mercy of the tasks that matter least
17. Linda’s Priorities
Create a culture of excellence, especially in service
Hire the best
Foster a Learning Organization
Mentor
Institute Succession Planning
Empower
20. Tip 7: Focus on Key Result Areas
“What are they paying me for?”
5-7 things you are 100% responsible for
Keep all your key areas strong
Example for Jennifer: Form a good relationship with the ITS department at KSU
21. Tip 9: Prepare Thoroughly
“If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend 6 sharpening my axe.” – Abe Lincoln
Workspace
Mindset
Take the first step. “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzsky
Don’t fear failure or rejection. “Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” – Emerson
Gets you ready for #10
22. Tip 10: Take it 1 Barrel at a Time
Crossing the Sahara is no easy task
But it can be done!
Take 1 step, then another, then another
Be confident that you’ll get to the next oil barrel
Everything great is accomplished in single steps
23. Tip 11: Upgrade your Skills
“Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.”
Everything is learnable
Three steps to mastery:
Read in your field
Take courses and seminars in your key areas
Turn driving time into learning time
Teach someone else
24. Jennifer’s Priorities
Technology “emergencies”
Updating settings in Voyager
Coordinating ITS service requests
Library instruction & reference
Liaison work
25. Jennifer’s Story
Make lists!
Prioritize my priorities
Do one thing at a time
Take care of emergencies first as they have the biggest impact (hint: not all requests are emergencies)
“Work smarter, not harder” – learn
27. Tip 5: Practice Creative Procrastination
There will never be enough time to do everything
Continuously look at your tasks and assess what is really important and what is not
Deliberately decide what you will put off – for now or forever
28. Tip 8: The Law of 3
What 3 things do you do that make up 90% of your contribution to your organization?
It’s essential to identify these 3 things accurately
The law of 3 can help you to live a long, happy, healthy life!
29. Tip 12: Leverage your Special Talents
What are you very good at doing, or could learn to be very good at doing? Throw yourself into doing or learning that thing very well
The top 20% of people discipline themselves to continuously learn new skills
30. Tip 13: Identify Key Constraints
What is between you and that goal?
Identifying and eliminating that constraint is the most important frog you can eat right now!
80/20 rule applies here: 80% of constraints are internal and 20% are external
31. Sandra’s Priorities
Cataloging and related projects
Liaison related activities
Service to library, university, and beyond
34. Tip 14: Put Pressure on Yourself
Choose your own frogs – don’t let someone else put the pressure on you
Lead the field by raising the bar on yourself and going beyond the expected
Create imaginary, or not so imaginary deadlines, and plan each step…
35. Tip 15: Maximize Your Personal Powers
Guard and nurture your energy & health to be more productive!
Overworking can affect quality of work and be unproductive
Work at your own pace – identify the times of day you are at your best
36. Tip 16: Motivate Yourself
Control your inner dialogue – develop a routine of coaching yourself and being your own personal cheerleader
Develop a positive mental attitude to ensure greater effectiveness in life
37. Tip 21: Single Handle Every Task
Concentration – keep at your number one task until it is 100% complete
Don’t waste time on other tasks that deplete your efficiency
Self-discipline… stay on task! And, resolve to find the most important task or project
38. Alan’s Priorities
Handling facilities- related emergencies
Planning for renovation projects for two libraries
Reference & instruction
Liaison work
Department and other committee work
39. Alan’s Story
In a sea of priorities, identifying the top one
Using daily and weekly sub-deadlines to make the task less daunting
Working at my own pace and time
Finding the balance!
41. Part VII: Conclusions
It is not easy
You have to work at it every day
Check your attitude
Schedule down time / sharpen your saw
Strive for life / work balance
Read EAT THAT FROG!
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