Time-saving ideas that can help you avoid working late
Not many people enjoy having to stay beyond the usual quitting time in
the office and you probably feel the same way.
Of course,
occasionally you cannot avoid working late. Yet, a good majority of
reasons for a late stay involve poor planning. We're sure if you think
about it you can come up with dozens of strategies to steer clear of
working beyond your usual quitting time.
Here are 9 suggestions:
Keep your working area in order.
You might be amazed how a
messy desk can be so distracting that it can cause you to waste many
minutes, perhaps an hour or more each day, looking for stuff.
Write things down at the beginning of your day, or the night before
. Regular readers of this newsletter have heard this suggestion from us
before. Having a plan of attack for the day can do wonders in keeping
you on schedule.
Minimize phone calls at 4:55.
We're not suggesting that you do
not answer your phone (your boss probably wouldn't appreciate that). But
be aware of a conversation that might last well beyond your scheduled
departure time, and if possible, ask if you can continue the call in the
morning when your mind is fresh
Begin meetings earlier.
If you have the authority to schedule
meetings, try not to set one up any time after 4 pm because odds are the
meeting may go on well past 5 pm.
Speak up.
As mentioned above, sometimes working late can be
unavoidable. However, that does not imply that you should feel obligated
to work late all the time. If you have to be home at a certain time for
your family, say so.
Prepare to leave.
Things like backing up your computer files
for the day are included as part of the job. There's no reason why you
can't perform such tasks at 4:50 rather than at 5:00.
Beware of the talky late-day visitor.You know whom were
referring to: the co-worker who shuttles over to your workspace and
engages you in a conversation that becomes a 1/2-hour distraction,
keeping you away from your work and causing you to stay late so you can
finish.
Keep yourself out of the "I must catch up" trap.
Admit it, you never really do catch up fully with all the work you have
to do. And staying late probably won't change that. Remind yourself, the
work will be there tomorrow.
Be true to yourself. You may often feel the urge to take on more
work than any human being can handle, maybe as a way of impressing your
boss. Working hard and striving for promotions is great. But think about
it, does your boss really expect you to handle more than you can all the
time and stay well past 5 pm each and every evening? If so, you might
consider speaking with him or her about their
