Book review: The Personal Efficiency Program
In terms of personal management or management in general very little is formally taught in the area of the nuts and bolts of getting things done or as some call it time management. Managers and their employees are victims of procrastination and bad organisation. We learn a lot of these getting things done or not getting things done methods, as the case maybe, from those around us and sometimes they are not the best examples. We all know the pitfalls of a messy desk and poor filing system. We end using more energy to sort messes out then get things done.
This is where a very practically orientated book like “The Personal Efficiency Program : How to Get Organized to Do More Work in Less Time” by Kerry Gleeson proves a great aid.
The mantra of the book is: DO IT NOW!
While other management gurus preach prioritisation when it comes to time management, the simple art of doing something immediately often is the most effective method.
To quote from the book :
“Stop procrastinating. Procrastination eats up more time in the workplace than practically anything else. Do It Now is a key element in helping you to identify where procrastination exists in your work habits and helping you to overcome it. The trick is to be as clever about completing work as you’ve been about avoiding it. Do it once; clear your mind of clutter; solve problems while they’re small; reduce interruptions; clean up backlogs; stop worrying about it; feel better about yourself; do the worst first; and be decisive.”
The author takes the reader from a general work philosophy through to the hands on stuff of the state of your desk, your filing system, organising software, emails and staff meetings. Then onto things such as planning, follow up, managing staff and maintaining your systems.
The book is an easy read and while I did not find all the practical tips personally applicable, I really got a lot out of it and I would recommend it from a personal management as well a management of staff perspective. If you want more details on the book look in the side bar up recommended reading.
Tags: credit management, management, book review
[...] Yet for all the sound theory of Covey a lot can be said for the practical advice of Kerry Gleesen in this book “The Personal Efficiency Program” – previously review on this blog. Gleesen’s simple yet procrastination defeating advice of “Do it Now?” seems to run against the grain of the priorization model of time management. But it has more to do with having the right mind set to tackling work, particularly those tasks you keep putting off. You know them – the files that sit in a corner of your office growing a dust castle on top of them and sucking energy out of you by always niggling away at the back of your mind. [...]
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