We’ve been talking about reading, the past few days. The purpose of this for a manager is to help increase the perspectives available to you from which you can view and understand complex and intense issues, so that you can make better and more timely decisions. It is perfectly acceptable that in order to accomplish this aspect of it, you must read things that aren’t strictly “professional,” and that moreover are thoroughly enjoyable. Nothing illicit in that – go for it.
But all of this should also be seen as part of a wider struggle entered into by every manager: how to use one’s time as effectively as possible. This contest is engaged in across at least three dimensions: 1) making time available, 2) using available time effectively, and 3) disciplining one’s self to invest some of that time to make the efforts necessary to accomplish the previous two.
So, how do you do those three things? In particular, how do you best balance or integrate the doing of all three of them at once?
The answer, of course, is gadgets. Or, at least, a part of it is – you still have to exercise discipline and take action. But to some often considerable degree gadgets can help you reduce the negative effect of the burdens that can’t be shifted, and make more productive use of truly productive time.
We’ll take a quick look at this over the next few days. I’ll describe some of the gadgets I use, and I’ll be interested in hearing how you approach these problems.
See you tomorrow!
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Today’s tip: Speaking of gadgets improving productivity and clarity, please visit PsyBlog to learn how brainstorming isn’t quite what it’s cracked up to be – unless we use gadgets to do it.
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