This document provides tips for finding more time for PR and project management by addressing four "productivity killers": poor planning, personal disorganization, procrastination, and failing to manage distractions. It recommends conducting a time audit, setting priorities using tools like a priority matrix, organizing tasks into to-do lists by day and project, using productivity tools and templates, learning to say no to reactive requests, filtering information sources, and delegating tasks. The goal is to plan better, get organized, stay on track by managing distractions from email, meetings and information overload.

1. Finding
MORE TIME
for PR and
Project Management
A Wildly Assorted Tip List to Help Busy People
Lori Miller | WHNT News 19
for Birmingham Chapter PRCA November 2, 2011

2. Seriously?

3. You’re not going to learn anything new today.
(sorry)

4. The Big Four Productivity
Killers
1. Poor Planning
2. Personal Disorganization
3. Procrastination
4. Failing to Manage Distractions

5. no planning = chaos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicora/2125624321/

6. FIGHT POOR PLANNING
Time Audit
Priority Setting Tools

7. What have you been doing?
Time Audit
1. Record all your daily activities for 3 days -- where do you spend your
time?
2. Record your personal stuff, too
3. OPTIONAL: Color code your categories of time
4. Things to look for:
PUTTING OUT FIRES
DEALING WITH INTERRUPTIONS
DOING PLANNED TASKS
WORKING UNINTERRUPTED
UNINTERRUPTED DOWNTIME

10. Stop Thriving on “Being Really Busy”
Setting Priorities
1. Choose three important tasks to complete each day and focus
relentlessly (take MASSIVE steps toward your goals daily)
2. Do the most important thing first -- which is easier if you’ve
organized the day before so you already know what that is
3. How do you decide?
• Priority Matrix
• Urgent / Important Matrix

11. Finish time mgmt presso
1
4 Draft offsite agenda
3 Point Mallard ROI
5 Submit catering order
0 Intern to-dos while out
2 Finalize Facebook policy

12. URGENT / IMPORTANT MATRIX
urgent not urgent
important
not important

13. FIGHT DISORGANIZATION
Does your brain go in 27 directions at once?
Then you may be susceptible to being overwhelmed
in response to a mess

15. Organize Your Day & Desk
1. Get everything else off your desk
2. Keep a to-do list - COMPREHENSIVE
3. Keep a to-do list - BY PROJECT
4. Keep a to-do list - FOR TODAY

17. PROJECT ACTION PLAN:
Updates status
References where info can be found

18. COMPREHENSIVE TO DO:
Keeps track of the big picture
without duplicating

19. Organize Your Day & Desk
(continued)
1. Get everything else off your desk
2. Keep a to-do list - COMPREHENSIVE
3. Keep a to-do list - BY PROJECT
4. Keep a to-do list - FOR TODAY
5. Share documents with others - Google Docs / shared server (everyone
knows and they can help keep it updated)
6. Set up an effective reference filing system for inbox and personal files

20. Nested folders will help you find information when you’re ready for it

21. (Yeah, that’s too
many unprocessed
emails!)

22. to do lists
note taking
info/news gathering
file sharing
more
There are lots of productivity tools out there

23. Organize web articles with keyword tags

24. Easily choose a meeting date

25. Get an email digest of Facebook activity -- even if it’s not your page

26. Easily share documents

27. More tools just for PR pros - some free, some purchased

28. An often-asked tip: how to schedule Facebook posts

29. HERE’S ONE: If it’s a business page - go to your page and click “Edit Page”

30. Then click on “Mobile”

31. and “voila” – there it is

32. Now use Outlook’s deferred delivery option
(1) Open a new blank email
(2) Type your post into the SUBJECT line (not the body)
(3) Click OPTIONS tab
(4) Click on DELAY DELIVERY

33. Choose your date and time, close and send – DONE!

35. TIPS for Procrastinators
1. Set time limits and be accountable for them (if we have lots of free
time we do the easier stuff first)
2. Book time for lagging projects -- and stick to them
3. Clean your desk at the end of every day
4. Calendar your tasks - especially the small, repetitive stuff

37. FIGHT DISRUPTIONS

38. Three Big Disruptors
1. Email
2. Reactive Personalities
3. Information Overload

39. DISRUPTOR #1: EMAIL
Organize Your Email
• Not all message are created equal - “not every virtual hug needs to be
reciprocated”
• Stop scrolling up and down your inbox and calling it work - organize with
nested folders and don’t use the inbox as a to-do list
• Go through your inbox and deal with them. The goal isn’t to respond to each
of those emails but to ruthlessly process them
• Stop “scanning the horizon” to see if something shiny just popped in - check
emails on a schedule
On a schedule, you say?!?

40. TIPS for Email
1. Turn off notifications - audible and visual
2. Give it 3 days!
3. Use templates for repetitive emails
4. Use folders to route emails (Facebook notifications, newsletters)
5. Check emails at set times (if you can stand it, set your email software to only
receive messages at certain increments)

41. http://www.flickr.com/photos/chachijones/821204996/

42. DISRUPTOR #2: REACTIVES
Learn to Say No - Or At
Least Not Now
1. Block time in advance for big projects
2. Close your door. Turn off your phone. Don’t check email.
3. Announce time limits for meetings

43. TIPS for Filtering Info
1. Pick your two or three social sites and, unless your JOB is to spot the
next big things, stick with them.
2. Subscribe only to the blogs you read - be honest - and unsubscribe
from the ones you don’t, without apology.
3. Remember the email filtering!

44. http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephrobertson/11083117/

45. DISRUPTOR #3: INFORMATION OVERLOAD
Keep It Simple, Stupid
• Never call a meeting to make a decision. Work with people one on one, and then
call the meeting to let the group share and own the decision that's been made.
• Stop volunteering - “What SPECIFICALLY do you need from me?
• Say no to nonessential tasks and meetings
• Set up a weekly 20-minute meeting with yourself to assess
• Delegate - and allow things to happen.
• Type instructions for repetitive tasks you can delegate (no excuses!)

46. Finding More Time!
1. Plan Better!
2. Get Organized!
3. Get Moving!
4. Manage Distractions!

47. Hope this helps!
lori.miller@whnt.com
@lorimillerwhnt