On The Cover - June 2007

By Diana Rowe

Corporate meeting planners acknowledge that mastering time management skills is at the top of their to-do list, but when asked to comment on the topic, many reply that they don’t “have the time.” Fortunately, we persevered and found a handful of dedicated corporate meeting planners who were willing to share their tips on time management. In addition, we sought out professional time management experts to show us how to beat the ever-ticking clock.

Taking Work Home
Do you find yourself looking at a packed schedule and wondering where you’ll find the time to do all that’s expected of you? On some days, the difference between getting the job done and taking work home with

“Managing personal efficiency every day is another method to beat the madness of the ticking clock.” Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, President and CEO The Productivity Pro, Highlands Ranch, Colorado Photo courtesy of The Productivity Pro Inc.

you is about knowing how to make the most of limited amounts of time, according to author and professional speaker Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, president and CEO of The Productivity Pro Inc., Highlands Ranch, CO.

Stack recommended a proactive, rather than reactive, solution to time management. “Long-term planning is critical, especially for those planners simply receiving directions from a senior manager or other executive. Educate yourself and your supervisors to what information you need in advance, rather than waiting for the problem to strike. When you first get wind of a meeting, you will automatically know what questions to ask to circumvent any last-minute crisis. Be professionally assertive by informing them that you can do a better job in securing better pricing, better speakers, etc. when you are given more lead time,” she explained.

“Managing personal efficiency every day,” said Stack, “is another method to beat the madness of the ticking clock. Is your to-do list a mass of sticky notes circling your daytimer and computer monitor? Are you missing or rescheduling appointments because your work and personal calendar don’t unite? Do important action items languish in the abyss of your overflowing e-mail box? Then you might want to invest in spending a day at a computer class in Outlook and take advantage of a readily available, computerized time-management system.

The HUG Principle
“However, if a computerized time-management system causes you to hyperventilate,” Stack continued, “the key to controlling your schedule and your life is adhering to the HUG principle: Handy, Usable and Garbage-free system. Whether a paper planner is your best friend, or your preference is an electronic device, or a combination of both, make sure your system is organized in a way that allows you to stay connected with your calendar, to-do lists, project tracking and contacts. You are your own worst enemy and your own best friend when it comes to managing your time. Be conscious and consistent with what works for you and what doesn’t.”

Amy Simonz, event manager for the Milwaukee, WI-based Harley-Davidson Motor Company, oversees a team that executes summer and winter dealer meetings for 6,000 and 5,000 respectively. She also manages supplier relations with hotels, convention centers, audio-visual, transportation, security event production contacts and more than 125 exhibitors. Plus, she travels six to seven times per year.

“We have more than 2,500 action items in our production schedule,” said Simonz, “and the best tracking method is through an intensive, itemized production schedule, a database that houses information for each event, identifies action due dates, responsible staff members, etc. We can even make notations such as ‘the CEO’s wife doesn’t like red wine’ or ‘outside summer events in Las Vegas are not feasible.’”

When Simonz took on this position eight years ago, documentation was hit or miss, and she had to learn by trial and error, which drove her crazy. “In management meetings, I was asked for updates and way too many times I had to wing it. My solution was to create an intensive database through Microsoft Access. Upfront, the time investment was tremendous, but ultimately my self-created production schedule has become the tool that keeps my entire department on track,” she added.

Other time-savers for Simonz include regular biweekly meetings with her team and consistent documentation. “Document every task performed by you and your team each day. Again, this is time-consuming on the front-end, but if someone leaves, it saves tons of time when training the new employee,” she concluded.

“If you are like most planners, there is no such thing as a typical day,” said Judy B. Watters, a 26-year veteran and manager of global travel for FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company headquartered in Memphis, TN. Last year, Watters’ department logged 400 meetings and issued 250,000 airline tickets.

Know The Expectations
Watters’ definition of time management is “daily completion of every task in a respectable amount of time while staying ahead of deadlines. Most important though, I think planners must keep their fingers on the pulse of expectations to deliver. In other words, know what is expected of you and make that your priority. Sounds simple, really, but that’s the key to being a successful meeting manager.”

Watters says that another trick to beating the clock is know your company and your environment. “My job is more often an operational one,  which frequently eliminates a structured day. While I try to structure and juggle all the balls at one time, I still have to make sure the critical operations issues are taken care of without sacrificing the day-to-day managing of meetings and events. To balance this, I make sure I hire a competent staff, and interestingly enough, I’ve also discovered, for my department, a staff with a financial background works well in travel. When I’m pulled in one direction, I can depend on my other team to step in and take over because I’ve taken the time to train and cross-train each employee at every level,” she said.

Watters explained, “BlackBerries and e-mail may hold planners hostage, yet they’re the best tools I have to help me beat the clock. Rather than starting my day behind the eight ball with a thousand e-mails awaiting a response, I try not to go to bed at night until my e-mail is manageable. An uninterrupted hour at home equals double that time when I’m sitting at my desk at work risking interruptions from coworkers or telephone calls.”

Embrace Redundancy
If you’re like Lynn Johnson, CMP, president of Evans & Johnson, an independent meetings and incentive company in Monterey, CA, not only do you take on the meeting planning function, but you’re also responsible for operating the business.

When earlier this year a major fire destroyed her place of business, Johnson experienced a unique setback to her quality of time management. “Unfortunately, through this disaster, I’ve learned the hard way that everyone should plan for the future before the future happens. A business cannot have enough ‘redundant’ backup systems.

“To offset possible data losses,” said Johnson, “back up all records in several locations, including at least one offsite, plus daily backups that go out the door with you. Although we had several backup systems in place, it wasn’t enough. The one we’d hoped to recuperate was damaged too extensively to recover. Now each time we need a form or a paperwork that used to be in our data server, we have to recreate, losing more valuable time. My advice is to save, save, save.

“Day-to-day functions can be overwhelming,” admitted Johnson, “and prioritizing is the only way to make a dent in the day. A client’s immediate needs are often the most distracting. They want my attention now, but as a small company, we have to know our business and theirs well enough to prioritize their requests. Sometimes it’s okay to tell a client that you will take care of their request, and ask them if an answer tomorrow will still meet their needs.”

In the rush of the day, Johnson has discovered the benefits of daily exercise. “In order to stay sane in this highly intense business, I religiously work out every morning. It’s not easy putting this into my workday and family life. However, once I do my 20-minute brisk walk or ride the exercise bike, I feel energized and ready to conquer the day. It’s proven that exercise not only keeps you healthy but helps with your overall mental balance.

“As rewarding as owning your own business can be,” Johnson said, “the workday can be long and frustrating with multiple operational interruptions to your planned accomplishments. With clients in all different time zones, I’ve learned to hit the ground running. I’ve found the best tool is logging on to my (Palm) Treo or e-mail at home first thing in the morning to at least conquer the East Coast demands.”

Bill Severson is the manager of meetings and special events for Milwaukee, WI-based Rockwell Automation, which provides industrial automation control and information solutions. Severson is a 25-year veteran meeting planner, and his department of two plans 150 meetings per year. With half his time spent traveling, Severson has to make the most of his time in the office, and approaches his schedule methodically.

Logical And Calendar-Driven
“With that many meetings,” said Severson, “it’s impossible for the two of us to physically attend every one. Often, we’ll rely on capable, onsite admin staff to take care of smaller onsite meetings, focusing our attention on the logistics. For larger or more intense meetings, we have to be there. However, when I’m in the office, I’ve learned to be logical and calendar-driven.”

Severson said that with that many events he has an ever-mounting pile of snail mail and e-mail, and the only way to manage that is to dig in and do it. When in town, he makes it a point to focus, start his day early, process his bills, put out fires, and respond to phone calls and e-mails. “We don’t have admin support at our office, so we have to take care of it all ourselves. I use Lotus Notes and transfer everything to my (Palm) Treo, but I’m also old-fashioned. I still use a black calendar and each Saturday put items in to do and follow up.”

Use Shortcuts
Severson suggested that planners with a full plate use shortcuts whenever possible. “For instance, I found it’s easier to make a phone call than take the time to send a detailed e-mail. Especially when I’m using the same hotel and same format as the last time, why should I write everything down when they are? I’ve already established a relationship, so I know I can trust them to carry out my instructions. I save valuable time with less repetition.”

If Severson could go back and “do it over,” he would have devoted more time to technology. “Technology is growing and changing constantly in the meeting industry — from Web-based registration to handheld calendars, but I don’t have time to read the manuals or go to school to keep up. If I’d taken that time earlier in my career, I might have saved myself more time by being more comfortable with the technology of today.”

Dana Pigford, corporate training consultant for the Atlanta, GA-based Professionalism Matters Inc., a professional development training and consulting company, agrees that conquering the clutter of e-mail and voice mail can make or break your day. “E-mail clutter can almost consume your day, so it’s best to assume the more dominant alpha dog position. Big time-wasters are when you open, skim and push the e-mail to the bottom of the pile to deal with later. Like we’ve been told for years with snail mail, once you touch (open) your e-mail, deal with it by either filing, deleting or responding.”

Pigford also recommended that planners turn down the e-mail chime on the computer. “The little alarms that click when you get a new e-mail are just as distracting as a ringing phone or an unscheduled visit from a coworker. Planners are often tempted to stop what they are doing to check the e-mail instead of focusing on more urgent tasks.

“Recognize the power of five minutes,” Pigford said. When you have a task that you just don’t want to do or a series of little items on your to-do list, I suggest you allot five minutes to knock out several tasks. Set an egg timer for the session, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much you’ll accomplish.”

Pigford also reminded planners to evaluate which is the best communication tool for time management. “Sometimes a quick phone call is better than an e-mail, but when you know that a phone call to a particular contact always ends up taking 15 minutes, the better use of your time might be sending an e-mail,” she explained.

Tardy Coworkers
Meetings can be another huge time-waster, acknowledged Pigford, but often a necessary evil. “The worst offenders can be late-arriving coworkers. For those perpetually tardy people, start meetings at odd times. Rather than 9:00 a.m., post the meeting as 9:10. The odd time gets their attention and signifies the importance of the meeting. For breaks give them 12 minutes, rather than 15. Again, the unusual time will often have them checking their watches.”

Pigford emphasized that planners need to set limits. “Learn not to overcommit your time. Decide what you want to accomplish and what is a priority. Don’t let everyone throw something on your plate just because they know you will get it done. Know yourself and your limits and stick with them. Jumping from task to task wastes precious minutes, and most important, the stress of too much to do might result in less than perfect execution of important tasks. Set long-range and short-term goals, allocating specific blocks of time to each.”    C&IT