Commonsense Time Management for Attorneys
Whenever I begin working with a new attorney or group of attorneys in a law firm one of the first things I hear is:
“I just don’t seem to have enough time to get everything done.”
Of course there is plenty of time in the day but attorneys are known for not efficiently managing the way they use that time.
Time management is a misnomer. Getting things done in an effective and efficient manner is not about managing time. It is about managing your activity.
Below are ten things you can do today to help improve the way you use the time you have. They may seem really basic but sometimes the basics are exactly what we need to focus on in order to get back on track.
Make a List
This one is super simple but not always used to maximum advantage. Most attorneys hate to use a “to-do” list at first. This is because they have a difficult time designating one client’s matter as more important than another. As a result they often leave things off the list and that is a mistake.
In creating the list you should write down everything that must be done —down to the last detail. Get it all down on paper. You will be amazed at how helpful the act of listing the items will be in getting you organized.
Simply having a list where you check off completed items will provide you with significant motivation and a good deal of personal satisfaction.
Prioritize
Obviously, a list loaded with nonessential tasks can easily be completed giving the attorney a nice feeling but still he gets little done as the list lacks real work.
Prioritize your list into four categories. These include: Urgent, Important, Significant and Secondary. You can easily do this by assigning numbers to each category. Urgent tasks get a number “1”. Important tasks get a number “2”. Significant tasks get a number “3” and Secondary tasks get a number “4”.
The most important factor in assigning numbers to these items is to realize that you are assigning these tasks to a category based upon the task themselves and not based upon your own frame of reference. Too often attorneys will look at the list and say: “That’s urgent but I just don’t have time to get to it so I’m going to mark it as Secondary”.
That’s the wrong approach. You must be objective when assigning your tasks to a category.
Delegate Duties
Many attorneys feel that if they don’t do something themselves it won’t be done properly.
They need to get over that and pass the chore on to the person or people best qualified to handle it. Almost everything can, at least in part, be delegated.
Assigning even a portion of a task to someone else will help you make progress than if the task sits unaddressed while you work on something else.
Many attorneys say that if they assign a task to someone else and it is done incorrectly it will take more time to do it over. While this may be true, if you take a long term view of your law firm, you realize that assigning things to others (sometimes more junior attorneys or paralegals) and having them learn “on the job” is one of the ways your law firm grows and becomes stronger.
Never, ever do something yourself that someone else can do for you.
Handle A Document or File Only Once
This is an old tip that makes a lot of sense.
Every item (documents, email, phone message, etc.) that crosses your desk requires time to deal with. If you don’t manage to dispose of that item or piece of work when you first handle it, you will be required to do so at a later time.
Chunk It Down
How do you eat an elephant?
A lot of elephant sandwiches.
Dividing daunting tasks into chunks or pieces makes overwhelming tasks seem manageable. It can be very disheartening to anticipate tackling tedious tasks but that doesn’t get them done sooner.
Decide that you’re going to devote a certain amount of time to a chore and then attack it.
Often you’ll find that once you get rolling you will want to actually get it finished. If that’s not the case, work on it for the allotted time and come back to it later. Getting an important task partially done is better than getting a secondary task completely done.
Set Achievable Goals
One way to get more done is to set a goal and simply stick to it.
It’s important to be realistic about the goal in the first place. Can it really be done in the time you have available? If not can you quickly get assistance in order to complete it in allotted time frame?
Once you have the goal in place, focus on moving closer to it each and every day.
Tasks that are linked to goals will always have an additional motivational “kick” to them. They give you a sense of purpose.
Learn To Say No
This can be difficult for some people but it is essential for good time management.
We are all responsible for our own work each day. And… from time to time it is absolutely okay to pitch in and help someone with a task other than your own. But that needs to be the exception rather than the rule. Otherwise, you are going to find that your co-worker is completing all of his assigned duties while you’re not. Just say no, politely.
Minimize Interruptions
Some tasks require solitude.
You’re going to need to retreat to a quite place to work on such items. Make it known that you are only to be disturbed during such sessions for emergencies. Of course, once you have sequestered yourself, you’re going to want to get down to business and get the job done.
No Personal Business During Work Hours
This is a critical and at the same time, a very touchy subject. Perhaps the biggest time-waster in the workplace in the Internet. That’s a shame because it is also one of our greatest resources.
Should we check personal email during work hours? Should we check out the sports scores and the photos our family loaded up on their website while we are at work?
Probably not if maximum efficiency is the goal.
While we also need to be practical—many folks are trying to juggle both work and family—we need to discipline ourselves to get things done during work hours.
Commonsense is Not Common
Most of these items were nothing more than commonsense.
Once you implement them you will be amazed at how your productivity improves. If you are in doubt about prioritizing an item or about whether or not you need to finish something before moving on, simply apply the commonsense approach.
If it makes sense, do it.
It seems like time management—much like life— is a series of commonsense choices.
Every time you handle a piece of information and put it down – only to pick it back up again and remember what it was or what you were going to do with it – you cost yourself valuable time. Get into the habit of reading these documents and then addressing them immediately. Either handle them immediately or assign them out.
Don’t deal with them more than once.
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EmailFive Ways to Maximize Your Time
Successful attorneys are often revered for their time management skills. They seem to have a magical ability to get more done in less time.
Their days have but 24 hours, just like everyone else’s, yet they manage to accomplish more than most people. How do they do it?
Here are five ways highly successful attorneys manage their time effectively:
1. They say no to things that aren’t priorities.
Successful attorneys are in control of their lives. They don’t let themselves get sucked into activities that they don’t enjoy, or that don’t contribute to attainment of their goals. If they do participate in events out of obligation, they keep it short and maximize their time. They don’t spend a lot of hours in idle activities that contribute little or nothing to their lives. They make the most of every moment.
2. They say yes to things that are priorities.
Once a successful person has committed himself to a goal, he dives into pursuits that will move him closer to it. Even the menial tasks are not a burden because he has the big picture in view. He knows that a little bit of tedious work right now will lead to greater freedom and enjoyment in the future.
3. They know what they want.
Successful people understand their passions and have figured out how they want to channel them. Hence, they can devote all the energy other people spend wondering, pondering, escaping, and meandering on goal achievement. Having a strong sense of purpose and direction is highly motivating.
4. They prepare.
People for whom everything seems to go right usually have a clear idea of what they want before they even get started. They plan for each interaction, phone call, meeting, and day. They write down their goals and weekly action items and see them through. They think through multiple possibilities and decide how they will deal with any outcome they face. Because successful people know what they want, they can aim for it directly. This makes every interaction more efficient and solid.
5. They know themselves.
Smart time managers know how they work best. Through their experience, they have learned to identify typical obstacles to their progress. With the knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses, they know how to plan and handle most any situation, making the most of the time they have.
Time Management Sucks
It’s true.
It sucks money from your pocket and it sucks all the positive energy right out of your body.
Trying to manage time is stupid.
Don’t do it.
In fact, you can’t do it.
It is impossible.
Go to classes.
Get an electronic phone/mp3 player/address book/calendar and type your appointments into it religiously.
Buy a watch with an alarm.
Hire an assistant.
Learn to multitask.
It won’t help.
There’s one thing you can do that will help you become more productive.
That “thing” is to take responsibility for the choices you make in your daily actions.
Unless you are in prison or in the military, you control what you do and when you do it. Outside forces may influence those decisions but ultimately you make them. They are your decisions. You decide whether or not to go to that meeting. You decide to go see a movie instead of writing the report that is due to the client. You decide if you should answer the phone or let it go to voicemail. These are all choices that you have made – and continue to make – over and over and over.
Once you decide to take responsibility for the decisions you make with your time, you obligate yourself to spend it in a more productive way.
Many people avoid taking responsibility for these decisions precisely for this reason. It is far easier to blame the client for calling at an inopportune time. It is easier to blame your partner for the amount of email he sends you. It is easier to blame the court clerk for the filing deadline.
In reality, you control the actions you take and when you take them.
Action management or activity management is worth studying. You will achieve a phenomenal return on your investment from working with someone who will help you organize the workflow in your office. Using a system that will help you prioritize and organize your activities is incredibly valuable.
Trying to manage time is not only foolish, it is impossible.
Manage your activity and you control your destiny.
