Page 18 - Mini-Module 10

Time Thieves

Thief 1: Inability to Say ‘No’

● Prioritize your actions.
● Say ‘no’ if it is not important.
● Say ‘no’ if it is not your job.
● Begin by saying ‘no’ to small requests.
● Ask: ‘Could someone else do it?’

Thief 2: Too Much Time on the Telephone
How much time do you spend on the telephone? How
much time do you need to spend on the telephone?
Most of us spend more time than we need. Some of the
main reasons for this are:

● Talking for too long.
● Engaging in unstructured conversations.
● Being unable to terminate conversations.
● Accepting all calls.
● Not using the secretary properly/no secretary.
● If you spend too much time on the telephone:

● Separate chat from important discussion.
● When calling, plan what you want to say.
● Learn to terminate a conversation.
● Have your calls screened.
● Take your telephone off the hook.

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