SmallBizResource Blog -- Productivity

Time Management: Taking a Cue From Kenmore

Posted by Gayle Kesten Monday, Mar 24, 2008, 11:37 AM ET

The next time you're feeing overwhelmed -- maybe now? -- take a look at your oven's cooktop.

How many burners does it have? My new Kenmore has two in the front and three in the back. Having recently renovated my kitchen, I can tell you that configuration is pretty standard. It also represents a good analogy for how to prioritize all the tasks that are running rampant in your head.

It's really a matter of time management, according to an article in Newsday, my local paper. Figure out which tasks will reap the biggest payoff in your overall long-term objectives, then back-burner the rest. "Many people concentrate on ant stomping when they should concentrate on elephant hunting," explains Peter Turla, president of The National Management Institute. "When you focus on stomping ants, you confuse activity with accomplishment. You're going for the small, insignificant tasks that are easy to do." This creates the illusion you're accomplishing a lot, he explains, when you're actually getting further behind.

One suggestion is to delegate, though if you're a one-person shop that's next to impossible. To keep yourself on track, some form of to-do list is always your best bet, the article maintains. Be it on paper or PDA, get the tasks out of your head and include what actions needs to be taken to see them through.

You can also use the Web. Lou Dolinar, a technology columnist for Newsday, raves about a free online list manager from 37Signals called Ta-da List. The app lets you create and share to-do lists, and is accessible from any browser-equipped device (laptop, smartphone, etc.) so you don't have to deal with printouts or synchronizing content between devices.

I gave it a whirl. Registration took the promised 10 seconds, followed by the 30-second generation of my first list, which I creatively named "Monday." I itemized the day's tasks, including write blog, prep for Tuesday's SBR newsletter, dial in for 1 p.m. teleconference and call kitchen contractor. A second list, called "office supplies," contains a half-dozen items I need to buy. I clicked on "Share" to email a copy to my husband, just in case he needs something. Once he registers, he can add to or change the list; a read-only mode can be specified if that's your preference.

37Signals also offers a for-pay, Web-based collaboration tool called Basecamp that's worth a peek when you have room on your front burner. Let me know when you do.

Productivity