Top Ten Time Thieves

A combination of:

• Television
• Reading
• Listening
• Internet
• Daydreams
• Disorganization
• Unpreparedness
• Phone calls
• Lack of motivation
• Interruptions
• Family commitments
• Eating
• E-mailing
• Commuting
• Shopping
• Organizing

In-basket exercise
For each of the items listed below, determine what action(s) you might take. You should decide if immediate action is required. Do you need to take any action yourself, or can you delegate.
Here are some suggested actions:

Note event in calendar	Place in a pending or to do later file	Create a file
Forward to appropriate person	Send item to a colleague	Throw it out
Insert in an existing file	Just do it

ITEM	ACTION
Letter from a chair of a new committee you are a member of. A copy of the mandate and agenda for the first meeting is enclosed.	Note event in calendar Place in a pending or to do later file Create a file
An invoice for office supplies you received last week. You are certain you have already seen an invoice for these items that you forwarded to the appropriate person.	Forward to the appropriate person Insert in an existing file Just do it
Election ballot for MALT executive due in 2 weeks.	Note event in calendar Just do it
Latest issue of a newsletter you subscribe to.	Insert in an existing file Just do it
Flyer from an Office Supply firm you do not deal with	Create a file Throw it out
New product catalogue from an educational company you do purchase from	Insert in an existing file