The website of Time Savvy Attorneys refers to all lawyers and notes that “Our productivity is a function of the choices we make and the approach we take to making those choices.” It then lists “seven essential practices [that] provide a powerful structure for taking control of your choices and your workflow, and thus, your time.”
Each practice deserves a comment or two.
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Engage in effective planning (daily, monthly, and project). For example, simply list the six most important tasks you should complete tomorrow (See my post of June 26, 2008: priorities with 6 references.).
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Organize your workspace and information. A bit of thought about what you use and where to position it will have huge payoffs (See my post of Dec. 30, 2010: items in offices with 27 references.).
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Capture and review tasks (See my post of Jan. 5, 2011: track your time for your own purposes.).
- Prioritize and block out time schedule (See my post of Sept. 3, 2008: general counsel are in control, except their own calendar.)
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Delegate and supervise. Even if you have to take some time to train someone, it is better to pass on what you can and keep for yourself the work where you add the most value (See my post of Aug. 28, 2008: delegation in a law department with 14 references.).
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Set standards and boundaries. This is a variation on the simple idea: you have to say “no” sometimes to remain effective (See my post of Jan. 29, 2009: role, scope and functions of legal departments with 8 metaposts and 19 references.).
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Optimize procedures and systems. There’s nothing like streamlining common processes to increase productivity (See my post of July 31, 2009: process improvements with 3 references and 5 metaposts.).