How did we get to a place where everyone wants this information? First of all recognize that it was gradual. It's taken our business model decades to get this broken. One of the primary problems is that we are constantly interrupted. Open door policies, direct phone lines, cell phones, emails, texts, tweets, not to mention folks sticking their heads in and saying "Got a minute?" All together the average business person receives 340 requests for their time and energy every day!

• 30-square-feet-of-open-desk-space - when you increase a workers desk space to include 30 square feet of open desk space their productivity goes up without changing anything else!
• set up that space like a U
  • The connecting leg of the U is for your tools (computer, phone, etc.)
  • leg furthest from the door is for one single project at a time
  • leg nearest the door is where you deal with interruptions
• When you are ready to work on a project, set it up on the project side of the U. Now, if you get interrupted, turn around to the interruption arm of the U, deal with the interruption. When it's done, turn back around to your project and it is EXACTLY as you left it, with nothing new on top to distract you
• Stacking Trays and a Hot File are excellent ways to put things away without loosing sight of them. Stacking Trays can pile eight high before they become structurally unstable. Every Tray should have a label that you honor. And "misc." is NOT a label! A Hot File is a milk crate type box that holds hanging folders. Into it you have a folder for only things you touch every day or every other day - typically current clients, current projects, frequently repeated tasks. It will handle 90% of your papers. Duplicate this system in your file directory to avoid confusion.

• "I'll just do these few quick things, than I'll do the important stuff…" implies that you'll get it ALL done by 5…?
• Your goal is the 7 most important tasks each day (only 3% of humans on the face of this planet accomplish that)
• Method: look at your list for today and chose the 7 most important. Start on task one (i.e. lay it out in the new project area of your desk) and work on task one till your done. Then start on task two…

• You need to have a prayer of getting anything done at all considering all the interruptions
• YOU have to carve this time out - no one is going to do it for you!
• Focus Time: a task that would take 1 hour to complete if you are NOT interrupted will take you 4 hours to complete if you are interrupted. As an extra bonus that work will contain twice as many mistakes, too
• Open Time: calls, emails, drop INS, dealing with the post-it-note pile, getting coffee, bugging your office mates, checking your face book, etc
• Focus Time: turn OFF the phone, turn OFF the cell phone, turn OFF the "you've got mail" bell, and close the door and FOCUS

• Human Resource Professionals
• HR Generalists
• Managers
• Supervisors
• Leaders
• Executives