Transcript Time management for physicians

Steven A. De Jong, M.D.
Professor of Surgery
Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs
Department of Surgery
Loyola University Medical Center
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Time management or Task management
Essential for a productive and balanced life
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Lots of intervening factors
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Balanced with
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◦ New health care environment with more responsibilities
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Stress
Interruptions
Life outside the hospital
Multiple handoffs
Planning and re-planning
Personalities – good and bad
◦ Random nature of our work
◦ Other people and their personalities
◦ Your own behaviors and attitudes
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Is multitasking the solution or even possible?
Work faster or develop better habits?
◦ OR dictation as an example
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Ignore patterns or analyze/plan the process?
◦ EPIC documentation example
◦ Keep a time log to look for typical time stealers
◦ Stop doing things that you can stop doing
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Am I living from one deadline to another?
How can I adjust to “too much to do” each day?
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Procrastination
Indecision
Lack of planning
Unfocused activity
Unpunctuality
Too easy to access
Undependable
Unclear objectives
Missed deadlines
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Easily distracted
Fear of failure
Perfectionism
Poor attitude
Cynicism/negativity
Forgetfulness
Poor communication
Disorganized
Low work standards
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Why we do it
◦ We are uncertain about the task
◦ We don’t know where to begin so we don’t
◦ We worry that the product won’t be good enough
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How we fix it
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Ask for help and collaborate
Just start and split large tasks into smaller pieces
Try out a concept called time-boxing
Reset your expectations
 perfection not always required
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Certain amount of self awareness helps us focus
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Work on your communication skills and
articulate clearly what you are doing
Delegation – job description too big for one!
◦ Takes time up front but long term benefits
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Start your planned task on time
◦ Once you fall behind schedule you are in trouble
◦ EPIC new patient dictation example
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Finish on time at the expense of perfection
◦ Doing your best will be good enough if it’s on time
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Saying “No” when you can = healthy boundaries
◦ Powerful effect to limit interruptions
◦ Encourage others to think instead of dumping on you
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Insecurity or “fear of being replaced”
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Perfectionism or “I want it done just right”
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False pride or “I don’t need anyone else”
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Lack of trust
Ask yourself
How important
or urgent is it?
Better focus
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The ABC technique
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Time Management Matrix technique
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Natural Laws technique
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Time management model
Covey’s Time Management
Matrix Technique
Channel
efforts
into
category 2
The "Jar" of Life
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Balancing personal and professional goals
Once set – stick to them with self-discipline
◦ Easy to get sidetracked with “multitasking”
◦ E-mail distraction avoided by “reading it once”
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Make lists but avoid long lists
◦ You’re overwhelmed before you start
◦ Producing reasonable daily TTD lists
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Identify clear criteria to help you choose
Be flexible as priorities can/must change
Reserve task time and protect it ferociously
◦ Balance an open door policy with a closed one
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Make fewer commitments and deliver on time
◦ Avoid the trap of overloading your schedule
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Energy and focus separate 90% of managers from
the top 10% who are more purposeful and
employ useful habits
Bottom 90%
◦ Highly motivated & energetic but switch between tasks
without much sense of purpose – poor leaders
◦ Procrastinators – they feel their efforts will not make a
difference and are not good motivators
◦ The “disengaged” – focused but unexcited by work with
little time for reflection or creative thinking
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Know your best time of the day and do the most
demanding or difficult tasks then or first and get a
sense of relief/accomplishment & morale boost
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Don’t be too busy to take a break – rested leaders work,
think and react better
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Self-imposed deadlines are useful
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Eliminate/limit time-wasters that drain efficiency
◦ Email, ineffective meetings, interruptions, negativity
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Start each day with a plan and “do todays work today”
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Have a life outside of work and don’t sell out on your
own needs!
IS WHAT I AM DOING
RIGHT NOW
MOVING ME TOWARD
MY GOALS?