Other duties as assigned How to thrive in the diverse roles of today’s departmental research administrator Nikki Turner, Associate Director Research accounting

Agenda Introduction Time Management Strategies Goal Setting Focus Skills Tips and Tricks

Introduction Why am I talking about it? Why is this Important? Greater Productivity Reduced Stress Less Burnout Why am I talking about it? Ten years in Research Administration, eight in management Five years working concurrently in the office of the Controller Project manager of institution- wide travel software implementation

Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose. Thomas Edison Time Management

Know thyself What environment inspires me to concentrate? Quiet vs. Busy Dark vs. Bright Sitting vs. Standing Do impending deadlines spur me on, or paralyze me? When do I work best – morning, afternoon, or evening?

Time management skills Important vs. Urgent Determine if the task is truly urgent Make time for the important, or everything becomes urgent Pencil in time in your calendar for interruptions Process Design At least 60% of the time accomplishing a new task should be spent in the design of the process Look for bottlenecks, and see if you can either eliminate them or reduce their effect Why is this a bottleneck? Is there a way to accomplish this task in tandem with another task? If not, how can I make this task more efficient? Set Goals!

Goal Setting SMART Goal Method for ambitious, yet achievable goals

Starting your smart goal with the 5 whys In order for your goal to be specific, you have to understand why it is your goal in the first place Ask yourself the “5 Whys” to discover the root cause of your goal

SMART Goal attributes Measurable – How can I tell that I am moving closer to my goal? Achievable – Is this goal something that challenges me, but that I can complete within a reasonable time period? Relevant – Does my goal fill a current need? Is there a better use of my time? Timely – Do I have a reasonable deadline for my project?

Prioritization Make a list, but think about how you prefer to work: FIFO Biggest Issues First Small Wins Gantt Charts can be helpful with multiple projects Work with your supervisor to make sure that you are on the same page

GANTT Charts Simple charts to track a few projects can be made in Excel More complex Gantt charts can be made in online software packages Try to be realistic about the time it takes to complete a task (Hofstadter’s Law) Use the chart to track your progress, and adjust as necessary

Focus - why is it so hard??? Distractions are everywhere! Coworkers Phone notifications Webpages It can take up to 25 minutes to get back on track from a disruption

Focus opportunities Schedule like tasks together, including meetings Adopt some digital minimalism principles Turn off notifications, whether it is on your browser or your phone Turn off the little red dot! Block off time in your calendar for focused work and try to not answer any phone calls or e-mails Most experts agree that 2 hours is as long as people will go without calling you back

More focus ideas Try the Pomodoro Method Work for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break Take care of yourself! Breaks, healthy eating, and exercise are an important part of mental sharpness and focus.

Tips and tricks Try not to multitask – it can reduce your focus and make you less productive Use active listening techniques when speaking with coworkers Ask questions when you don’t understand the task Delegate if you can – yes, it takes time to train, but it will save time in the long run!

Organization & communication tools Wunderlist Evernote Slack

Thank you! Questions? Please contact Nikki Turner at nt008@uark.edu