Set time frames

Give yourself a deadline. They are necessary evils. Nothing gets done without a set time frame.

Putting in face time is criminal. It is not important how many hours you linger around at the office. What counts is how much you generate in a given time frame. Most management gurus agree with the fact that work stretches in accordance with the time allotted to you. More often than not, one will take three days to finish a task if three days are allotted. If one were allotted two days to complete the same task, one would complete it in two days just as well.

Garreth D'Mello, team leader in a software firm, says, "Some people think they are hardworking because they take the entire day to do a 3-hour job. If you have to stay back late, day after day, it is a clear sign of being inefficient, more than anything else." Gone are the days when the powers-that-be were impressed with late hours.

All that matters today is the ratio, where minimum input of time equals maximum output of substance. Making sure you give your undivided attention to the work at hand ensures you deliver within the set time frame. If you are skilled and focused at the same time, you will sail smoothly over troubled waters.