Efficiency – Page 2 – Happy Schools

Setting the Boundaries for a Successful 2021

January 21, 2021

The start of a new school year can be an exciting time. Hopefully you have returned to school after the holiday period feeling rested and recharged. We often forget how exhausted we were back in November. Looking after ourselves and making good choices for our well-being are OUR responsibility. It isn’t the Principal’s job to look after YOUR well-being. It is YOUR responsibility! PS The Principal and other leaders’ responsibility is to lead a school culture that supports you to do your best work! One of the challenges of working in education is that it can be difficult to disconnect from our work and switch off. Mobile technology for example means we are more connected than ever. This can allow…

Using Time Well

November 5, 2020

Stevef

Efficiency

Often in schools we have too much to do and not enough time to do it in. Time is a precious commodity. It is vital that we use the time we have available well. One of the challenges of working in schools is that much of our day is FIXED. There are classes to be taught, duties to be fulfilled and meetings to attend. This makes it even more important that we use any flexible time effectively to do the things that are important. With so much to do and so little flexible time available it is essential that we prioritise ruthlessly and do the most important work; the work that makes the most difference in our role. We need…

6 Strategies For Reducing Email Load

July 2, 2020

Stevef

Efficiency

Working in schools, we need to protect our professional time vigilantly. Email can eagerly devour our preparation time, infringe on our time outside of school and can distance us from the important tasks. If we are disciplined though, email doesn’t have to be a burden – we can use it as a weapon of efficiency, making us more frequent communicators with parents and administrators, more effective record keepers and more focused in our growth. Here are six strategies for reducing the flood of messages we receive and becoming more pragmatic with our replies, freeing time for more important endeavours. 1. Unsubscribe Ruthlessly According to the email service provider Mail Chimp, only 18.6 percent of education newsletter emails are opened, and…

What did you achieve today?

April 9, 2020

Stevef

Efficiency

For staff in schools, managing your own well-being is a must. There are several causes of stress for staff working in schools; difficult parents and colleagues, unrealistic expectations and deadlines, report cards and unacceptable student behaviour to name a few. Having been entrusted with the well being, discipline and education of a school full of students, teachers and staff working in schools have a huge responsibility. It is vital that we get satisfaction from our work in schools. Our work is a significant component of our lives. Whilst our jobs shouldn’t define ‘who we are’, our work should contribute to a sense of satisfaction that our work is important and DOES make a difference. If it doesn’t, then it is…

Get More Done – Productivity Hacks

January 30, 2020

Stevef

Efficiency

Time is a precious commodity. Each year there seems to be more tasks that need to be completed in our work in schools, in the same amount of time. The start of the year is the ideal time to make sure that we are being as efficient as possible and using our time well. These productivity hacks can help get more done in less time. Focus – Multi-tasking is NOT the Answer Schools are such busy places, we often have many tasks on the go at one time. The ability to multi-task or “juggle many balls in the air” at one time is held in high esteem. However, research indicates that we aren’t actually multi-tasking, we are in fact…

Smart Systems to make You Smile

April 4, 2019

Stevef

Efficiency

How is your workload going? The end of the first term is looming already and it’s time to assess whether you and your systems have been working effectively… or if you’ve only just been keeping your head above water, perhaps you’re ready to begin establishing some new systems! Systems can actually make us happier. When you start working towards a goal, you get an initial burst of energy that motivates you to act. It is this that drives you to wake up earlier each day, get to the gym regularly or finish your marking each weekend… for a few days or weeks, anyway. Unfortunately, this energy is limited and is reduced every time you exert effort towards your goal. It…

Eight Principles of exceptional Productivity (part 2)

February 28, 2019

Stevef

Efficiency

In part 1 we highlighted that time is the most precious resource we will ever get to manage. The more productive we are at work, the more precious time we can allocate to the other important areas of our lives. The first four Principles:- ENERGISE, EMPOWER, EDUCATE and ENGAGE were emphasised. Here are powerful principles five to eight for creating greater work-life balance through enhanced productivity. EXPEL – to expel – to get rid of, in this context it’s to outsource those tasks and roles that are either too cheap for you to be doing or that do not fall within your strengths, your enjoyment of doing them or your expertise. It is important that we optimise the…

Eight Principles of Exceptional Productivity (Part 1)

February 21, 2019

Stevef

Efficiency

Time is the most precious resource we will ever get to manage. We can’t create or buy more of it, so a critical key to achieving a healthier work-life balance lies in how we use our time. The more productive we are at work, the more precious time we can allocate to the other important areas of our lives. Here are the first four of eight powerful principles for creating greater work-life balance through enhanced productivity. ENERGISE – we naturally work better in bursts of energy rather than a steady pace (‘The Power of Full Engagement’ by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz). When you are aware of your productive times of the day i.e. when you have the greatest…

Time Management Is Dead

November 15, 2018

Stevef

Efficiency

Time Management focuses on two aspects – task and time. The key question is how much work can we squeeze into the time we have available. Whilst endeavoring to manage our time has served us well, it is now time to let it RIP. Peter Drucker, management guru advocates that productivity is the key to success. Productivity is defined as “Producing valuable results through the conservation of time, energy and effort.” In the busy schools of today, we would all benefit from conserving time, energy and effort. Drucker argues that productivity focuses on results and outcomes and that we must be prioritizing between existing work and new work, making sharp decisions about the time we invest and accepting that priorities…

Habits and Individual Time Wasters

March 15, 2018

Stevef

Efficiency

What is the first thing you do every morning? Many people grab their mobile device to check emails and social media before they even roll out of bed. Is this a helpful habit? Only you know the truth to that. Time wasters are a type of habit. They are activities that get in the way of your productivity, minimising achievement and success. They contribute to procrastination, and they can be subconsciously driven. Self-awareness is your most fundamental requirement for success! Reflecting on your behaviour and auditing your behaviour, routines and habits helps you identify and reduce individual time wasters. There are two types of time wasters. External time wasters are those activities that impact you but you cannot always control:…