Principle 3: Sequencing

The most productive workers sequence their activities efficiently. They do first things first, do things once and do things in batches:

Organise Your Approach

In any project you should think ahead about how you will approach the task. One step may depend on another, or it may be faster to do one step before another. For instance, a chef may prepare a roast before the vegetable and potatoes because the roast takes longer to cook. Then, while the roast is in the oven, he or she can prepare the other courses for the meal. Janitors will clean the toilets, sinks, mirrors, soap- and paper-towel dispensers before mopping the bathroom floor, so they avoid walking over a clean, wet floor.

Avoid Backtracking

Productive workers try to accomplish as much as possible with each action. An efficient and productive waitress will ask customers what they want in their tea or coffee when taking the order. This avoids a second trip to the table to ask. Workers running errands should ask co-workers if they need anything, so downtime is reduced to just one trip.

Consolidate Similar Tasks

Return all your telephone messages at the same time, if possible. If part of your job is paying bills, write all the checks at the same time. If you have a central location near your office which has a grocery store, a drug store, an office supply store and a post office, you can do all your shopping at the same time in one trip. Batch process photocopying, stamping and printing tasks.