How to Create Your Own Cone of Silence

Would you like to manufacture some extra time at work?

Try a few of these suggestions:

Bring your morning beverage of choice with you when you come to your office in the morning, rather than having to come in, put your things down, and then run to the coffee shop or kitchen to get something. You can be ready to start work immediately when you enter your workspace each morning.
Compartmentalize your day. Try to achieve the tasks on your To Do list (you do have one, right? If not, check out my May 20^,2009 blog!) in an efficient and reasonable fashion. For instance, make calls in the morning; follow up on emails in the afternoon, etc.
Try to avoid interruptions…create your own Cone of Silence (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWHq9othRxM) Make sure your associates know if you cannot be interrupted, hang a sign or some symbol that you will get back to them as soon as possible after you are finished what you are doing.
Delegate. Some of your associates may not be as busy given the decrease in activity due to the recession, so spread the work around! You might be surprised to discover someone with a previously-unknown talent or skill set that can help you achieve your goals!
Bring your lunch, eat at your desk, and catch up on the news or personal emails while on your own time, making you more efficient at your job.
Come in on the weekend? Maybe not a popular suggestion, but 1-2 hours of totally quiet, uninterrupted time can actually translate to a full day’s worth of normal, interrupted work product.