Plant Breeding Methods (CS, HS 541)

Staying Organized

1. Delegate –

• Never do anything that someone else should do, or
• Do only those things that only you can do
• Send notes (EMail, calendar) to project workers to keep them on track

2. List it –

• Make a do list in priority order
• Then do not worry about anything that you have to do; just do them in order
• Review the list every evening for things to do the next day

3. Prioritize –

• Do not let the urgent take the place of the important

4. First things first –

• Do big, high priority things first
• Do one thing at a time (small, low priority things may not get done)

5. Track it –

• Keep a note of who was asked to do what
• Make sure everyone is on the job:
  • You do not get what you expect, you get what you inspect

6. Classify it –

• Make shelves, drawers, hooks for everything
• Organize your files: store information on paper in folders in file drawers
• Store digital information on hard disk; backup onto offsite disks
  • (magnetic disks start losing data after 2 years)

7. Mechanize –

• Build machines for doing work
• Computerize your operation
  • Automate your form letters, reports, mailings

8. Time it –

• Know where time goes
• Reserve blocks of time to get work done

9. Know strengths –

• Focus your energies where your strengths lie
• Do not waste time overcoming your weaknesses
  • (hire someone with those strengths)

10. Schedule the day

• Divide the work day
• Schedule time (1 hour?) for each important area
  • (writing, planning, teaching, correspondence)
• Fit new items into day’s schedule (unscheduled tasks will just sit undone)

11. Match location with task

• Teach in classroom
• Share ideas, plan future projects at conferences
• Write articles at home office or in library study room
• Do daily plan, phone, EMail, voice mail, paper mail in office