Time Management

The story goes that Charles Schwab, president of Bethlehem Steel in the early 1900’s, was approached by an efficiency expert named Ivy Lee. Lee’s proposal was this: give me 15 minutes with each of your key employees and I will show you a dramatic increase in their sales and efficiency. If I fail, you pay nothing. Try it for 90 days and then send me a check for whatever you think my method is worth.

Of all the time management strategies I offer my clients, the most controversial is this: never check your email first thing in the morning. “Why?” they may protest. “What if someone has an important request, and they’re waiting for me to do it right away?”