Achieve More by Doing Less
Learn a few secrets to the art of time management.
By Paul Wynn, Contributing Editor

Valerie Kattouf, O.D., needs every minute in her 10-hour days. As associate professor at The Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, she spends her days teaching students, seeing patients and working in the clinic. In her spare time, Dr. Kattouf spends a day at the University of Chicago's pediatric specialties unit and consults at a refractive surgery center one night a week. Like many O.D.s, she keeps a busy schedule and finds herself pulled in multiple directions. "Sometimes it feels as though nothing gets my full attention," she admits. "When I'm down at the clinic, I'm thinking about what I should be doing with my students."

Twenty Percent

Even though Dr. Kattouf has never taken a time management class, she's constantly making lists and setting goals to prioritize her life. She's focusing on her 20%. (According to the 80/20 rule of time management, 80% of what you achieve comes from 20% of the time you spent on it.) The book The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Success by Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch (Bantam Doubleday Dell) explains the concept, which Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto developed.

For instance, probably 20% of patients provide 80% of a doctor's personal and professional satisfaction, says Pam Vaccaro, president of Designs on Time, a consulting firm in St. Louis that specializes in time management and organization.

"More than ever, doctors are asked to do so much in such a short amount of time," explains Ms. Vaccaro. "That's why they need to figure out their 20%. Learning to recognize and then focus on that 20% is the key to making the most effective use of time." Ms. Vaccaro, who has written articles about time management for several medical publications, continues, "For most doctors, the 20% is usually their families, who often get the short end of the stick. And an even shorter end of the stick is the time doctors set aside to take care of their personal health."

Historically, medical professionals have never had enough time in the day to do everything: see patients, update medical records, manage staff, attend CME programs, read medical journals and participate in professional societies. Ironically, doctors have trouble finding the time to participate in time management classes, admits Dr. Phil Sietstra of Sioux Falls, S. Dak.

Four Steps for Saving Time

Are you maximizing your time? See "Gauging Your Effort" to find out. But whether you're 20% effort or 80%, everyone can use some improvement. So consider these four simple methods for putting the 80/20 rule into day-to-day action and you'll be on your way to effectively managing your time.

First, explains Ms. Vaccaro, optometrists should pick the most useful medical journals to read. Because so many medical publications reach doctors' desks, it's important to pick the ones that contain the most important information and that pertain to your area of expertise. "Identify the 20% of medical journals that are most valuable," says Ms. Vaccaro, "and you'll find that they probably provide you with 80% of the information you need."

Second, don't over commit yourself. Is it necessary to sit as a member on 12 committees? Do you need to serve as the committee chair? Pick the 20% of committees that give you the best investment of your time, advises Ms. Vaccaro.

Third, stay on top of new technologies that can help streamline routine administrative procedures. Computer manufacturers and technology companies have made significant strides in developing easy-to-use gadgets such as handheld computers, wireless devices and even new-and-improved pagers to help you save time. 

"When I added a computer system to my office, I increased efficiency by one staff member," says Dr. Sietstra. "Computer technology is a tremendous time saver."

But be careful, warns Ms. Vaccaro. "Cases do exist where technology such as voice mail and e-mail can complicate life - and waste time. Treat e-mail like regular mail. Let assistants sift through them to weed out the unimportant messages." 

Experts suggest that doctors not give out their personal e-mail addresses to patients. Let patients e-mail the office's main e-mail address. If you do use e-mail, then use one of the public e-mail addresses such as hotmail or Yahoo! to protect your privacy.

Fourth, know your limitations and ask for professional help. Spend your time in the exam room and leave the lawyers, accountants, marketers and office managers to do what they do best. 

Dr. Tom Annunziato of 1st Eye Care in Ft. Worth, Texas, delegates much of the administrative work to his business manager. "My manager is more capable than I am in handling business negotiations, buying frames, buying products, dealing with the banks and overseeing employee issues," he says. "My business manager's job is to make me stay in the exam room all day long because that's the only place where I'm earning a living." 

Likewise, Dr. Sietstra relies on his staff because he admits to being "reasonably disorganized." He adds, "I hire people who are naturally disciplined and have good time management skills because I don't."

Examine Your Efforts

If you feel as though you're putting out 80% effort and are only getting 20% results, then take charge and consider the tips in this article. And if you're lucky enough to only be putting out 20% to get back 80%, then share your success with others. And remember: there's always room for improvement.

Paul Wynn, a medical writer based in Brooklyn, N.Y., is the former senior editor of Managed Care: A Guide for Physicians.