Taming the Disruptions at Work through Time Management Techniques

Back when she was a pathology fellow, Kyle Annen, DO, FASCP, recalls a colleague advising her: Always say “yes” to everything. “That was not the best plan,” she recalls. “I was frustrated and wondered, how am I supposed to have enough time to do this?” 

Whether you’re a medical student, or at the pinnacle of your career, managing time effectively is always a challenge. It’s even more critical when you’re in an occupation that provides patient care.

In her current role as medical director of transfusion services at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Dr. Annen always finds herself dealing with disruptions that divert her attention from top priorities.

“Right now, we are implementing a new LIS system, our senior manager has left, and other staff members are picking up the slack. With so much going on, people would walk into my office to discuss something at any time.  I realized I needed to be more strategic,” she says.

Recently, Dr. Annen implemented a productivity management tool, known as calendar blocking. She converted her “to-do” into blocks of time on her calendar. For each project, she allocated as much time as she thought was needed. She maintains two open slots each day to allow for meetings and unexpected urgent matters. So far, it’s working.

Meanwhile, she also tries to find ways to support her staff members in managing their work loads. “I schedule regular meetings with all my staff where we go over their projects and discuss what they need from me to help them. I have one staffer who is currently overwhelmed with work. I’m looking at how we might use a new hire to off-load some of that work. It’s a challenge when only certain people can take a particular duty.”

With this new time management system working well at her office, Annen is motivated to apply it in her home life. She laughs, “I’m really not a morning person, and I was struggling to make it to the gym more often. I read a book by Laura Vanderkam, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast. It’s about the things you should do before everyone else is knocking at your door. That book made me think about it. Now, I actually get up at 5 a.m., roll out of bed, have my gym clothes laid out, and I go to my Pilates class!”