Page 51 - Time Management

Time Management
36
WIIFM “What’s in it for me?” A familiar term in both
management and sales,WIIFM is the element that always
Mancini03.qxd 1/16/2003 4:24 PM Page 36
motivates a purchase or a conceptual “buy-in,” and it’s
essential to motivating almost anyone to do anything.
When motivating yourself to change behavior, you should always
find a way to clearly express the WIIFM. Writing it down is the very
best method of being certain that you’ve identified the benefit(s) you’ll
receive from making the change. Without an acknowledged benefit—a
fully expressed WIIFM—it’s almost impossible to alter your behavior.
TEAMFLY
This applies, too, to those you may manage. From the start, convey
the WIIFM of any assignment and you won’t waste time later explain-
ing why something should be done.

mation, duties, and events that overwhelm people every day,
time has become a far more valuable commodity. To treat your
use of time in terms of financial value and return makes emi-
nent (and measurable) sense. After all, people spend time,
don’t they?
As an example of how this system works, the imaginary
tasks listed below represent a spectrum of “value” that extends
from having a “high payoff” to a “low payoff.” The yield may
not always be financial, because there are many other kinds of
value to consider here: emotional, social, practical, pleasurable,
and so on. Think about how you’d view each: high payoff,
medium payoff, or low payoff:

• Get $200 from an ATM—you’re down to $20.
• Write a complaint letter to a hotel chain.
• Organize your home office area.
• Pay bills that are due.
• Return a call from a charity you don’t want to give to.
• Shop for a new refrigerator.
• Listen to your spouse excitedly tell you about something
that really doesn’t interest you.
• Talk a neighbor into co-building a fence between your
properties.
• Go grocery shopping for the family dinner.
• Return three phone calls from friends.

®
Team-Fly