Cindy

Droog

Read Cindy's bio and previous columns

June 9, 2008

The New Efficiency Strategy: Justdoeverythingreallyfast!

Forget multitasking as the mantra of the working mom. Since my second child was born, I’ve decided, instead, to do everything really fast.

The idea came from a team they put me on at work. Our charge was to reduce our department’s time-to-market on individual projects by 40-to-70 percent. At first that number scared the daylights out of me. Of course, my first thought was, “If we do that, they won’t need me. Am I to achieve myself out of a job?”

I didn’t have time to worry about it, which was sort of a sign that it could be done. And alas, we found that to be true. Which got me to thinking. If we can do it, so can I. I started this new philosophy about a month ago, and believe it or not, it’s working.

First, I’ve cut my morning routine time down by 40 percent. I know I’m right because my husband is a process expert, who tracks all things measurable on a spreadsheet. I still shower, which is all I figure my coworkers really care about.

But I don’t watch the weather anymore. I wing it, and hope if there is a downpour, I still have a random magazine in my car to cover my head with. I don’t wear nylons anymore. When I did, they took me approximately 2.5 minutes to put on. Who has that kind of time? I either wear pants or, well, pants. Because I also don’t shave my legs in the morning in order to meet my objective.

I’m taking a speed-reading class, and now look at the printed out Power Points that are sent to me via e-mail from the meetings I wasn’t invited to or couldn’t attend in less than two minutes. OK, that’s a lie. I’ve always done that.

I buy gifts faster. They’re called gift cards, and they’re at all the registers in all the stores. They’re getting to be just like Hallmark cards, too. You can get them specifically for birthdays, holidays and weddings.

Before you know it, there will be a very special gift card just for your ex-mother-in-law. (Which, no kidding, I saw a Mother’s Day card for on the shelf. All I could think was, “Let it go!” Divorce him; divorce his mother. They kind of go together like that.)

I look forward to the day when I once again have hours in which to peruse shelves for the perfect gift. Until then, please, I only ask that you use my gift cards for good. Cute clothes. Hand-painted wine glasses. Something that will make you happy when you use it. Not paper towels. 

I drive faster (when my kids aren’t in the car, of course). I walk faster to meetings. I pour my coffee like a waitress with 10 tables. I type every e-mail as if I were on deadline.

I even fall asleep faster. I used to be the last to bed, would watch a little news, read a short story, review tomorrow’s to-do list in my head. Now, I lie down and the only thing I see is my pillow, and the only thing I hear is hubby’s light snoring. In five minutes, I’m out. 

I’m actually thinking of doing employee reviews in an assembly line this year to save time, too. If I have to rank someone on a scale from one to five in people skills, and my whole team gets along great, I can save time by circling “four” for everybody, all at once.

Now if I could just invite them all to one big meeting, deliver those review results simultaneously, and have no complaints filed on me through human resources, then I would be in business!

© 2008 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

Click here to talk to our writers and editors about this column and others in our discussion forum.

To e-mail feedback about this column, click here. If you enjoy this writer's work, please contact your local newspapers editors and ask them to carry it.

This is Column # CD099. Request permission to publish here.