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.

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