Good managers are clock watchers

ten goals can be self-inspiring. They create an excitement in the day's routine and help you zero in on the things you should be doing every day to bring your goals to life.

Next you should design a plan of action. Use specific, planned actions to measure your progress and give you further impetus to go on. What do you have to start with? What should you be doing in the weeks and months ahead to bring about the growth and changes you want?

Don't overlook personal and family goals in your plans. Is there a trip or vacation you've thought about, but never taken? Have you dreamed of winning a golf tournament or mastering a craft? Make a plan and make it happen.

Analyze what you do and don't do each day. Record your time for a week or two so that you can actually see where your time is being spent. Do you finish every project you start? Do your people really follow through on work you assign to them? Or do they return the responsibility to you? Are you still hanging on to old, familiar responsibilities that you could delegate to someone else? Do You sPend enough time giving directions to your managers and supervisors or do you overdirect? Are you interruPting yourself with trivia, small tdk or personal matters? If you're serious about wanting better time management, you'll probably discover many hidden time wasters in your day.

Prioritize your projects for effec- tive use of time. Using a time planner diary, take at least 15 minutes each day, either first thing in the morning or last thing before you leave your office, to list your daily priorities. Write down every important thing you must do during each day, appointments, proposals, contracts, board meetings, inventory checks, advertising schedules, everything that must be done by you or delegated to someone else.

Number each task in order of importance, according to the goals you've set for yourself. Each day, as you concentrate on these goal-oriented tasks, you'be moving closer to realizing those major goals.

Communicate your needs and goals. Let everyone on Your staff know about. your time management efforts. They will be less likely to interrupt you with casual matters. Your efforts and enthusiasm may even become contagious, creating better time management habits throughout your entire organization.

Trim the trivia from your calendar' Once you begin to write down Your daily activity list you're already on your way to better time control. The list itself will "remember" the things you have to do, freeing your mind to concentrate on the here and now.

Next, consider the interruptions in your day that might be keePing You from goal-oriented work. If you're still dealing with things that keep you from your vital work, trim them away. If the work is imPortant, but someone else could do it for you, then delegate.

Story at a Glance

Ways to get more out of Your day. ..goal setting...analyzing responsibilities, priorities, del' egating...rules to adapt to your business.

Every organization seems to have acquired some work procedures that have little importance but are continued simply because "we always did it that way." Give some thought to your procedures. See what You're doing that might be incorPorated with someone else's work or, perhaps eliminated altogether. Make a habit of questioning the importance of each task. Put a mental Price tag on each

(Please turn to page 46)

(o,I""t*'j,'"l:f

T:,3j'::*i1",1

ing the grand opening of the West Texas Wholesale Supply Co.'s expanded warehouse,/showroom in Abilene, Tx.

The major expansion includes a 4090 increase in warehouse capacity as well as new warehouse shelving and racking.

The existing dock was enclosed. Six new truck bays with dock levelers were installed.

A new and more functional city counter with saw tooth seating arrangement was added along with an all-new, ultra-modern plumbing showroom. In addition, the complete structure has been repainted. The facility now contains 15,000 sq.ft. of space in four buildings plus an outdoor storage yard.

West Texas Wholesale Supply Co. supplies over 25,000 different items to 2,500 hardware retailers, home centers, lumber dealers, building supply outlets, sporting goods and plumbing dealers in Texas. the eastern half of New Mexico and southern Oklahoma. The company has been affiliated with the Sentry Hardware Corp. since December of 1983. They are now undertaking a program which will enable them to offer Sentry membership to those they supply.

The business was started in 194,/ as a plumbing wholesale house. Today it stocks about 30,000 SKUs of hardware, tools, paint, electrical supplies, houseware items, small appliances, lawn and garden equipment, heating and air conditioning equipment, guns, ammunition and fishing tackle in addition to plumbing.

A staff of 37 salesmen services the dealers while five maintain the show-