MOST information overload will come from your work environment. Sadly, the information that overloads you at work is also that which is of greatest consequence if ignored. But not all of it is someone else’s fault.

Self-inflicted overload: We all have our own idea of what perfect means, but aiming for perfection makes sense only if no one else has an interest in the outcome. If others are involved, then a compromise is as good as you will get. For perfectionists, this may be difficult, but without one the perfectionist will remain overloaded and also continue to overload others.

Time perfectionists need to develop a sense of realism. They tend to give themselves heroic deadlines without thinking about what has to be achieved. Fixated on the time instead of the outcome, they overload themselves from the outset. They can help themselves by setting realistic deadlines and being honest with others about what is really achievable in that time.

Quality perfectionists need to balance the possible and the perfect and to know when good is good enough. Things can always be better but improvement can happen only if there is something to improve on. If you don’t complete a project you will not find out what improvement the market would like. One solution is to step back and take time to recognise other peoples’ points of view - their view of quality may help to shape yours.

Finish lines over deadlines: Deadline is a loaded word that implies disaster if it isn’t met. Be flexible and realistic, and if more time becomes available to complete a project, use it.

Think like a genius: Geniuses are just ordinary people who have found a way to think and learn more effectively and creatively than others.Great thinkers have the will to try something new, the belief that they are capable of thinking originally and creatively and the desire to explore their own limits. Never procrastinate or make decisions in haste, always keep your problem in perspective and, if there’s a problem, get on and fix it, but don’t do nothing in the hope that something will happen.

Meetings and time: Meetings can be one of the biggest time-wasters, so arrange only meetings that are essential and have a clear, realistic and relevant agenda.

Avoid overloading others: Consider the most effective and efficient way to distribute information. Don’t bombard your colleagues with irrelevant information - take the time to consider what they really need.

This is an edited extract from Instant Manager: Overcoming Information Overload, by Tina Konstant and Morris Taylor. Order this and other books in the Chartered Management Institute’s Instant Manager series, published with Hodder Education at £6.99 with free postage and packing (RRP: £8.99) at pressoffers.co.uk/thetimes

Next week: how to manage written information

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