A Day in the Life of a State Coordinator:Strategies for Planning and Organizing your Work

Patricia Ann Popp & Diana Bowman

Our PanelistsJoseph Sanchez – New MexicoLorraine Husum Allen – Florida Laverne Dunn – LouisianaTate Toedman – Kansas

Participants Charge:Think about your tips and

strategies that might help others.Add them to the chat space as

we go through this hour.We will revisit these suggestions

at the end of this session.Don’t forget PLC to keep the

conversation going!

Goals for this session:Macro planning to micro planningHow to keep all the balls in the airSharing our secrets for staying

organized and getting work accomplished

At least one activity that you can try this week to lighten (or at least organize!) the load

Liaisons Needs & Regional Meetings

Used Survey Monkey◦Regional Meetings◦Topics for Regional Meetings

Simple and FastSummarized ResultsScheduled Meetings Shortly

after Results

TA TipsRequest emails as opposed to

telephone calls for non-urgent matters

Set up buddy system with Subgrantee Homeless Liaisons and other Liaisons to field questions locally

Monthly teleconferences to address current issues for different regions

Quarterly professional developments for different regions

Email updates to liaisons

Macro Tips:Develop annual, monthly, weekly and daily plan to incorporate due dates

Computer alarms month, two weeks, and a week prior to due dates◦Handbook – appendices B-5 to B-8

◦Our panelists

TIMESAVERS

Your Computer is Your Friend!If you are a staff of one or more,

maximizing the use of your computer’s capabilities is a Must!

Using Microsoft Outlook to Improve Responsiveness

-Technical Assistance-Grant Processing and Reporting-Monitoring

TIPS for E-Mails

In Subject Line◦Technical Assistance-Subject-Specific Topic

Examples of Subject Line Title◦Technical Assistance-Financial Aid-FAFSA for Homeless Students

◦Technical Assistance-Use of Funds-Tutoring

◦Technical Assistance-Eligibility-Doubled Up

◦Technical Assistance-Transportation-Across District Lines

Microsoft Outlook FilesTechnical Assistance

These are examples of Homeless Bimonthly Conference Calls and

Meetings and Conferences Folders.

Folders are organized by dates/titles of calls

and events.

Microsoft Outlook FilesTechnical Assistance E-

Mails

This is an example of Homeless Education

TA E-mails Folder.

Folders are organized by most requested technical

assistance and other criteria.

There is also a Miscellaneous Folder.

This is a Welcome E-Mail

This is the Bureau’s online Public Program

Directory.

Liaisons are asked to keep their information

updated in this Directory.

Capturing the Work:

Keeping Electronic Filesfor Monitoring

This is an example of folders for Conference Calls and Meetings and

Conferences on the computer drive

Title X Grants

These are examples of Homeless Title X

Grants on the computer drive.

Folders are organized by major activities and

required paperwork.

These are examples of Monitoring folders on the computer drive

StateUSDE

DAY-TO-DAY IDEAS

Daily organization (Laverne)

1st Hour: review mail, email, telephone calls, calendar and update calendar and priority list.

Delegate tasks or make referrals as needed

Implement tasks assigned for the day.

Check before lunch for telephone or tasks that need immediate attention.

Last hour: review accomplishments, emails, review priority list.

Prioritizing – a nod to Stephen Covey

Quadrant I

Important and urgent

Quadrant II

Important and Not urgent

Quadrant III

Not Important but urgent

Quadrant IV

Not important and not urgent

Making Time Visual

Time management strategy from Karen Rooney◦Brainstorm “to dos”◦Number them◦Divide time into blocks – day,

am/pm, by hour or even less◦Estimate time for each “to do” and

place number in time blocks◦Revise, as needed

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”

Alan Lakein