Got a minute? She'll save you hours

Chicago Tribune (MCT) - Noreen Heron Zautcke, owner of Noreen Heron and Associates public relations in Chicago, has multitasking down to a science. She oversees six employees and clients from the Allstate Arena to the Marriott Theater Lincolnshire. Outside the office, she's married to an emergency room doctor and is mom to two very active kids, a 6-year-old son and a 3-year­old daughter. How does she do it all? We asked Zautcke to share her multitasking and time-saving tips.

The clutter cutter. "I try to act on every piece of paper that I get immediately so as to reduce clutter. This is true in all areas of my life. When the kids bring home a school schedule for the month, I immediately enter it into my master calendar."

E-mail as me mail, cab rides as gab rides. "When I'm on the road, I use my BlackBerry to e-mail myself with reminders on items that need attention. I always bring work with me when I have an appointment or when I am accompanying a client to a TV or radio interview, as there is always some down time. That way I don't sit and think of all the things I could be doing. And I use cab rides as an opportunity to catch up on phone calls."

Keeping inventory. "When I'm shopping, if I find a baby gift or a birthday gift that I like, I'll buy several just to have them on hand. I have a drawer of greeting cards for every occasion. Both at work and at home, my philosophy is this: Let's make sure that we have the materials to do our jobs. At work, whatever item we need from an office supply standpoint is purchased in bulk. At home, there is nothing more frustrating than looking for that elusive roll of tape or pair of scissors, so I keep them on each floor of my house."

Super delegates. "I just had my closet organized by a professional. I love clothes, so it wasn't about getting the stylist's advice on updating; it was just that I knew organizationally she's the professional and that's her bailiwick. I'll order pizzas if I find that I just won't have time to make dinner for friends I invited over for dinner. These types of services help with the balance of a busy lifestyle. And I have a phenomenal staff, from my account executives to my nanny, and I trust that when I delegate, whatever I have assigned will be done well. We all communicate with each other a lot so that we're all in the loop."

Plan for the unplanned. "I try to anticipate what needs to happen over a week. If I have errands to run, I'll throw everything I need to in my car _ a script that needs to be dropped off at a producer's home, a package of fliers or dry cleaning _ so that if I happen to pass the location on my way to a meeting, I can pop in and drop the item off."

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Multitasking multiplied. "I also have a husband who is very supportive and helps a lot around the house."

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