Time Management II 01

Time Management II
Contents
Contents
Learning Objectives
Introduction
In our daily life two powerful tools direct us
Generations of Time Management
The 80:20 Rule
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5
5
5
Time Wasters
Techniques to deal with Time Stealers

Reduce the number of interruptions
Reduce the length of interruptions
Control the timing of interruptions
Control your own interruptions
7
7
7
7
7
Techniques to deal with Time Stealers

Efficient handling of Telephone
Ineffective delegation
Handling of drop in visitors
The ability to say no
Keep the Desk Clear
Five common desk mistakes:
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8
8
8
8
8
8
Project Time Management
10
Activity 1
Time Management Assessment Questionnaire
Time Management Assessment - Suggestion
11
12
15
Manage Your Time
19
Good Time Management
20
Setting Limits
21
Deciding What to Do With Your Time
21
Time Management Matrix

Quadrant 1
Quadrant 2
Quadrant 3
Quadrant 4
22
23
23
23
23
The KEY to Effective Time Management Urgency and Importance
24
Guidelines for Efficient Planning
26
Workload Analysis
Using an Agenda
Benefits of using an Agenda
26
28
28
Effective Time Management

Keeping a Time Diary
Choose a week to fill in the diary
Analyze the results
Take action
29
29
31
31
31
Strategies to Manage Your Time
32
Time Management 2(Rev.0 31 May 2011)
Page 2 of 42
Identify your goals.

Prioritize through To-Do List
Preparing a To-Do List
Using Your To-Do Lists
Advantages of To-Do List:
32
32
32
33
33
Scheduling
34
Managing E-mail
35
Organizing Your Files
36
The 4 Ds
Do it now
Delegate
Delay
Dump
37
37
37
37
37
Delegation
Why Delegate?
Benefits of delegation from the team members point of view
Disadvantages of Delegation
Tasks not to delegate
38
38
38
39
39
Procrastination Putting Things Off!

Why do we procrastinate?
Control Procrastination
40
40
40
The Seven Habits
41
Conclusion
42
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Learning Objectives
After completing this training the participant will be better able to:
Identify the time wasters and to deal with them.
Overview of Project Time Management.
Good Time Management techniques.
Guidelines for efficient Planning.
Understand the Four Quadrant Time Matrix.
Understand the difference between urgency and importance.
Identify strategies to manage time and using time management tools.
Understand scheduling.
Managing e-mail
Organising your files.
Overview of the 7 Habits.
Understand delegation.
Avoid procrastination.
Deal with time stealers.
Page 4 of 42
Introduction
Everyone wants a piece of our time, somewhere between your personal vision/business
vision and daily actions. A gap is created between what you feel you should be doing and
what you are actually accomplishing.
In our daily life two powerful tools direct us

The clock represents our commitments, appointments, our schedules, goals and
activities.
The compass represents our vision, principles, Values and the direction we should
take
Generations of Time Management

The first generation: is characterized by Reminders and To-Do Lists
The second generation: is characterized by Calendars, appointments, schedules and
deadlines.
The third generation: is characterized by vision clarification, setting long term/short term
goals
The fourth generation: is based on importance. Knowing and doing what is important
rather than simply responding to what is urgent.
The 80:20 Rule

This is neatly summed up in the Pareto Principle, or the '
80:20 Rule'
. This says that
typically 80% of unfocussed effort generates only 20% of results. This means that the
remaining 80% of results are achieved with only 20% of the effort. While the ratio is not
always 80:20, this broad pattern of a small proportion of activity generating non-scalar
returns recurs so frequently that it is the norm in many situations.
By applying the time management tips and skills in this section you can optimize your
effort to ensure that you concentrate as much of your time and energy as possible on the
high payoff tasks. This ensures that you achieve the greatest benefit possible with the
limited amount of time available to you.
Time cannot be managed, time is uncontrollable we can only manage ourselves
and our use of time.
Time management is actually self management. It is interesting that the skills we
need to manage others are the skills we need to manage ourselves: the ability to:
Plan
Delegate
Organize
Direct
Control
Page 5 of 42
Time Wasters
In order for a time management process to work it is important to know what aspects of
our personal management need to be improved. Below you will find some of the most
frequent reasons for reducing effectiveness in the workplace. Take a look at the list and
tick the ones which cause the major obstacles to your own time management be
honest!
Interruptions telephone
Interruptions personal visitors
Meetings
Tasks you should have delegated
Procrastination and indecision
Acting with incomplete information
Dealing with team members
Crisis management (firefighting)
Unclear communication
Inadequate technical knowledge
Unclear objectives and priorities
Lack of planning
Stress and fatigue
Inability to say no
Desk management and personal disorganization
Interruption of any kind that lasts for 5 minutes will require 5 minutes recovery time. So, 6
interruptions a day will eat one hour.
Page 6 of 42
Techniques
Stealers
to
deal
with
Time
Reduce the number of interruptions

Get your secretary/assistant to take messages and deal with routine matters.
Make yourself less available by: closing your door some of the time, putting a do not
disturb notice, finding a hideaway.
Say No to some interruptions.
Reduce the length of interruptions

Set a time for the call or visit, tell the interrupter this is the time you have, and stick to it.
Practice ending conversations politely but firmly.
Control the timing of interruptions

Get your secretary to take messages and then blitz unimportant interruptions in one go.
Tell your staff that you welcome interruptions at certain times of the day/week.
Defer the interruption if its not important.
Deal with regular interrupters during coffee break.
Control your own interruptions

Dont allow yourself to be distracted, for instance, moving to another job when the current one
becomes difficult.
Organize your day, yourself and your workspace to minimize distractions.
Find out why you welcome the interruptions and do something about it, for example, you
enjoy talking to people.
Page 7 of 42
Techniques to deal with Time

Stealers
Efficient handling of Telephone
Answer your telephone with a proper business opening
Keep the calls short
Think and Prioritize as you speak.
Keep a message pad by your telephone.
Give your client and customers the email option.
Remember, the telephone is supposed to be a business tool and not a disturbing tool
that rules your working day.
Ineffective delegation
Good delegation is considered a key skill in both managers and leaders. The best
managers have an ability to delegate work to staff and ensure it is done correctly. This is
probably the best way of building a teams moral and reducing your workload at the same
time.
Handling of drop in visitors

The five deadliest words that rob your time are:
"Have you got a minute"? Everyone'
s the culprit-colleagues, the boss, and your peers.
The ability to say no

Saying yes is easy when people want your time. The ability to say no is much harder
but you have to be prepared to say no when priorities on your time dictate.
Keep the Desk Clear

The most effective people work from clear desks.
A cluttered desk is not the outward sign of a busy person; it is the sign of a disorganized
person.
A tidy desk and an effective filing system save time.
Five common desk mistakes:

Too many calendars. Keep all activities recorded on one calendar, if you need a copy
of your agenda, photocopy it.
Open files disguised as work in progress. Open files distract the task at hand. Keep
them closed, organized and out of site.
Phone messages and reminders written on scraps of paper strewn on your desk. Use
a to-do list. Write phone numbers in a desk phone directory, on the to-do list or on the
project file.
Someday files (someday I will get around to it). Keep within easy reach, but out sight
Page 8 of 42
in a desk drawer. Schedule them on a to-do list.

Reading. Put it in one place and read it at a specific time.
Page 9 of 42
Project Time Management

Project Time Management has many processes required to ensure timely completion of
the project:
Activity Definition: Identifying the specific activities that must be performed to produce
the various project deliverables.
Activity sequencing: Identifying and documenting interactivity dependencies.
Activity duration estimation: Estimating the number of periods that will be needed to
complete individual activities.
Schedule development: Analyzing activity sequences, activity durations and resource
requirements to create project schedule.
Schedule Control: Controlling the changes to the project schedule.
Page 10 of 42
Activity 1
Consider each of the following questions and tick whether your answer is Yes or No.
Use the For instance column to identify an example to justify your response. This will
help you to think more deeply about the particular aspect of time management.
Use the Notes column to jot down any thoughts about this aspect of time management.
Is it one of your strengths that you could build on further? Is it appropriate to you, or does
it go against the grain? Would it make a big improvement for you?
Note: it may help to ask a friend or colleague who knows your working habits well to give
their response to the questions. He/she will probably show a different perception in some
of the answers, which should lead to an interesting discussion! If you disagree with them,
as for a For instance.
Page 11 of 42
Time Management Assessment Questionnaire

Sr.No
1-
2-
3-
Question
a
Do you know how much time a week

you spend at meetings?

you spend on your main goals?
Do you often wonder where the day

disappeared to?
Do you think time management is

mainly about working more efficiently?
Do you know what you want time

management to do for you?
Do you think time management will

take the spontaneity out of your life?
Do you have lists and plans in

different places?
Do you know what the main functions

of a time organizer are?
Yes
No
Suggestions
Could you tell someone within two

minutes from now what meetings you
c
have next week, what your work goals
are and what your priority tasks are?
4-
Can you say in specific terms what

your three main work goals are?
b Do your goals have deadlines?

Do you have a way of assessing
c whether you have achieved your
goals?
5-
Do you identify which tasks are most

important and do them first?
Do you know which of your tasks are

the most urgent?
Do you ignore some minor tasks?
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6-
7-
8-
9-
10-
11-
Do you break tasks down into small

jobs?
Do you plan ahead when the work

will be done?
Do you know realistically if you could

take on any more work in the coming
month?
Do you have priorities for the things

you have to do today?
Do you get through the work you

intend to do each day?
Do you leave some of the day free?
Do you often put off jobs until

tomorrow?
Do you find yourself rushing to meet

deadlines?
Do you often feel anxious / worried

about getting work done?
Do you take all interruptions as they

occur? Is this a necessary part of
your job?
Do you find it difficult to end a

conversation?
Do you use your secretary/

assistant/telephonist to screen
interruptions?
Do you usually start and finish one

job before moving on to the next?
Do you deal with trivial jobs in

batches?
Do you have a daily routine for

dealing with correspondence?
Do you have an accumulated pile of

reading material?
Are most of your memos less than

one side long?
Do you generate any paperwork

which is not essential?
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12-
13-
14-
15-
16-
Do you know if you really have too

much work to do?
Do you often take work home?
Are you prepared to say no to

additional work if you are fully
loaded?
Do you feel that meetings waste your

time?
Do you always know the purpose of a

meeting?
Do you restrict attendance at

meetings you convene to those
people really needed?
Do you prefer to do jobs yourself

rather that give them to your staff?
Do you find it difficult to ask a

member of your staff to do a job?
Do you prefer to hang on to the jobs

you know you are good at?
Do you find your time management

techniques dont fit in with your
colleagues working practices?
Do you know what factors are

hindering this fit?
Do you want to do something about

improving the fit?
Do you know what time management

has achieved for you to date?
Do you know what improvements

your techniques have made to
yourself and your work?
Do you know what areas of time

management you want to tackle
next?
Page 14 of 42
Time Management Assessment - Suggestion

Sr.No
1-
Question
a

you spend at meetings?

b
you spend on your main goals?
c
2-
Do you think time management will

take the spontaneity out of your life?
Do you have lists and plans in

different places?
Do you know what the main functions

b
of a time organizer are?
Could you tell someone within two
minutes from now what meetings you
c
have next week, what your work goals
are and what your priority tasks are?
4-
Can you say in specific terms what

your three main work goals are?
b Do your goals have deadlines?

Do you have a way of assessing
c whether you have achieved your
goals?
5-
Do you identify which tasks are most

important and do them first?
Do you know which of your tasks are

the most urgent?
c Do you ignore some minor tasks?
Suggestions
Keep a diary and

know where your time
goes
Do you think time management is

a
mainly about working more efficiently?
No
Do you often wonder where the day

disappeared to?
Do you know what you want time

b
management to do for you?
3-
Yes
x
x
Adopt a positive
attitude to managing
your time
x
x
Use a personal
organizer (or Time
Manager)
x
x
x
Clarify What your

goals are
Prioritize your tasks
x
x
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6-
7-
8-
9-
10-
11-
Do you break tasks down into small

jobs?
Do you plan ahead when the work

will be done?
x
x
Do you know realistically if you could

take on any more work in the coming
month?
Do you have priorities for the things

you have to do today?
Do you get through the work you

intend to do each day?
Do you leave some of the day free?
Do you often put off jobs until

tomorrow?
Do you find yourself rushing to meet

deadlines?
Do you often feel anxious / worried

about getting work done?
Do you take all interruptions as they

occur? Is this a necessary part of
your job?
Do you find it difficult to end a

conversation?
Do you use your secretary/

assistant/telephonist to screen
interruptions?
Do you usually start and finish one

job before moving on to the next?
Do you deal with trivial jobs in

batches?
Do you have a daily routine for

dealing with correspondence?
Do you have an accumulated pile of

reading material?
Are most of your memos less than

one side long?
Do you generate any paperwork

which is not essential?
Schedule when work

will be done
Plan your day
Avoid putting things

off
Control Interruptions
x
Adopt helpful working
habits
x
x
Get on top of Paper

work
x
Page 16 of 42
12-
13-
14-
15-
16-
Do you know if you really have too

much work to do?
Do you often take work home?
Are you prepared to say no to

additional work if you are fully
loaded?
Do you feel that meetings waste your

time?
Do you always know the purpose of a

meeting?
Do you restrict attendance at

meetings you convene to those
people really needed?
Do you prefer to do jobs yourself

rather that give them to your staff?
Do you find it difficult to ask a

member of your staff to do a job?
Do you prefer to hang on to the jobs

you know you are good at?
Do you find your time management

techniques dont fit in with your
colleagues working practices?
x
x
Avoid getting over

loaded with work
Do you know what factors are

hindering this fit?
Do you want to do something about

improving the fit?
Do you know what time management

has achieved for you to date?
Do you know what improvements

your techniques have made to
yourself and your work?
Do you know what areas of time

management you want to tackle
next?
Use meetings
productively
Delegate work
Integrate your time

management
Techniques with those
of your colleagues
Review progress and

Make further
improvement
Working through the questionnaire should have helped you to identify your strengths and
started you thinking about techniques that could help you to improve your time
management.
Page 17 of 42
Use the template that follows to:

Compare your responses with those we would recommend for an ideal effective
manager.
Highlight those techniques where your response disagrees with the recommended
response. These are the ones to concentrate on.
Dont be alarmed if you have highlighted a lot of your responses. Our answers are for the
ideal time manager, who of course doesnt exist.
The questionnaire has probably made you realize that there is a wide range of
techniques which can help people manage their time better. What works for one person
may not be at all helpful for another person, so you need to work out for yourself which
techniques will be most helpful to you.
Page 18 of 42
Manage Your Time

There are many techniques which can contribute to more effective and more efficient use
of your time.
Remember you cant:
Control time
Increase it
Decrease it
Speed it up
Slow it down
Extend time
Time may be a limited Resource, but we are not
Before you can save time you have to spend some. You have to understand time
management and make a little effort to do things like:
Plan
Organise
Review
Rearrange
Sort
Think
Investing time in time management is one of the best investments
Page 19 of 42
Good Time Management

Good time management can:
Give you more time to do what you want
Improve your availability
Improve your decision making
Improve your health
Improve your productivity, efficiency, effectiveness
Make you easier to live with
Make you easier to work with
Make you feel more relaxed
Minimise the risks you take
Reduce stress
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Setting Limits
Good time management is all about setting limits. You need to set all sorts of limits to
manage your time well. Set limits for:
Availability (how willing you are to be disturbed, to make yourself available for others
etc)
Duration (how long you spend doing things)
Importance (how you prioritise things)
Involvement (how much you do yourself as opposed to delegate to others)
Standards (how well you do things)
Urgency (how quickly you do things)
Deciding What to Do With Your

Time
Spend time doing the right things
Spend time doing what you like doing
Spend time doing what you are good at
Spend time on results, not effort
Spend time at the right time
Page 21 of 42
Time Management Matrix
1 The quadrant of DAILY REALITY

2 The quadrant of QUALITY
3 The quadrant of DECEPTION
4 The quadrant of WASTE
(Source: Covey, 1994, First Things First)
Page 22 of 42
Quadrant 1
We need to spend time in this quadrant.
This quadrant acts on us. It is unavoidable and can never be totally eliminated
however, if we ignore it we become buried alive!
This is where we manage, we produce and where we bring our experience and skills to
bear in responding to many needs and challenges.
We also need to face the fact that many activities have arrived in this quadrant because
of procrastination and inefficient planning and preparation. Some of them must have
turned in to Crisis.
A Crisis Manager suffers from stress and fatigue
Mistakes are made in the job.
Crises are expensive
Quadrant 2
This quadrant is where we increase our ability to do. It is about personal
leadership and organization.
Ignoring this quadrant feeds and enlarges Quadrant 1.
Investing in this quadrant shrinks Quadrant 1.
Quadrant 2 does not act on us; we must act on it.
Quadrant 3
This is almost the phantom of Quadrant 1.
The noise of urgency creates the illusion of importance but the actual activities, if
indeed they are important at all, are often only or much more important to someone else!
We spend a lot of time in this quadrant, meeting other peoples priorities/Demands and
expectations thinking we are in Quadrant 1.
Responding to Demands to meet others priority; the problems with this may be
Long term goals may be over looked
Opportunities may be missed
Quadrant 4
We really shouldnt be here at all but we get so battle scarred from being tossed around
in quadrants 1 and 3 that we often escape to here for what we perceive to be survival.
However, it is not survival this is only really enabled by Quadrant 2 activities it is more
like deterioration. It may have a short term feel good effect to go into this quadrant but
in the long term it adds to our time management pressures
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The KEY to Effective Time

Management
Urgency
and
Importance
We need to look at the two primary factors that determine how we choose to use our
time:
Urgency
Importance
Knowing and doing what is important rather than simply responding to what is urgent is
crucial if we wish to improve our time management.
Do you operate from a mind-set of urgency or importance?
(Check out your urgency index by completing the questionnaire which follows shortly)
How much does urgency control you?
Are you over using time management tools and techniques that actually feed your
focus on the urgent and keeps you rooted in Quadrant 1?
Page 24 of 42
Daily checklists/reminders then, if things are not finished, you put them on your new list
for tomorrow!
Do you let others dominate your time and keep you rooted in Quadrant 3?
Do you need to reduce your emphasis on dealing with the urgent and increase the
time you spend dealing with the important in Quadrant 2?
We now need to start identifying the important. So, ask yourself the following:
What are the things (identify at least one) you know that if you did superbly well and
consistently would have significant positive results in the way you work?
Are you sufficiently using the sort of time management tools that are more likely to
enable you to achieve this and move you more in to Quadrant 2?
Page 25 of 42
Guidelines for Efficient Planning

You can save yourself an hour a day by getting organized.
It is important to identify and operate within two time horizons: near and long term.
Anticipating events allows things to get done in the near term which contribute to
achieving long-term objectives.
An up-to-date master calendar can be your most helpful planning tool. However,
detailed project plans should be developed before you make entries on your master
calendar.
When things begin to get hectic, a "Things to do Today" list helps focus attention on
the highest priority items.
Planning Worksheets, Milestone Charts, and PERT Diagrams are excellent planning
aids when properly used.
Planning contact with colleagues and staff will help minimize the disruption of their
schedules. Keep a file for each person you meet with on a regular basis, with items to
be discussed.
The most effective approaches to planning are those tailored to meet individual
needs. Concepts, procedures, and worksheets are all subject to modification to fit
individual circumstances.
Experts say nothing should be attempted without prior planning, but there must be
flexibility. Remember Murphys Law: If anything can go wrong, it will.
Workload Analysis
What are the things you have to do every day, and how much time must you allot to
each thing?
What are the things you have to do each week and how much time do you allot to
them?
What are the things you must do each month? How much time does each item take
you?
What are the things you do quarterly or annually? How much time do they take?
The Urgency Index (Covey, 1994) Circle the number along the matrix that
most closely represents your normal behaviors or attitudes
0 = never 2 = sometimes 4 = always
I seem to do my best work when under pressure
0
I often blame the rush and pressure of external things 0

for my failure to spend time planning and preparing
I am often frustrated by the slowness of people and 0

things around me. I hate waiting
I feel guilty when I take time off work
I always seem to be rushing between places and 0

events
Page 26 of 42
I frequently find myself pushing people away so that I 0

can finish a project
I feel anxious when Im out of touch with the office for 0

more than a few minutes
Im often preoccupied with one thing when I am doing 0

something else
Im at my best when handling a crisis situation
The adrenaline rush from a new crisis seems more 0

satisfying to me than the steady accomplishment of
long-term results
I often give up quality time with important people in my 0

life to handle a crisis at work
I assume people will naturally understand if I have to 0

disappoint them or let things go in order to handle a
crisis
I rely on solving some crisis to give my day a sense of 0

meaning and purpose
I often eat lunch or other meals while I work
I keep thinking that some day Ill be able to do what I 0

really want to do
A huge stack in my out tray at the end of the day 0

makes me feel like I have been really productive
What sort of score do you think might

represent an urgency addiction that
dominates your working Life?
Total
score
possible 64:
out
of
Do you need to lower your score?
Page 27 of 42
Using an Agenda
As per the recent instructions from the management every employee is requested to use
an agenda on a daily basis for the following activities:
List down your day to day activities
Write your to do list
Schedule your events ahead of time
Record minutes of meetings that you will be attending
Write any work instruction that you may receive
Record notes for any training you will be attending either technically or soft skills.
Benefits of using an Agenda

A Living learning & reference tool
Follow up on pending tasks & reschedule it
Record of accomplished tasks
Evaluate your time management skills
A supporting evidence of your daily activities
Plan & organize your work & personal activities
Track both short & long term goals across the year.
Page 28 of 42
Effective Time Management

Keeping a Time Diary
A good starting point for improving your time management is to get an accurate picture of
how you currently use your time. Keeping a diary for a week should provide you with the
information you need.
Use diary/calendar/personal planner approaches with time for important activities
scheduled in
Set short and long term goals, with required actions and realistic timescales and resource
commitments.
Gavin, project officer for a local company has been trying to improve his self-organization
for about seven years. He reckons hes cracked most aspects - except for the
unexpected. The following page shows an extract from Gavins very first time diary.
TIME DIARY: GAVINS DAY
Day:
Date:
Page no:
Activity
Pick up AB from airport
Coffee and chat with AB
Sort mail
Mtg read campaign
Speak to colleagues on way back
to desk
Phone call from Bill
Start report for Annual Review
Phone call from Elsie
Back with report
Julie asks for months finance
figures
Ask Sandy to look up finance
figures
Phone ad agency
Fill in expense claim
Start End
8.15
9.00
9.00
9.16
9.16
9.30
9.30 11.30
11.30 11.43
Lunch
Chat to colleagues
Sort through in-tray
Sandy brings finance figures
Double check the figures
Phone call from Bill
Back to finance figures
Julie phones for finance figures
Finish checking
Plan itinerary for client visits
AB phones needing ad budget
breakdown
11.43
11.48
11.52
12.06
12.18
Duration
Comments
45
Could someone else do this?
16
14
120
Did it have to take so long?
13
11.48
11.52
12.06
12.18
12.24
5
4
14
12
6
12.24 12.30
12.30 12.43
12.43 13.00
13
17
13.00
13.30
13.44
13.54
14.06
14.33
14.39
14.43
14.45
14.50
15.13
30
14
10
12
27
6
4
2
5
23
3
13.30
13.44
13.54
14.06
14.33
14.39
14.43
14.45
14.50
15.13
15.16
Interruptions! Not got far
Need a longer break!

Finance figures were right
Dont need to check next time
Page 29 of 42
Breakdown ad budget
Wait for mtg to start
Departmental meeting
Start Annual Review again
Call from Cynthia
15.16
15.28
15.36
16.45
16.50
15.28
15.36
16.45
16.50
16.57
12
8
69
5
7
Gavin found it difficult to keep the diary at first, but its paid off. Now hes much more in
control of his time. The first changes he made were to:
sort out priority work
plan his day
control interruptions
Sample format for a Personal Time Diary
Devise the layout for your diary.
PERSONAL TIME DIARY
Day:
Date:
Activity
Start
Page no:
End
Duration
Comments
Page 30 of 42
Choose a week to fill in the diary

Record everything as you do it, even small activities i.e. making cup of coffee.
Develop codes to speed up the recording process, for example:
A Administration tasks.
CO Controlling others.
M Meetings.
I Interruptions.
D Could have delegated.
S - Socializing
You will probably want to invent your own codes.
Analyze the results

After adding up the total time spent on various types of activity, it is useful to put the
time totals into percentages.
Remind yourself of your original questions about your time
management and see
what the diary reveals.
You may find it helpful to discuss your interpretations with a colleague, friend or boss.
Take action
Some of your conclusions will probably lead to obvious action.
For example, you may have discovered that jobs started early in the morning get
finished quickly, so you need to adjust your plans to carry out your most important
tasks at this time.
Dont be too discouraged if your present time management seems far from efficient.
Try to be realistic in what you want to do, and set yourself small goals to achieve
change.
Page 31 of 42
Strategies to Manage Your Time

Identify Goals
To-Do List
Scheduling
The 4Ds
Controlling Procrastination
Delegation
Dealing with Time Stealers
Identify your goals.

E.g. my overall goal is to organize my time so that my other work can be maintained. In
other words, I need to achieve a more even workflow throughout the year.
Prioritize through To-Do List

To-Do Lists are prioritized lists of all the tasks that you need to carry out. They list
everything that you have to do, with the most important tasks at the top of the list, and the
least important tasks at the bottom.
By keeping a To-Do List, you make sure that you capture all of the tasks you have to
complete in one place. This is essential if you'
re not going to forget things. And by
prioritizing work, you plan the order in which you'
ll do things, so you can tell what needs
your immediate attention, and what you can quietly forget about until much, much later.
This is essential if you'
re going to beat work overload. This is very important!
Although To-Do Lists are very simple, they are also extremely powerful, both as a
method of organizing yourself and as a way of reducing stress. Often problems may
seem overwhelming or you may have a seemingly huge number of demands on your
time. This may leave you feeling out of control, and overburdened with work.
Preparing a To-Do List

The solution is often simple: Firstly, your To Do list template.
Start by writing down the tasks that face you, and if they are large, break them down into
their component elements. If these still seem large, break them down again. Do this until
you have listed everything that you have to do, and until tasks will take no more than 1-2
hours to complete.
Run through these jobs allocating priorities from A (very important) to F (unimportant). If
too many tasks have a high priority, run through the list again and demote the less
important ones. Once you have done this, rewrite the list in priority order.
You will then have a precise plan that you can use to eliminate the problems you face.
You will be able to tackle these in order of importance. This allows you to separate
important jobs from the many time-consuming trivial ones.
Page 32 of 42
Using Your To-Do Lists

Different people use To-Do Lists in different ways in different situations: if you are in a
sales-type role, a good way of motivating yourself is to keep your list relatively short and
aim to complete it every day.
In an operational role, or if tasks are large or dependent on too many other people, then
it may be better to keep one list and '
chip away'at it.
It may be that you carry unimportant jobs from one To-Do List to the next. You may not
be able to complete some very low priority jobs for several months. Only worry about this
if you need to if you are running up against a deadline for them, raise their priority.
If you have not used To-Do Lists before, try them now: They are one of the keys to being
really productive and efficient.
Advantages of To-Do List:

Prioritized To-Do Lists are fundamentally important to efficient work. If you use To-Do
Lists, you will ensure that:
You remember to carry out all necessary tasks
You tackle the most important jobs first, and do not waste time on trivial tasks.
You do not get stressed by a large number of unimportant jobs.
Page 33 of 42
Scheduling
Scheduling is the process by which you look at the time available to you, and plan how
you will use it to achieve the goals you have identified. By using a schedule properly, you
can:
Understand what you can realistically achieve with your time;
Plan to make the best use of the time available;
Leave enough time for things you absolutely must do;
Preserve contingency time to handle '
the unexpected'
; and
Minimize stress by avoiding over-commitment to others.
A well thought-through schedule allows you to manage your commitments, while still
leaving you time to do the things that are important to you. It is therefore your most
important weapon for beating work overload.
Scheduling is then a five-step process:
Identify the time you have available.
Block in the essential tasks you must carry out to succeed in your job.
Schedule in high priority urgent tasks and vital "house-keeping" activities.
Block in appropriate contingency time to handle unpredictable interruptions.
In the time that remains, schedule the activities that address your priorities and
personal goals.
If you have little or no discretionary time left by the time you reach step five, then revisit
the assumptions you have made in steps one to four.
Page 34 of 42
Managing E-mail
Check your mail twice a day.
Checking your e-mail frequently is one of the big time-wasters of the modern office.
Avoid it if you can.
Set aside two periods when you know it will be quiet and check your mail then.
If you cannot check your e-mail consider making arrangements to have it checked
twice every business day in normal circumstances.
Use separate accounts for personal and business mail. Keep the personal mail out of
the office and the business mail out of your home.
Filter the spam.
With all of the junk e-mail circulating today, it'
s vital to use an e-mail program that can
filter it by dumping it in the trash before it gets to you. Filters can also manage your
business mail as well. For example, you can filter mailing list updates from other
companies, news, and promotions, into separate folders and read them when you'
re
ready.
Organize your addresses:
Use the address book features built into your e-mail program rather than manually
typing addresses. It is more convenient and accurate
.
File your messages:
Organize your messages into folders or delete them as soon as you'

re done reading
them or acted on them. Ensure your inbox contains only messages you haven'
t read
or that require further action.
Keep it simple
Remember:
A short e-mail message is a good e-mail message
Use a specific or descriptive subject heading
Keep messages, especially replies, short
If a simple yes or no will
Page 35 of 42
Organizing Your Files

Working Files:
These include your current projects, routine functions, and quick references. These are
the files where you have 80% of your work. These should be within arms reach. Make
certain they are in file folders, labeled meticulously in large letters, and then placed in
hanging file folders that are also labeled.
Reference Files:
These are files you must refer to frequently as you work on current projects. This is
where the bulk of your files will be located. Since you use these files regularly, they need
to be kept handy, but not necessarily within arms length. The most important thing is to
arrange all that information in such a way that you can pull information out of the file
easily.
Archive Files:
These are the files nobody looks at. They should be tucked away in a filing cabinet and
may even be kept outside your office.
Electronic Files:
The key rule is that the file structure used in the paper files and electronic files should
parallel each other. This is all for the sake of retrieval.
Page 36 of 42
The 4 Ds
Do it now, Delegate, Delay or Dump
Do it now
Do you spend a lot of time looking for things? Research tells us that the average person
spends about 10% of the day looking for documents. If that were so, you could gain 5
weeks a year just by getting your retrieval methods under control!
This is the opposite of prioritizing. Do the quick and unpleasant tasks NOW! The crises in
our lives are often the result of not handling the little things or not reacting to a niggling
feeling that something is wrong. Ignore the little toothache and you wind up with a root
canal.
Break things down into small steps and get started. That is how we eat an elephant, one
bite at a time.
Delegate
Dont waste your time doing things that somebody else can do, especially if they can do
them better than you. Save your time for those things which you are uniquely qualified to
do.
Delay
Occasionally we have legitimate delays. We are waiting for somebody else to get us
information or complete a task. However, if you have deadlines, pass on deadlines to
others as well. Dont let someone elses lack of planning short-circuit your deadlines.
Dump
This will take some practice and a hard-nosed approach if you have a tendency to hang
on to stuff. If throwing it out is too difficult, give it away, or ask someone else to throw it
out for you.
Page 37 of 42
Delegation
A key activity in time management is delegation. We will examine the advantages and
disadvantages of delegation and how it can form an essential activity for managers and
team members alike.
To properly understand delegation we need to become familiar with three key words:
Authority
Responsibility.
Accountability.
There are five steps to the delegation process:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Explain why the job is important.

Describe what is needed in terms of results (not how, but what).
Give the person the authority they need to do the job.
Indicate when the job needs to be completed and get agreement.
Ask for feedback to ensure a common understanding.
Delegation stresses the transfer of authority from a manager to subordinate. In other

words someone is given the authority and responsibility to carry out a task (including any
necessary resources) whiles the manager remains accountable for the outcome.
Why Delegate?
Delegation:
Frees your time for management tasks.
Allows you to manage with some detachment.
Helps you to manage your time.
Helps regulate work flow.
Enhances your authority as a manager.
Helps you to raise the skill level of your team as a whole.
Helps to make your team more productive.
Helps you to make effective use of your teams skills.
Benefits of delegation from the team members point of view

Delegation can:
Improve decision making.
Make staff feel valued, and therefore interested and motivated.
Help develop subordinates.
Allow staff to contribute their ideas and approaches.
Page 38 of 42
Disadvantages of Delegation
Delegation Will:
Involve risks (unsure about subordinates competence)
Involve preparation and coordination.
Demand organizational skills.
To be competent at delegation will stretch people as managers and is possibly why some
shy away from it. However, it is a very important part of managing effectively and most
managers should be prepared to delegate when necessary.
Tasks not to delegate

Management tasks, that is, tasks that are to do with broad issues such as planning
the work of the section/team.
One-off tasks which would not warrant the necessary training.
Tasks which are beyond the competence of the staff.
Tasks which require the managers presence.
Tasks for which a successful outcome is essential, that is there is no scope for risktaking.
Menial tasks which the delegate will not value.
Page 39 of 42
Procrastination Putting Things

Off!
Why do we procrastinate?
What are typical reasons why you procrastinate? Here are a few of the most common
situations to consider in your anti procrastination efforts.
It can be as simple as
Waiting for the right mood
Waiting for the right time
Then look at the way you organize your work. You may notice other reasons for
procrastination like
Lack of clear goals
Underestimating the difficulty of the tasks
Underestimating the time required to complete the tasks
Unclear standards for the task outcomes
Feeling as the tasks are imposed on you from outside
Too ambiguous tasks
And there are also many connections with
Underdeveloped decision making skills
Fear of failure or fear of success
Perfectionism
Control Procrastination
Decide to do the most unpleasant job of the day first.
Break the job down into small tasks.
Start anywhere, if starting is a problem.
Commit yourself by telling someone you are going to do the job.
Set your own deadlines.
Reward yourself at stages through the job.
Remove/avoid your escape/distracters for instance, socializing.
Schedule start times for jobs.
Stick to high priority jobs.
List the advantages of not doing the job, and the advantages of doing it and compare
the two lists.
Consider the consequences of procrastination.
Do one job at a time.
Ask whats the best use of my time now?
Page 40 of 42
The Seven Habits

From The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic by
Stephen R. Covey, Simon and Schuster, 1989
BE PROACTIVE:
Between stimulus and response in human beings lies the power to choose.
Productivity, then, means that we are solely responsible for what happens in our lives.
No fair blaming anyone or anything else.
BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND:
Imagine your funeral and listen to what you would like the eulogist to say about you.
This should reveal exactly what matters most to you in your life. Use this frame of
reference to make all your day-to-day decisions so that you are working toward your
most meaningful life goals.
PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST:
To manage our lives effectively, we must keep our mission in mind, understand
whats important as well as urgent, and maintain a balance between what we produce
each day and our ability to produce in the future. Think of the former as putting out
fires and the latter as personal development.
THINK WIN/WIN:
Agreements or solutions among people can be mutually beneficial if all parties
cooperate and begin with a belief in the third alternative; a better way that hasnt
been thought of yet.
SEEK FIRST TO BE UNDERSTANDING, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD:
Most people dont listen. Not really. They listen long enough to devise a solution to
the speakers problem or a rejoinder to whats being said. Then they dive into the
conversation. Youll be more effective in you relationships with people if you sincerely
try to understand them fully before you try to make them understand your point of
view.
SYNERGIZE:
Just what it sounds like, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In practice,
this means you must use creative cooperation in social interactions. Value
differences because it is often the clash between them that leads to creative
solutions.
SHARPEN THE SAW:
This is the habit of self-renewal, which has four elements. The first is mental, which
includes reading, visualizing, planning and writing. The second is spiritual, which
means value clarification and commitment, study and meditation.
Third is
social/emotional, which stress management includes service, empathy, synergy and
intrinsic security. Finally, the physical includes exercise, nutrition and stress
management.
Page 41 of 42
Conclusion
As we have seen during this module, time management is really about how we manage
ourselves, and hopefully you will have identified what wastes your time and what you can
do to overcome this.
As we know there are only 24 hours in each day and we have looked at a number of
strategies that can help us manage our time. Here are a few more tips to help you
squeeze those extra minutes out of your day. You can, of course, adapt these to fit your
own situation but hopefully they will be of help to you.
Get up earlier
Watch less TV
Avoid allowing others to waste your time
Organize your work; do it systematically
Make creative use of lunchtime
Spend less time on unimportant phone calls
Think first, then do the task
Do what you dream about doing, instead of just dreaming about it
Work hardest when you are the most mentally alert
Eliminate activities that make the smallest contributions to your life
Always do the toughest jobs first
Before each major act, ask Is it really necessary?
Choose interesting and constructive literature for spare time reading
Learn how to sleep. Sleep soundly, then work refreshed
Write notes or letters while waiting for others
Combine tasks that are done in the same area
Be prompt for all appointments
Call on specialists to do work that you cannot do efficiently
Learn to read more rapidly
Avoid making a big production out of tiny tasks
Know your limitations
Work to your full capacity
It is tough to break bad habits. However, it is necessary to make sacrifices so that you
and the business can be successful. Dont try and implement all the changes at once.
Implement them one at a time and repeat them until they become a part of your daily
routine.
Remember that time is money
Ben Franklin, 1748.
Advice to a young tradesman
Remember that to manage your time is to manage yourself.
Page 42 of 42

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Time Management II

Techniques to deal with Time Stealers

Techniques to deal with Time Stealers

Project Time Management

Manage Your Time

Good Time Management

Deciding What to Do With Your Time

Time Management Matrix

The KEY to Effective Time Management Urgency and Importance

Guidelines for Efficient Planning

Effective Time Management

Strategies to Manage Your Time

Time Management 2(Rev.0 31 May 2011)

Identify your goals.

Organizing Your Files

Procrastination Putting Things Off!

The Seven Habits

Time Management 2(Rev.0 31 May 2011)

Time Management 2(Rev.0 31 May 2011)

In our daily life two powerful tools direct us

Generations of Time Management

The 80:20 Rule

Time Management 2(Rev.0 31 May 2011)

Reduce the number of interruptions

Reduce the length of interruptions

Control the timing of interruptions

Control your own interruptions

Time Management 2(Rev.0 31 May 2011)

Techniques to deal with Time

Handling of drop in visitors

The ability to say no

Keep the Desk Clear

Five common desk mistakes:

in a desk drawer. Schedule them on a to-do list.

Time Management 2(Rev.0 31 May 2011)

Project Time Management

Time Management 2(Rev.0 31 May 2011)

Time Management 2(Rev.0 31 May 2011)

Time Management Assessment Questionnaire

Do you know how much time a week

Do you know how much time a week

Do you often wonder where the day

Do you think time management is

Do you know what you want time

Do you think time management will

Do you have lists and plans in

Do you know what the main functions

Could you tell someone within two

Can you say in specific terms what

b Do your goals have deadlines?

Do you identify which tasks are most

Do you know which of your tasks are

Do you ignore some minor tasks?

Time Management 2(Rev.0 31 May 2011)

Do you break tasks down into small

Do you plan ahead when the work

Do you know realistically if you could

Do you have priorities for the things

Do you get through the work you

Do you leave some of the day free?

Do you often put off jobs until

Do you find yourself rushing to meet

Do you often feel anxious / worried

Do you take all interruptions as they