Time Management:

skills, tools, and techniques for taking control of your time.

Time: “it is what it is”

Time Management Principles

• Record it.

• Sort it.

• Prioritize it.

• Plan it.

• Work it.

• Simplify it.

Time Management - History

• Adages

• Fables

• Parables

• Big Business

Time Management - Adages

– Haste makes waste

– Busy as a bee

– Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

– A stitch in time saves nine.

– An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

– The early bird gets the worm.

– Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

– Make hay while the sun shines.

– Get it in writing

– ?

Time Management - Fables

– The grasshopper and the ant– The tortoise and the hare– ?

Time Management - Parables

– The prodigal son (KJV)– The foolish virgins (KJV Matt.25:1-13)– The rich fool (KJV Luke 12:16-20)– The vine (KJV John 15:1-5)– ?

“sit down and think about it”

Time Management - Big Business

• Seminars

• Workshops

• Day Timers

• Cell Phones

• iPods

• Outlook

Time Management - Practicesparaphrased from Management Research Systems Publications, “Time Management Inventory”

• Prioritize your daily work.

• Do it right the first time.

• Keep incoming phone calls brief.

• Set aside time for creative thinking.

• Listen carefully.

• Prepare and use meeting agendas.

• Develop plans for long-range projects.

• Allow time for the unexpected.

• Drop things that really don’t matter.

• Tackle tasks in a planned manner.

• Handle your mail once.

• Work with clear instructions.

• Prepare for meetings.

• Complete one task before starting another.

• Prepare for and group outgoing telephone calls.

•Summarize meetings.

•Systemize work.

•Do it now.

•Delegate

•Keep a time log.

•Tackle the controllable.

•Deal with problems/ not causes.

•Give clear instructions.

•Involve the right people.

•Know when to say no.

Score Yourself :

4 - Always, 3 - Frequently, 2 - Sometimes, 1 - seldom.

Time Management - Taking Control

To Do Categories

Planning

Meetings

Projects

Telephone

Reading

Correspondence

Preoccupation

Interruptions

Other

For each event/activity in each category:

Record the time of day at start and finish.

Calculate the minutes from start to finish.

Divide the minutes by 480.

Compare percentages for events and categories.

Determine a cost to benefit ratio for yourself.

Decide how you feel about it.

Determine what you will do differently.

Modify your behavior accordingly.

Follow-up periodically to monitor progress.

Time Management - Information

You Are Here

Most frequently used is here

Frequently used is here

Less frequently used is here

Time Management - Performance Objectives

• Align personal calendar with objectives

• Start early

• Allow time for delays

• Identify needs and wants

• Schedule resources

• Keep a record

• Measure progress

Time Management - Meetings

• Double preparation time and cut meeting time in half.

• Always use a written agenda.

• Commit to times for starting and ending.

• See that only the people who need to be there are there.

• Hold the meeting standing up.

• Meet in someone else’s office.

• Pass information to others in writing rather than in meetings.

• Limit verbosity.

Time Management - Follow UpWork gets priority when there is a consistent pattern of effective follow-up.

•Be understandable. Ask for specific actions. Use clear, concise, and correct phrasing.

•Set deadlines for starting, finishing, and major milestones.

•Confirm important requests, instructions, directives, and mandates in writing.

•Enable people to initiate status updates.

•Listen and resolve questioning of the value of assignments and delegation.

Time Management - Visitors

•Always maintain a business-like stance and a formal tone.

•Set a time limit.

•Do not allow interruptions.

•When the time comes for the visit to end, stand up.

•Always keep a timepiece where you can see it.

•Simply say, it’s time for the meeting to end.

•Give a summary for action.

•Use body language.

“make time for friends”

Time Management - Telephone

• Analyze incoming calls, preferably after logging them for several days.

• Use a call back system for phone calls.

• Set the tone of the conversation at the beginning.

• Appear friendly and business-like.

• Set aside time for phone calls to consultants.

• Set aside time for your boss and direct reports.

Time Management - Reading

• Be selective

• Improve reading skills

• Incorporate

• Categorize

• Use reference files

• Set limits

Time Management - Unforeseeables

• Anticipate Opportunities

• Anticipate Problems

• Anticipate Delays

• Anticipate Follow-up

• Anticipate Rework

• Anticipate Delegation

• Anticipate Assignments

Time Management - Procrastination• Maintain a Balance Sheet

– List reasons for procrastinating on the task or activity on the left.

– List the benefits of getting it done on the right.

• Practice the Salami Technique– Slice overwhelming projects into digestible pieces.

– Write them down. Set a time. Decide what to do. Do it.

• Systematically Develop New Habits– Do

– Drop

– Delay

– Delegate

Time Management - Personal

• Find a non-productive leisure activity.

• Know, but challenge, your physical and mental limits.

• Teach others to respect your time.

• Eliminate unfulfilling obligations from your schedule.

• Learn to delegate at home and at work.

• Adjust your efforts to the importance of the task.

• Schedule a bit of retreat time each day.

• Plan for an imperfect world, but work to enhance it.

• Pursue a balanced life.

“at the end of the day”

Time Management – Life Balance

• Health

– Spiritual

– Mental

– Physical

• Family

• Work

• Financial

• Learning

• Social

“a place to hang your hat”

“Priorities are limited.Manage your time accordingly.”

Priorities Limited

Mitchell W. Manning, Sr.View my professional profile at Linkedin.com

manningmitch@aol.com