time management training 793

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Time Management

How To Manage Your Time Effectively

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PARTICIPANT MANUAL


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Copyright 2007

No part of this document can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission.

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KEY LEARNING PRINCIPLES

Before we begin this training module it is important we keep in mind someimportant concepts about adult learning. These points will help us all learn more

and will contribute to a better sharing of the knowledge contained in this

training module.

If you are learning the course by yourself then take your time and read over thenotes until you are comfortable with the material.

If you are learning this material as part of a training session make sure to ask

questions. We are confident that you will be glad that you did.

The first concept to remember is that learning is a process. From this we need

to understand that learning does not happen in isolation e.g., at todays trainingevent or at first reading of this material. Instead it involves how you as the

learner relate and even adapt this learning to your work and home

environments. Once we recognize that learning is a process we can then applyeverything learnt to whatever situation is at hand.

The second concept to be aware of is that we all learn in different ways orpossess different styles of learning. Although this may seem like an obvious

point, it has many important implications for the session today. As the training

progresses the trainer will askis everything OK so farordo you understand

everything so farand many may state that they are happy with the progress.

However, it is quite likely that all participants may not be learning in the sameway or at the same pace. As a result dont be afraid to ask questions because

what might be easy to some may be harder for others and vice-versa. It is alsoimportant to have patience if you feel the course is going to slow as it may

actually be too fast for others. We all never know when we personally may need

some extra time to understand things and will appreciate others support whenthis happens. What is important today is that everyone learns and hopefully

meets their expectations from the course.

The third concept to recognize is that learning is improved when it is goal-

directed. Research has consistently demonstrated that when clear goals are

associated with learning that the learning occurs more easily and rapidly. Toillustrate, people who learn to drive so that they can get to and from workgenerally find the experience easier and apply themselves to reach this end. In

contrast if you were placed on a course not knowing how it could be applied to

your working or home environments then the experience could be frustrating

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and the learning achieved not optimal. Again this may seem obvious but it is

surprising how many participate in courses without a clearly identified purpose.

Fourth, active participation improves the learning process. Research has also

shown that by actively participating in training events that it improves how

learning is achieved and how long information is retained. As a result dont beafraid to get involved or to make a mistake. After all mistakes are some of the

best examples of learning and creativity in the world.

Finally dont forget to be open to learning. No matter what you current

knowledge and skill levels within this area it is essential that you are prepared to

learn from the course and the other participants. It is also very likely that you

have knowledge and experiences that could benefit the other participants andeven the trainer. Please share what you can as it will make the course more

rewarding for all concerned.

Having introduced the main concepts of adult learning, it is now necessary toapply them to your own learning - both within your working environment and

outside life. Research suggests that the best way to do this is to develop an

action plan that clearly represents your goals and how you plan to achieve

them.

At the end of this training module you will be requested to complete a shortaction plan that will help you guide your ongoing achievement of your goals.

Please note that this is included as a guide and you are free to add or substitute

aspects to meet your own unique goals. You are also free to complete this planafter the course is over if you would prefer. Please remember that since all

answers given are only for your use that it is advisable that you answer them as

accurately and honestly as possible.

All we can do now is to wish you the best of luck with your learning and

hope that you find this course beneficial.

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Pre-Assignment

Welcome to the Time Management Training Module.

In effort to stimulate what you may already know about this module we have included a

few short questions.

It is your choice whether you want to take the assignment or not and it has been designedto assist your learning in the training module. All answers are for your own use only.

1. I believe that my time management skills are effective in the following areas:

a.

b.

c.d.

e.

2. These skills are measurable in the following ways:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Note: Be sure goals are specific, attainable and measurable.

3. I believe that I need to improve my knowledge, skills and abilities in the following

areas:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

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Session 1Learning Objectives

Effective time management skills drive all successful organizations. In thismodule you will learn key time management skills that you can adopt in your

organization to deliver endless results.

When you have completed this module you will be able to define the key concepts

associated with time management and you will be able to:

Identify the main obstacles to effective Time Management in your daily role.

Understand the nature of Time Management.

Understand a range of tools, techniques and concepts for Time Management.

Use these techniques to build an effective Time Management process that will

enhance your productivity and lower your stress.

Explain the benefits of having an effective Time Management process.

NOTES

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Time Management and the Organization

The increased globalization of industry, coupled with rapid technological developmenthas placed increased pressure on organizations to assist staff in managing their time more

effectively. Successes within this area are translated within the organization in the form

of:

Improved productivity through improved use of time by all personnel.

Better performance in terms of on time delivery to customers.

Increased profitability through better use of the human and non-human resources.

Improved planning and control of your business systems through time based

management.

Better alignment of activities by incorporating a time bound system for co-

ordination of tasks and projects within the business.

Reduction of stress that arises from crisis management by reducing the incidence

of crises through better planning.

In order to prepare you to manage your time more effectively, it is necessary to

understand some simple concepts. These are:

What is Time Management?

Time as a Commodity

Essential Habits

Types of Time

Over and Under Estimation of Time

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What is Time Management?

Time management has five main aspects:

1. Planning & Goal Setting

2. Managing Yourself3. Dealing With Other People

4. Your Time

5. Getting Results

You may notice that the first 4 all interconnect and interact to generate the fifth aspect ofresults. In most organizations, it is results that will drive your efforts and need to manage

time effectively. However, you will discover later in this module that other factors willinfluence how you manage time outside the work setting.

NOTES

Time as a Commodity

The following simple statements will assist you frame the importance of time ineverything that you do.

Time is the most precious thing we have

Time is ultimately the most valuable resource Time and how we spend it within the organization must be managed effectively

Time is totally perishable

Time cannot be stored up for use later

Do you agree with all the above statements?

Yes or No Why? _______________________________________

Essential Habits

Research and experience have consistently shown that there are essential habits that drive

excellent time management. These include:

Know where the hours are going

Keep focused on the end result

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Work to defined priorities

Schedule time for important issues

Delegate routine tasks and responsibility for them

Confront your own indecision and delay

Take the stress out of work

If you keep applying the essential habits you will never be excessively concerned about

time.

Exercise: Identify any good habits you have regarding time management. Outline

any bad habits you have and what effect they have on your productivity, stress

levels and personal life.

Types of Time

Although all of us refer to time in terms of either ofnot having enough orhaving too

much it is generally accepted that time should be categorized into two types:

Fast Time

o When absorbed in, or enjoying an activity

Slow Time

o When bored with an activity or having a bad time

o When scared

Exercise: Estimate the passing of a minute without using a watch. How accurate

were you? Did it seem fast or slow?

Over- and Under-Estimating Time

Time for tasks or activities can be either over- or under-estimated due to:

Intensity of activity

Level of brain function

Length of gaps between enjoyments

Fear or ecstasy

Effects of Estimating Time Incorrectly:

Under-estimation of time

Stress due to committing to too many tasks

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Poor quality output

Deadlines may be missed

Over-Estimation of Time

Stress due to people pressing to have activities completed Poor quality output

Deadlines set may not match requirements.

NOTES

Session 2Time Management Principles

Individuals and organizations are paying increased attention to time management as aroute to maximizing the return on activities undertaken. There are four basic principles to

consider:

1. Time Management Principles

2. Spent Time Matrix3. Quadrant 2

4. Time Based Management

Time Management Principles

Covey identified 4 waves in time management each of which help us understand theconcept of time in relation to the organization.

1. Notes and Checklists

Recognition of the demands on energy & time

2. Calendars and appointment books

Scheduling with some focus on the future

3. Prioritization

Comparison of the relative worth of activities

4. Self Management

Realization that time cannot be managed - it is ourselves that we have to manage!

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Exercise: Take a few moments to think how these principles relate to your daily

work. Do you find that points 1 and 2 are principles that meet your everyday needs?

How are you on principles 3 and 4?

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Spent Time Matrix

The Spent Time Matrix is an important tool that will help you make better your use oftime. By understanding what are the implications of being within any one of the

quadrants you will be able avoid the pitfalls of inefficient use of time and will assist you

in prioritizing your time.

Quadrant 1

Quadrant 1 brings

Stress & Burnout

Crises management

Fire-fighting

Focus on the immediate

Quadrant 3

Quadrant 3 brings

Short term focus

Crises management

Low value on goals

Feeling of victimization / lack of control

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Shallow relationships

Quadrants 3 & 4

Cycling between Quadrants 3 & 4 brings:

Total irresponsibility

High dependency on others for basics

Short career path in the organization

Quadrant 2

Being in Quadrant 2 brings:

Vision

Perspective

Balance

Discipline

Control

Exercise: Identify which quadrant you are currently in. Is it the most productive?

What factors cause you to be in this particular quadrant?

When we apply this matrix to organizations we find that most people tend to occupy

quadrant 4 because these tasks usually do not cause stress and create a sometimes secure

comfort zone. To illustrate,

I am busy so I must be doing well.

Moving between quadrant 4 and 3 can also represent a form of safe procrastination where

the individual believes that if they got around to things that all would be fine!

As you start to manage your time ensure that you focus on quadrant 1 and 2 activities.You may even want to keep a list of the things you have to do and then place each item in

the appropriate quadrant to help you understand which activities require attention and

planning. This will be an important step in the road to prioritizing what is important.

Start practising putting time aside each day to work on something that is important butnot necessarily urgent. In doing so, youll save extra time later to handle the unexpected

crises that happen to everyone.

Remember, crises can be avoided or resolved with time on your side as we will see later.

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Characteristics of a Quadrant 2 Person

From the above descriptions, it is clear that the most efficient quadrant to be in isQuadrant 2.

Individuals that consistently occupy this space tend to share particular characteristics.

There are six basic criteria to allow a person to successfully function in Quadrant 2:

Coherence

Balance

Focus

An ability to get on with people

Flexibility

Portability

Quadrant 2 Requirements

The basic requirements to reach Quadrant 2 are:

Clear definition of organizational roles and specifically your own role

Selection of and focus on SMART goals

Development and utilization of schedules

The practice of daily adapting in work role

Saying No and Quadrant 2

To stay within Quadrant 2, there is a requirement that you must say no:

In a professional manner

When items are associated with Quadrant 3 or Quadrant 4 activities

Not important not urgent

Not important but urgent

Will not deliver competitive advantage

Exercise: Do you find it easy to say no? What are your main challenges?

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Exercise: How is no regarded by your colleagues and by management in your

organization?

Time-based Management

The following are the basic fundamentals of time-based management:

Focus is on time and resources

Pre-analysis of performance

Analysis of goals and objectives

Systemization of processes

Lets look at each of these in more detail.

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Focus on Time & Resources

For effective management of time, there needs to be a reasonable attempt made to look atthe time and resources required to complete a task. The quality of the outcome is directly

influenced by the resources and time constraints involved.

F

Pre-Analysis Of Performance

The ability to learn from past experience allows time management to improve

performance as well as the discipline of reviewing past performance allows the

organization to:

Debug projects before initiation and subsequent waste of resources

Define critical points in processes that need to have particular attention paid to

them

Improve the overall utilization of resources by capturing and implementing best

practice

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Analysis of Goals and Objectives

By setting goals that relate to business performance and conform to SMART criteria theorganization will improve productivity:

S -- Specific and well defined objectivesM -- Measurable outputs and inputs.

A -- Achievable in terms of resources available and expectations

R -- Relevant to the overall business strategy

T -- Time bound with an operational schedule

Exercise: Set some goals for yourself using the SMART criteria

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The one thing that we all can say about our work is that we are busy.

However, just because you are busy does not mean that you are productive!

To determine whether you are busy versus productive you will have to differentiate

between:

Effectiveness -- doing the right things

Efficiency -- doing the right things correctly

Problem No. 1

Procrastination is the first problem that all of us face in our journey to manage time moreeffectively.

This is simply putting off doing the things that you should be doing at this point!

To overcome this involves

List all tasks that you are currently putting off.

Remove two from the list by doing them now!

Plan and set a schedule for dealing with the rest.

Reward yourself when the tasks are completed.

Punish or account to yourself when tasks are not completed on schedule.

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Exercise: Do you tend to procrastinate? If so what are the effects and how might

you stop procrastinating?

Dealing with Indecision or Delay

When faced with a task - decide to deal with it according to one of the following actions:

Do it

Delegate it

Dump it

Deadline it

Dissect it

This may at first seem to be a simplification and easier said than done. However, take afew minutes to think about the activities that you engage in everyday and try to see if the

actions above would help you make better use of your time.

If you agree why are you DOING IT NOW!

Problem No. 2

Paralyzing perfectionism is the second problem to solve when deciding whether you arebusy or productive.

This is a failure to recognize the difference between excellence and perfection.

The following definitions should help you decide if you are affected by paralysing

perfectionism:

Excellence is:

Achievable

Healthy

Satisfying

Realistic

Perfection is

Unattainable

Frustrating

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Unrealistic

Problem No. 3

Setting unchallenging objectives is another problem that many busy, but unproductive,

individuals face.

Objectives need to be set that challenge you in a realistic manner and take heed of

resource availability. Otherwise you are busy without any possibility of success.

Now we can use the extended SMART criteria by adding another S. This SMARTS

criteria will ensure that the objectives are:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Time-Bound

Supported by the Organization

Although the conversion of the SMART criteria to SMARTS may seem like a small step,

the difference is really immeasurable. Take a few moments to think of how your efforts

to manage your time have been affected by lack of support from your organization.

Overwork

We all at times believe that we are overworked but are we really?

Overwork can have effects that may be classified as:

Psychological

Physiological

We all have probably expressed that we are overworked at one stage or another in ourcareer. However, people are overloaded for two primary reasons:

The person or team does too much

The person or team has too much to do

To deal with over-work, try the following.

Understand your pressures

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Dont get worked up or panicked

Dont blame everything on yourself

Walk away

Estimate time as well as possible

Agree priorities and keep them

Remind yourself that there is a limited amount of time available to you

The last approach and probably the most important

Breathe and manage your time as you are in control of how you utilize your own

time

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Urgency V Importance

Have you ever noticed that everything at work is always urgent these days? But have youever considered that everything urgent may not be important?

To help you prioritize you will need to differentiate between

Urgent Taskso Assume importance as they demand immediate attention.

Important Tasks

o May become urgent if left undone

o Usually have a long term effect

To judge importance v urgency, gauge tasks in terms of

Impact of doing them

Effect of not doing them

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Exercise: How well can you differentiate between Urgent and Important? Analyse

your day using the Priority Grid and see how much time is spent on urgent issues

compared to that spent on important issues.

Prioritization

The main aim of prioritization is to avoid a crisis. To do this you must

Schedule your Priorities

as opposed to

Prioritizing your Schedule

Exercise: How do you prioritize activities? Draw up a set of guidelines or criteria

that would allow you to prioritize more effectively

Session 4Crisis Management

It is commonly accepted that poor crisis management is closely associated with poor time

management. Often what occurs is that an issue is raised and there is not enough time todeal with it. This is usually then compounded by the stress that is caused by the crisis and

a belief that there is a need to react to the crises.

Many organizations and individuals operate in a constant state of crisis reaction which

generates greater unpredictability within the organization and a negatively charged and

stressful work environment. To avoid this situation and improve your manage your time

skills it is important to consider:

Proactive versus Reactive Work

Why Crises Occur?

Anticipating and Preventing Crises

Proactive v Reactive Work

Reactive work - concentrates on getting things done.

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Handling daily routines

Dealing with urgency

Resolving crises

Handling interruptions

Proactive work - concentrates on making things happen.

Developing plans and schedules

Focusing on key tasks

Achieving deadlines & targets

Managing projects

Although this may seem like a rather subtle difference in terms of working styles, it is all

important when managing your time effectively.

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Why Crises Occur?

Checklist of reasons:

Failure to recognize the crisis

Underestimation of time required

No contingency plan is ready

No follow-up on delegated tasks

Anticipating and Preventing Crises

The most effective way to anticipate and prevent crises is to:

Set deadlines and stick with them

Use interim targets and milestones to break the task or project into manageable

chunks

Build the schedule so that it is realistic

Exercise: Determine the key factors in your organization that lead to crises

occurring. How might the incidence of crises be reduced and what benefit would

this reduction bring?

Rules For Managing Your Time And Managing Crises

Rule 1: Be Proactive

Being proactive means taking initiative, not waiting for others to act first, and beingresponsible for what you do. The opposite of proactive is reactive. Reactive people tend

to react to what goes on around them. Proactive people act based on principles and

purpose. Think about this a little and then write a brief paragraph detailing specificstrategies you can use to be more proactive in your own education; focus on how you can

take greater control over your semester.

Rule 2: Start With A Clear Objective

Think things through. Plan your work. The carpenter's rule is "measure twice, cut once."Planning requires that you set realistic goals, not only for your courses, but also for the

various assignments you have to complete. Take a few minutes to write out your goals

and then list the steps to achieve them. You may even want to add the element of time toeach task--how long will it take and when can you do it.

Rule 3: Target What Is Important First

Make sure to distinguish the goals that are truly important (e.g. completion of a research

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project) from those that may seem urgent but are really not important (e.g. arranging the

weekend's softball game for your buddies). You do not want to spend an inordinate

amount of time doing busywork--work that appears productive but only keeps youoccupied.

Rule 4: Look AheadEssential to being proactive, as opposed to reactive, is to project ahead. One way to

effectively do this is to keep a calendar for each month of the semester. From the syllabifor your courses and the General Information Catalogue, note the important dates such as

test dates, due dates of important assignments, times of mid-term and final exams,

holidays, registration periods, drop dates, and financial aid deadlines. In filling out yourcalendars, note the times of the semester that will be difficult for you and begin to

develop a plan to address the difficulties you anticipate.

An effective tool for those students who occasionally have more to do than they can keep

track of in their minds is the daily "to do" list. First, plan your day at a regular time in the

morning or before bed. Then on a 3x5 card or a sheet of paper, list the specific activitiesyou would like to complete for that day. Examine the list and ask yourself does it

emphasize quadrant 1 and 2 activities or does it contain a lot of unproductive busywork?

If regularly composing daily "to do" lists is not your thing, consider using one when youfind yourself "in the weeds" for example, during mid-terms or the well-known end-of-

semester crunch. A well-crafted list can do wonders.

One Last Word...

If you have never managed your time before, it will take a little bit of time to learn howand to do it. But just like anything else, the more you do it, the better you get. This, in

turn, will allow you to schedule time better and faster. The key, of course, is stick with itfor approximately 30 days so that you can evaluate its effectiveness. You may discoverthat you need to make some slight modifications or maybe even visit the Learning Center

for assistance.

Do not assume, however, that you have to do everything outlined in this section of the

course. Instead identify those suggestions mentioned that will enhance your way ofmanaging time. Perhaps, you prefer to compose daily "to do" lists rather than to maintain

weekly schedules. That's just fine. Be discriminating and remember that, in many cases,

you will have to modify our advice to fit your learning style.

While you are scrutinizing your use of time, make sure to note any patterns to yourwasting time. Also note under what circumstances you use time effectively. No one

knows you better than yourself; in most cases, you are your own best friend.

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Session 5Planning

No discussion on time management would be complete without adequate recognition of

the importance of appropriate planning. The most important rule that you need to

consider is:

FAILING TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL

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In this session we will explore accepted planning best practices and how they impact time

management.

What is a Plan?

A plan is a road map set in real time to reach an objective or set of objectives through theuse of defined resources.

Information & Planning

Essential information -- you need to know what you have to plan.

Once this is established:

Break the task into manageable chunks.

Gauge the time required for each chunk.

Schedule each chunk into a logical sequence.

Time Management Systems

There are certain key criteria that need to be applied to a time management system:

Functional

Portable

Intelligible

Pitfalls associated with time management systems are:

Totally dis-organized system

Nothing can be located when required.

Perfectly maintained system

Too much time is spent keeping the system in perfect condition as opposed to

actioning the items contained within it.

Key components of a time management system are:

Appointments

Dated deadlines

Tasks - to do and work in progress

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Ideas and notes

Key task identification

Personal information

Financial planning records

Crises log

Project log Contact list

Goals & Time-spans

A time management system is useless if defined goals are not available to work towards.

Strategic Goals - long term goals, perhaps out to five years.

Tactical Goals - medium term goals, from 3 - 12 months ahead.

Operational Goals - short-term goals defining the exact action to be taken. Theschedule may cover hours or days.

Checklist for Goals:

Are they realistic and challenging?

Have they been agreed with the manager and linked to the performance appraisal

system?

Do you know what it will look like when you have achieved the goal

(visualization)?

Are the goals important to you?

Is there a time bound aspect to the goals?

Are the goals SMART? What will the reward be once the goals have been achieved?

NOTES

Cascading

Planning levels should cascade as follows:

Yearly Overview Plan

Monthly Plan

Weekly Plan

Daily Plan

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Note that in the cascade, the time span decreases whereas the level of complexity

increases.

The Daily Plan

The daily plan should cover three main areas:

Scheduled activities for the day showing time allocated to each.

Identification of key tasks for the day to allow them to be prioritized.

Indication of who you need to contact during the day to allow you to completetasks.

When setting out the daily plan pay attention to the following points:

When do you perform best, suit your bio-rhythm?

Build in planning time at the start and end of the day

Prioritize actions into musts, shoulds and coulds and focus on the musts

Leave room forunexpecteds

Dont stack meetings back to back

Batch telephone calls

Build in quality time

Converting Your Daily Plan To A Realistic Action Plan

The first step that you will need to do is to clarify your goal. Try to build a picture ofwhat you want to achieve and what will be the expected outcome. Pay particular attention

on how you will measure your goal.

The second step is to write a list of actions that will be needed to achieve this goal. Are

there any major constraints and what resources do you have achieve your goal?

Now you will have to start prioritizing your actions. What actions can you remove oravoid and still maintain your goal

Once you have completed this task it is possible to organize and order your list of action

into a plan.

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Finally you are at a stage where you can execute, evaluate and possibly adjust your plan

in terms of the goal that you initially set.

It seems simple and it is when you carefully plan these steps.

Exercise: Critically appraise your current time management system. Identify its

strengths and weaknesses. Outline how you might make improvements and the

effect they would have.

Session 6Tips & Techniques

Now that you have learnt the important aspects of time management we can explore

practical tips and techniques that will repeatedly help you manage your time moreefficiently.

In this final section we will explore:

Time Logs

Quality Time Managing Documents

Managing Interruptions

Managing Workspace

Managing Your Phone

Time-Logs

A time-log is an effective way to see where your time actually goes to during the working

day. Record the information for about 2 weeks to get a representative picture of time

spent. By logging activities and the time taken to complete them, the time-log provides

useful information that can identify:

Accuracy of estimating time for tasks

Time stealing activities

Level of interruption

Loading during the day.

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Crises points / tasks

Date Time Activity

Sample Time Log remember to provide as much detail as possible

Time logs will help you understand how you use your time, so that you can identify andeliminate all time-wasting activities. As a result time logs will allow you more time to doyour work and increase your productivity at work. In addition, it will also free time so

that you can also achieve a greater work-life balance.

When you set out first to record your time you will more than likely be surprised at theamount of time-wasting activity you engage in. In addition, you will soon realize that

what you thought you did everyday may be quite different. Be patient and keep filling in

the time log and the benefits will soon pay considerable dividends.

As you become more confident at completing your time logs, it is important to turn your

attention to analyzing these logs.

To do this simply review your log and consider what time spent is valuable, what

activities you should continue to follow and how could you free up time by doing things

differently.

The important aspect of this technique is that it allows you to record and review what you

do and what time is used.

Always remember that time is not an endless commodity.

Quality Time

Quality time is where you can plan to do the most important high priority tasks.

It allows for deep concentration through eliminating interruptions

It imposes a structure on work

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It allows you to move away from reactive work to proactive work

Dealing with Documents

Document handling can steal a vast quantity of time from your working day. Improve

your document handling by handling documents only once by:

Act on what is required by the document

File the document for reference later

Dump the document

Have a good system for handling your documents that allows you to:

Define what you need to keep and for how long

File materials easily and logically

Facilitates access to materials

Purge the files on a regular basis

Managing Interruptions

In any given day we are all interrupted at some stage from the activity that we are

undertaking. Whether this is by a phonecall or a colleague calling to our office they allcan impact the time you have allocated to a particular task.

Your objective should be to try to reduce the number of unwanted interruptions by

applying the following practical techniques:

Create a visual barrier at your workspace to reduce the incidence of drop-in

visits

Dont have extra chairs in your workspace - people do not hang around as long if

they must stand

For important work - move to another space so the potential interrupters cant find

you!

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Tell people that you are busy, explain why and arrange to contact them at a more

suitable time

It is always not possible to manage interruptions but it is important that we try to limit the

frequency if these interruptions.

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Managing Your Workspace

How your workspace is organized has an impact on how efficient you are at managingyour time.

How many times have you said:

I must tidy my desk and get on top of my paperwork.

The following will help you improve your efficiency:

De-clutter your desk by clearing it at the end of each working day

File documents once they have been used

Purge files regularly

Organize a workflow system in your space

Managing Your Phone

The telephone can be responsible for eating vast quantities of your time. Although many

of these calls are a necessary part of your everyday work it is important that you manage

the phone by using the following simple rules:

Batch your outward calls

Delegate calls that you dont have to make personally to one of your team Terminate calls once the business has been done

Set up a rota in your team for handling incoming calls

In this final section we have explored some practical tips and techniques that will allowyou manage your time more effectively at work.

It is important that you apply and practise these techniques often so that your timemanagement skills will continually improve.

Remember time management is a skill that can be learnt all you have to be is open to

this learning.

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Exercise: Complete a time log each day for the next 2 weeks. Look at the level of

interruption and productivity blockers that appear. Explain how these barriers to

performance can be reduced using effective time management techniques.

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Successful Time Management is based on consistently applying a few simple techniques

to how we approach work and the lives we lead.

Have a great planning system and use it

Take on realistic goals and schedule accurately Do not over-commit

Set and agree priorities to distinguish between urgent and important tasks

Build in some flexibility to cope with unexpecteds

Control your documents, workspace and phone

Dont procrastinate Manage Your Time Today

Define and use periods of quality time in your schedule

Learn to say No in a professional manner

Stay away from perfectionism and aim for excellence

Build in time for personal development

Always you are in control of your own time you may just choose to release the controlat times.

NOTES

NOTES

Post-Assignment

Congratulations on completing the Time Management Training Module.

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To help you assess what you have learnt from this module please complete the following short

assignment.

This assignment has been designed to assist your learning and answers are for your own use only.It is your choice whether you want to take the assignment or not, or if you would like to review

the material as you find the answers for the questions. What is important is that you arecomfortable with the knowledge that you have gained from the training course.

1. What do you think time management is?

2. How does time management benefit the organization?

3. List four essential habits of effective time management?

4. Name and explain two types of time?

5. Explain Coveys four waves of time?

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6. Explain why it is beneficial to stay in Quadrant 2?

7. What does SMART stand for?

8. What is the difference between busy and productive work?

9. How would you deal with indecision or delay?

10. How would you differentiate between urgency and importance?

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11. Complete the following saying and explain what you think it means

Schedule your priorities as opposed to

12. What are the differences between proactive and reactive work?

13. What are the most effective ways of preventing crises?

14. Complete the following saying and explain what you think it means

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Failure to plan is

15. What is a plan?

16. What are the key components of a time management system?

17. What should a Daily Plan include?

18. How should you manage interruptions?

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Action Plan

1. I believe that my Time Management skills are effective in the following areas:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

2. These skills are measurable in the following ways:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Note: Be sure goals are specific, attainable and measurable.

3. I believe that I need to improve my knowledge, skills and abilities in the following

areas:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Note: These improvements will represent your goals from completion of the course.

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4. These improvements will be measurable in the following ways:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

5. To attain these improvements I will need to:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

6. This is how I plan to attain these improvements:

Goal Action Step Target Date Proposed Evidence

7. The following people and resources will assist me in accomplishing my goals:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

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8. The following are constraints that may impact the achievement of my goals:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

9. Here is a list of others factors that I need to consider in achieving my goals:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

10. To achieve my goals will involve:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Signed: _____________________________

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Recommended Reading:

The Time Trap: The Classic Book on Time Management by

R. Alec MacKenzie, Alec MacKenzie (Paperback - July 1997)

Time Management from the Inside Out, second edition :The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule--

and Your Life by Julie Morgenstern (Paperback)

Time Tactics of Very Successful People by B. Eugene

Griessman (Paperback)

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity byDavid Allen (Paperback - January 2003)

How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan

Lakein (Mass Market Paperback - July 1996)

How to Be Organized in Spite of Yourself: Time and SpaceManagement That Works With Your Personal Style by

Sunny Schlenger, Roberta Roesch (Paperback)

Time Management for Dummies, Second Edition by JeffreyJ. Mayer (Paperback)

Time Management for the Creative Person : Right-Brain

Strategies for Stopping Procrastination, Getting Control ofthe Clock and Calendar, and Freeing Up Your Time and Your

Life by Lee Silber (Paperback)

Time Management : Proven Techniques for Making the Most

of Your Valuable Time by Marshall J. Cook (Paperback -September 1998)

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Overwhelmed Person's Guide to Time Management by

Ronni Eisenberg, Kate Kelly (Paperback)

Time Management: Increase Your Personal Productivity

And Effectiveness (Harvard Business Essentials) by

Harvard Business School Press (Other Contributor)(Paperback)

10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Managementby Hyrum W. Smith (Paperback)

Organizing from the Inside Out, second edition : The

Foolproof System For Organizing Your Home, Your Officeand Your Life by Julie Morgenstern (Paperback)

Time Management is an Oxymoron by Maynard Rolston(Paperback - November 2001)

Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof

System for Taking Control of Your Schedule and Your Life

by Julie Morgenstern (Paperback)

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http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0452276829/qid=1126715792/sr=8-10/ref=pd_bbs_10/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1591396336/qid=1126715792/sr=8-11/ref=pd_bbs_11/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1591396336/qid=1126715792/sr=8-11/ref=pd_bbs_11/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0446670642/qid=1126715792/sr=8-12/ref=pd_bbs_12/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805075895/qid=1126715792/sr=8-13/ref=pd_bbs_13/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805075895/qid=1126715792/sr=8-13/ref=pd_bbs_13/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805075895/qid=1126715792/sr=8-13/ref=pd_bbs_13/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1585970964/qid=1126715792/sr=8-14/ref=pd_bbs_14/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805064699/qid=1126715792/sr=8-15/ref=pd_bbs_15/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805064699/qid=1126715792/sr=8-15/ref=pd_bbs_15/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805064699/qid=1126715792/sr=8-15/ref=pd_bbs_15/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1585970964/qid=1126715792/sr=8-14/ref=pd_bbs_14/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805075895/qid=1126715792/sr=8-13/ref=pd_bbs_13/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0446670642/qid=1126715792/sr=8-12/ref=pd_bbs_12/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1591396336/qid=1126715792/sr=8-11/ref=pd_bbs_11/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0452276829/qid=1126715792/sr=8-10/ref=pd_bbs_10/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0452276829/qid=1126715792/sr=8-10/ref=pd_bbs_10/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1591396336/qid=1126715792/sr=8-11/ref=pd_bbs_11/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1591396336/qid=1126715792/sr=8-11/ref=pd_bbs_11/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0446670642/qid=1126715792/sr=8-12/ref=pd_bbs_12/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805075895/qid=1126715792/sr=8-13/ref=pd_bbs_13/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805075895/qid=1126715792/sr=8-13/ref=pd_bbs_13/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805075895/qid=1126715792/sr=8-13/ref=pd_bbs_13/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1585970964/qid=1126715792/sr=8-14/ref=pd_bbs_14/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805064699/qid=1126715792/sr=8-15/ref=pd_bbs_15/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805064699/qid=1126715792/sr=8-15/ref=pd_bbs_15/103-8560229-0507019?v=glance&s=books&n=507846


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