Time Management

http://www.northstarontario.com

Time management

Helen Zhao

December 2007


Outline

• Definition

• Resistors and drivers

• Techniques for setting priorities

• Time management—Techniques

• Tools

• Tips and Pitfalls

• Life-work balance

• Recommended Tools

• Questions?


Definition

•Definition

Management of time on order to make the

most out of it.

�� What we really manage is our own

activity to make sure that they are

accomplished within the available or

allocated time. So the core term is “tasks”.


Resistors to change time management approach

• Fear of change

• Uncertainty

Not sure when and how to start

• Time pressure

Changing may involve more work at the start, thus in the very

short term, make things worse

• Lack of will

�� People need to overcome above resistors in order to apply a new time management approach to gain the benefits for a long term.


Drivers for time management

• Increased effectiveness

• Performance improvement

• Personal development

• Increased responsibilities

Become necessary as a result of a promotion or

additional responsibilities. Since there is more work

to do, and still the same amount of time available,

the approach must change.


Techniques for setting priorities

•ABC analysis

Categorization tasks into groups (A,B,C, or D)

A: critical and immediate

B: important, but slightly less time-sensitive

C: not time-sensitive-yet

D: optional but nice to do

For multiple tasks in same group, use number to

indicate their priorities like A1, A2 ,…



• Pareto analysis – 80/20 rule

Pareto’s Principle, the 80/20 Rule, should serve as

a daily reminder to focus 80 percent of your time

and energy on the 20 percent of the tasks that are

really important and represent 80% of your value.

Don’t just work smart; work smart on the right

things.



• The Eisenhower Method --used by US President

Dwight D. Eisenhower

ImportantUrgent

UnimportantUrgent

ImportantNot urgent

UnimportantNot urgent X

Do immediately Delegated

Planned


Time management --Techniques

• Create a “task List”

• Prioritize the tasks

Use one or more of the discussed method

• Estimate the task durations

• Plan your schedule

Be realistic and always set some time aside for

enjoy and unexpected problems or opportunities

• Work the schedule



• Evaluate the result

1. At the end of report period (day, week), assess results

against schedule

2. Grade the performance as A to F where A for complete

successfully, F for did not do the task, and others for B,

C, and D

• Decide the changes need to make

1. Analyze the reasons for grade lower than A

2. Decide the change in order to get your expected

results

• Revisit the task list, reset priority, and repeat the above

procedures



Three Core!

Establish expectations

Evaluation results

Make improvement


Tools

• PDA

• Organizer

• Task tracking software

• Time tracking software

• Project management

software


Tips

• Set goals (attainable, measurable, written,

accountable, and with deadlines)

• Do them on time

• Be reasonable and realistic

• Delegate effectively

• Just say no (with and honest)

• Anticipate unexpected and make the plan to

handle it

• Keep track of things

• Use tools


Pitfalls

• Too detail on tasks

• List without priority

• Open task list

• No flexible

• No evaluation system


Life-work balance

• Better time management will yield a better life-work

balance.

1. Reduce stress – as we balance the demands and

what we could provide by scheduling tasks

2. Reduce frustration – make the correct expectation

3. Be more confident

4. Feel better

5. Gain more time for personal enjoyment

� Achieve better life-work balance


Recommended Tools

• eAssistant from NorthStar Technologies (SaaS)

Link: http://www.northstarontario.com

• A centralized web based time management tool for all people within

a company or group

• It streamlines and automates the routine tasks in management of

on-going operation, projects, and employees

• The managerial personnel could view, save, or print the auto-

generated reports about operational tasks, projects, and

assignments.

• The people could see their new assignments instantly, track the

progress and evaluate the results on their tasks.

• Managerial personnel updates the assignments based on the

analysis on the evaluation results


Recommended Tools

Advantages:VS. Outlook:

It could be used for a group of people. The groups members’

tasks and their results are visible to the managers

VS. MS project

It is web based and are used for all employees, while the MS

project license is client-based. It eliminates the manual

process in communications. The up-to-date information is

visible to all stakeholders.

VS. other web based time management tools

The routine tasks and the process from information collection to distribution is automated and thus save the time for its users.


Recommended Tools

The eAssistant Demo Available

• Request an on-site demo (only for GTA area) or an online

demo at http://www.northstarontario.com/demo

Documents

Time Management