Tools for Time Management

Laura Jacob Pro Way DevelopmentProwaydevelopment.comlaura@prowaydevelopment.com203.961.0227

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Learning Outcomes

· Apply tools designed to help determine priorities· Examine new time management strategies and techniques· Apply tools to help make good decisions under pressure· Select tools and techniques to apply back work and home

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Questions for Discussion· How are you currently managing your time?· Time management or self management?

Can time be managed?

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What are your time wasters?

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How people spend their timeTime use on average work day for employed persons ages 25 to 54 with children

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Hours Other 1.6 hrsEating & drinking 1.1 hrs

Caring for others 1.2 hrs

Household activities 1.0 hr

Working & related activities 8.8 hrs

Sleeping 7.7 hrs

Leisure & sports 2.6 hrs

Note: Data include employee persons on days they worked, ages 25-54, who lived in households with children under 18. Data include non-holiday weekdays and are annual average for 2012. Data include related travel for each activity. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey

Time use on average work day for employed persons ages 25 to 54 with children

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What throws you out of focus?

Focus is lost!

Lack of Clarity

Surprise

Stress

Lack of decisions

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S. Covey “Focus – Achieving Your Highest Priorities”

Plan

Daily

Plan Weekly

Set Goals

Identify Values

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Productivity Pyramid

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Know your best time

Find your creative/thinking time.

Defend it ruthlessly.

Find your dead time.

Schedule meetings, phone calls, and mundane stuff during it.

Don’t forget to take a break and eat!

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Multitasking– is it a myth?

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Email

Clear two interruptions that came in during email segment

Return calls Organize Project A

Break!

Segment Tasking = Improved Workflow!

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Top 20% Activities

Creates 80% Results

Pareto Principle

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Prioritize…. Here’s a tool

Activity Urgent Importance Total Priority5= high1 = low

+ 5 = high1 = low

Highest number = the highest priority

1. List your day’s or week’s tasks in column 12. On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest, rate each task’s Urgency3. On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest, rate each task’s

Importance4. Use the Priority column to list your priorities and add any other

comments. If two items have the same score, subjectively choose the priority

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Guidelines for Prioritizing

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Delegation

Delegate Don’t Delegate

· Tasks and projects that are related to work subordinates are doing or would help them develop

· Whole projects, not just mundane tasks

· Tasks of a sensitive nature· Tasks involving confidential

information· Tasks that are not clearly defined

or about which uncertainty exists

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· Decide what you expect as a final outcome· Pick the right person – may not be the most skilled….· Explain level of authority· Establish check in points· Don’t ask… “Do you understand”· Evaluate· Call the delegation back without prejudice if needed· Others?

Delegation tips

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· The problem with crises is that they are always UNEXPECTED!

· Give yourself a reasonable cushion in your schedule.

· Determine and validate priorities· Maintain focus on priorities· Communicate assertively· Make good decisions under pressure

Sometimes you have to go slow, to go fast to avoid errors!

Crises

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· Take a moment to plan.

· Get help if you need it.

· Breathe!

· Revise your plan. Renegotiate other

deadlines.

· Evaluate how the crisis can be

avoided in the future.

What to do when everything seems like a crisis

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· When faced with a difficult project, staring at a blank page can be overwhelming – getting started on it is some small way will help you move things along faster!

· Putting off unpleasant tasks and attempting to do them when your energy is low will hurt you in the long run.

· Schedule time on your calendar for an activity you have been procrastinating on or avoiding.

Avoid procrastination

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· Clutter is death; it leads to thrashing. Keep desk clear: focus on one thing at a time.

· A good file system is essential.

· Touch each piece of paper once.

· Touch each piece of email once; your inbox is not your TO DO list.

Paperwork

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· Keep calls short; stand during call

· Start by announcing goals for the call

· Have something in view that you’re waiting to get to next

· If you are working on something important, don’t answer it

· Group outgoing calls: just before lunch and 5pm

The Phone

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· Set specific times to respond to email – Block it off in your calendar.

· Thank people in advance.· If an email goes back and forth more than twice, pick up the

phone.· Get off irrelevant mailing lists. · Use rules, flag items.· Be as clear as you can in the subject line.· Use out of office.· Others?

Email

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Working from ZeroSTAR System for Email

Scan for Hot stuff

Trash 20-37%

Action33-50%

Reference30-40%

Your inbox is not for storage. It’s for new stuff!

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· E-mail noise on new mail is an interruption -> TURN IT OFF!!

· Cut things short “I’m in the middle of something now…”

· Start with “I only have 5 minutes” – you can always extend this

· Stand up, stroll to the door, complement, thank, shake hands

· Clock-watching; on wall behind them Drop-in Visitors

· Remove the candy dish!

Drop in visitors and other interruptions

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· Agenda· Ground rules· Parking lot· Speak to disruptive people off

line

Unproductive meetings

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· It’s amazing what you learn!

· Monitor yourself in 15 minute increments for between 3 days and two weeks.

· Update every ½ hour: not at end of day

· Do it from the minute you get up until you go to sleep

Time audit

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Resetting Expectations

Which “No” Is the Right One?

· 1. Relegate: “no” to the timing· 2. Delegate: “no” to the

accountability· 3. Eliminate: “no” to the

responsibility· 4. Concentrate: “no” to the

distraction

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“I” statements when team members let you down

· When you... (describe the specific behavior or the result of the behavior you have observed)

· I feel... (briefly describe your feelings or the impact it had)

· Because... (specify consequences of their behavior, impact on team, department, other people)

· What I would prefer (recommend, expect, insist on)... (describe how you would like the other personto behave)

· Because... (describe the benefit(s) of the new behavior)· What do you think?

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Tell people what you need!

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· Complete an action plan with two SMART goals from today’s class.

· Review your plan.· When you get off the phone share with a partner.· Get some feedback and ideas.· Set up a time to check in in two weeks.

· Time Management App Rescuetime.com

Action plan

Thank you!

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Laura Jacob Pro Way DevelopmentProwaydevelopment.comlaura@prowaydevelopment.com203.961.0227