Time Management

Topics

• What Works For You

• Common Time Wasters

• Time Management Strategies

No one knows as much as all of us

Ask Yourself

Do you make yourself a to-do list?

How often do you accomplish what you plan?

How often are your plans hindered by interruptions?

If you could only work 2 hours a day, what would you do?

Walk-up interruptionsTelephone interruptions

Internet SurfingExtended breaks Poor planning

ProcrastinationCluttered work space

Poorly run meetingsConversations

Misfiled information Last minute changesWaiting/Delays Duplication of Effort

Spam Mail

Time Wasters

Analyse Your Personal Work Preferences

• Noise level• Activity level• Physical Environment• Interaction with Others

What can you change?

“Hard work is often the easy work that you did not do at the proper time”

Procrastination and Avoidance

• Why do you come to work?

• Create a rewards system

• Break tasks down into smaller tasks

Get Rhythm

• Take advantage of your natural energy cycles

• Schedule the most difficult activities when your energy levels are highest

• Schedule mundane tasks when your energy levels are at their lowest

Get into the Groove

Adapted from Mihaly Cslkszentmihalyi

“Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience”

Time Wasters – Meetings

Waiting Time

• Always confirm your appointment the day before

• Don’t arrive more than 5 minutes early

• Always have something with you to work on during unavoidable delays

Running Meetings

Is a physical meeting required?

• Make sure the meeting starts on time even if all attendees have not arrived yet

• Prepare well in advance of the meeting

• Stick to the agenda and schedule

• Don’t be too democratic – stay focused

• Wrap up your meetings properly

E-mail Management

• Do not check email continually – Work Offline helps if you need to focus

• Check your email once an hour throughout the day for urgent matters

• Each time that you check your email, process all of it according to the rules you’ve developed

• Choose the time of day that you’re least productive to focus on responding to and clearing e-mail

• Learn to say No (or at least Not Now)

• Set boundaries around interruptions

• Be assertive (but nice)

Managing Others

Project Quality

Time

Scope

Cost

Time-Managing New Projects

Quadrant I: Urgent and Important Quadrant II: Important and Not Urgent

Quadrant III: Urgent and Not Important Quadrant IV: Not Urgent, Not Important

Steven Covey’s Quadrant

Quadrant I: Urgent and Important

• Crisis, Pressing Problems• Deadline-driven projects

• Immediate Focus• Stress, burnout, fire-fighting

Quadrant II: Important and Not Urgent

Significant Projects and Tasks

• Preparation and Planning• Prevention

Quadrant III: Urgent and Not Important

• Interruptions• Some phone calls, e-mails• Some meetings

Short term focus, low value on goals

Quadrant IV: Not Urgent, Not Important

• Trivia & Gossip• Some phone calls, most email• Fun stuff

Time Wasters

Steven Covey’s Quadrant

Pareto Principle

Getting to Quadrant II

Focus on SMART goals

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable

• Relevant

• Time Bound

• Analyse your preferred working method and your energy cycles• Leverage the style that works best for you

• Reduce/Eliminate your chief time-wasters

• Organise your Tasks via the four Quadrants

• Review the 80/20 rule

In Summary

Summary (Cont’d)

• Always be on the lookout for ways to free up your time

• Suggest improvements to your manager

• Review your progress against tasks at the end of the day

Ask

If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?