Time management

TIME MANAGEMENT
Twenty percent of your time will produce 80% of your productive output. Can you afford not to manage at-least that 20% ?

I am very busy. The second crisis comes in before the first has finished
I don’t feel I have achieved anything this year
I don’t have control on my life. Things pile one on top of the other
I wish I have more than 24 hours per day so that I can get more things done
The company overloads me with work. There is no time to breathe
Common Problems

20% people feel they are short
of time. They feel so concerned that
they self find answers to Time Mgmt
10% people feel they are short
of time. They realize this and
are keen to get help and see
how they can improve Time Mgmt
70% people feel they are not short
of time. Though they don’t mind
listening to someone. And then
tell him why all that is impractical
Where are you?

The "Three Ps" of Effective Time Management
Planning - If you don’t have time for planning, you’d better find the time.
Priorities - Not everything you do is of equal importance. Priorities are not constant, they must be re-evaluated.
Procrastination - The anti-Nike – just don’t do it.

Ten Myths about Time
Time can be managed.
The longer or harder you work the more you accomplish.
If you want something done right, do it yourself.
You aren’t supposed to enjoy work.
We should take pride in working hard.
You should try to do the most in the least amount of time.
Technology will help you do it better, faster.
Do one thing at a time.
Handle paper only once.
Get more done and you’ll be happier.

Time Wasters
Attempting too much.
Not saying no.
Incomplete information.
Management by crisis, fire fighting.
Interruptions.

Interruptions…
If no one asked questions we wouldn't have jobs.
Anticipate the most common questions/issues: Pro-active vs reactive.
Set time aside for “personal” things….

Making the Best Use of Time
Decide that you don’t have to please everyone.
Let go–don’t be a perfectionist.
Resist the temptation to do small, insignificant tasks too well.
Outsource what you can.

Why do we procrastinate?
Don’t know where to start.
To avoid an unpleasant task.
We’re afraid to fail.
Waiting for more information.
You may think if you put it off someone else will do it.
You’re over-committed.

To overcome procrastination:
You do not work best under pressure.
List the things you have been avoiding. Prioritize them. Try to do at least one of them each day until you catch up.

Timing
Knowing when not to work on something is as important as knowing when to work on something else.
Save the easiest tasks for the end of the day.

Get The Most Out Of the First Two Hours of the Day
Don’t eat breakfast at work.
Don’t schedule meetings for this time.
Start with the most important work of the day.
Do the things you don’t want to do first.

Filing Documents
You can do only 4-5 things with any piece of information:
Toss it
Re-direct it
Act on it
File it
Read it

“Logic-based disposal”
Does it require action on my part?
Does it exist elsewhere?
Is it outdated?
Will I really use it again?
What’s the worst thing that could happen if I don’t have this info?
Does anyone else need this info?

Other Filing Tips
Never file envelopes unless the postmark is significant.
Write a keyword on the item when you read it.
File according to how you’ll use it, not where it came from.
Judy’s law…If you spend much time looking for something, put it back where you found it. Or at least put a pointer there.

Managing Your To-Read Pile
You will probably never be able to read everything you would like to read.
Read with a pen in your hand.
Scan.
Share your reading with a friend.
Keep a reading file.

Managing Your Email
Check only 4 times a day.
Filter and triage.
Don’t print out messages.

STRATEGIC PLANNING
Failing to plan is planning to fail
Plan Each Day, Each Week, Each Semester
You can always change your plan, but only once you have one!

Why aren’t we organized?
It takes too much time.
You don’t know how.
You want to do it “perfectly.”

The price of not being organized?
Missed deadlines.
Overlooked opportunities.
Wasted time.
Lost customers due to poor or slow service.
Wasted money.

Using Your Calendar
Add a meeting as soon as you know about it.
Write dates for follow-up on calendar.
Include personal deadlines.
Have one master calendar.
If you use an electronic calendar, back it up regularly.

Eliminating things from your to do list
What’s the worst that can happen if you don’tdo this?
Am I the only person who can do this?
Must it be done now?
Is there an easier way to do it?

PRIORITIZATION
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

The four-quadrant TO DO List
Due Soon
Not Due Soon
Important
Not
Important

Your daily list of tasks
Tasks that take you towards your goals
One Sheet a Day
Tasks with defined importance:
A: important and urgent: deadlines, fire fighting
B: important and not urgent: Planning, Holidays
C: urgent and not important: Interruptions, meetings
D: not important and not urgent: junk mail , time wasters
Creating TO DO lists

Create the list before you start the day
15 minutes of investment will help you everyday
End of day: Review Status
Status: C – Completed, T – Transferred, A – Abandoned, I – In progress
Working with TO DO Lists

Date: 07-Aug-2009
Sample TO DO list

Look at your big list of To Do
Ask – Is it Important, Is it Urgent, Is it Crisis, Will it be costly if I delay it
Subsequently schedule the day or the time
Keep some buffers
Be flexible to change but don’t change on small reasons
Prioritizing - Scheduling

Be both efficient and effective
Efficiency is
Effectiveness is
Too many people spend lots of time making sure they are doing things right and not enough determining if they are doing the right things.
Often worst performers are those who seem to be working hardest and longest. They are very busy but not necessarily effective.
completing a task with the least possible amount of wasted labor, cash, or time.
doing what will make the most difference.

Give Yourself Permission to Fail
Failure is okay, if...
If you have not failed, it means you have not risked, not challenged yourself.
You learn from your past experiences …and acquired your experiences because you failed in the past.

THANK YOU!
Exercise

32
Time Journals
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

35
Using Time Journal Data
What am I doing that doesn’t really need to be done?
What am I doing that could be done by someone else?
What am I doing that could be done more efficiently?
What do I do that wastes others’ time?

Time management

by patcourtois on Oct 19, 2009

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Time management — Presentation Transcript