21 May 2009 1

PROF. V. VISWANADHAM
21 May 2009 2

WHAT ?
WHY ?
HOW ?
21 May 2009 3

VES
IMPRO
21 May 2009 4

TIME MANAGEMENT
.....
The tools or techniques
.. .
for planning and scheduling time,
with the aim to increase
.....
........
the effectiveness and/or efficiency
.
of personal and corporate time use.
..

• To gain a sense of control on the
......
time spent.
..
• To increase personal availability.
• To motivate yourself to set goals,
......
to prioritize and take initiatives
....
to feel that you are taking
control of your life. . . .
and to

STRES
..........
.... . . . .
S

PLANNING TAKES TIME:
NOT PLANNING TAKES
21 May 2009
RE
MO TIME
9

21 May 2009 10

21 May 2009 11

ESSENTIALLY . . .
TIME MANAGEMENT IS
1 st
THINGS 1st
DOES A BETTER ALTERNATIVE
EXIST AT ALL ?

TIME IS UNCONTROLLABLE
WE CANNOT MANAGE TIME
WE CAN ONLY MANAGE OURSELVES &
OUR USE OF TIME
HENCE,
TIME MANAGEMENT IS
ESSENTIALLY
SELF – MANAGEMENT

MANAGING OURSELVES &
OUR USE OF TIME
ESSENTIALLY,
IT CONSISTS OF . . .
~ AN IDEA OF PRIORITISATION,
OF CLARIFYING VALUES, &
OF COMPARING ~
THE RELATIVE WORTH
OF ACTIVITIES,
BASED ON THEIR
RELATIONSHIP
TO THOSE VALUES.

TIME MANAGEMENT INVOLVES . . .
IDENTIFYING YOUR MOST PRODUCTIVE HOURS ~
THE HOURS WHEN YOU FEEL YOU ARE MOST CREATIVE
FOR INTENSE WORK
NOTE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE
DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY,
WHILE SOME FEEL THAT DURING THE LATER PART OF
THE DAY, THEY ARE BETTER
BE CLEAR ABOUT YOUR
PRODUCTIVE HOURS,
AND PLAN YOUR WORK ACCORDINGLY

THUS, THE FOCUS IS ON
SETTING GOALS –
[SPECIFIC LONG-TERM,
MEDIUM-TERM &
SHORT-TERM GOALS]
AND DIRECTING TIME & ENERGY
TOWARDS THE ATTAINMENT
OF THESE GOALS,
IN HARMONY WITH VALUES.

THE FIRST STEP
– DETERMINE YOUR GOALS ~
BE CLEAR, DETAILED AND SPECIFIC
ABOUT YOUR FUTURE PLANS
AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TODAY,
TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE GOALS.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER WAY,
TO CONCRETISE YOUR GOALS.
BE WILLING TO DO
AT LEAST SOMETHING, EVERY DAY,
IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.
TIME MANAGEMENT
BEGINS AND IMPROVES WITH
GOAL-SETTING.

SOME IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS:
3. HAVE YOU SET YOUR GOALS ?
1. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN LIFE ?
2. TO BECOME
WHAT YOU WANT TO BECOME,
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO LEARN ?
Contd…

I I
M 1. RELATIONSHIP
M 2. DEAD-LINE DRIVEN
P BUILDING
P 3. PLANNING PROJECTS
O
O R 4. RECOGNISING NEW 3. PRESSING PROBLEMS
R T OPPORTUNITIES
T 4. CRISES
A
A N
N T
C
E 1. SOME PHONE CALLS
N
2. SOME MAIL 2. INTERRUPTIONS
O
3. SOME VISITORS 3. SOME REPORTS
T
4. PLEASANT ACTIVITIES
4. PRESSING MATTERS
I
M
P NOT URGENT
URGENT
URGENCY ~

SOME USEFUL HINTS: [ 7 Hints ]
3. LIST ALL YOUR USUAL ACTIVITIES
2. CLASSIFY THEM AS (A) URGENT & NOT URGENT, and
(B) IMPORTANT & NOT IMPORTANT
3. ACT ACCORDINGLY ~ OTHERWISE,
YOU WILL BE FORCED TO DO THINGS HURRIEDLY,
WITH UNANTICIPATED CONSEQUENCES.
4. OBSERVE YOUR OWN ACTION PREFERENCES :
SOME PEOPLE ALWAYS BEGIN WITH
LESS URGENT AND LESS IMPORTANT WORKS.
IT WOULD BE BETTER TO BEGIN WITH
MORE URGENT AND MORE IMPORTANT WORKS.
[ Contd… ]

SOME USEFUL HINTS: [ Contd… ]
5. DO NOT ENGAGE YOURSELF IN ACTIVITIES
THAT HAVE NOTHING AT ALL TO DO
WITH YOUR GOALS.
6. DO NOT FALL A VICTIM
TO THE UNFORTUNATE TENDENCY OF
MISINTERPRETING
URGENCY FOR IMPORTANCE.
7. POSTPONING AND WAITING TO DO A TASK,
UNTIL IT BECOMES URGENT,
DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
=====

PRACTICE USING TIME-TRACKING TOOLS:
MONTHLY PLANNER,
WEEKLY OBJECTIVES LIST
WEEKLY PLANNER,
TIME-LOG, ETC.
1. LIST THINGS TO BE DONE
2. TRACK THINGS ALREADY COMPLETED /
PARTLY FINISHED/
TO BE FOLLOWED UP, ETC.
3. COMPARE THE TIME ACTUALLY SPENT,
WITH TIME THAT WAS PLANNED TO BE SPENT,
AND DRAW USEFUL LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE.
~ NOTE YOUR TENDENCIES AND DISTRACTIONS.
4. ANALYSE TIME WASTERS AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN
REALLY DO ABOUT THEM.

TIME TESTED TIME TIPS
FOLLOW THESE AND HOPEFULLY
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE
A BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME.
7. ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF,
“IS WHAT I AM WORKING ON RIGHT NOW,
THE BEST USE OF MY TIME?”
HOW WILL YOU KNOW,
IF IT IS THE BEST USE OF YOUR TIME?
IT WILL BE THE BEST USE, IF:
- IT IS GOING TO HELP YOU
TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
- SOMEONE ELSE COULD NOT BE
WORKING ON IT
21 May 2009 23

TIME TESTED TIME TIPS
2. GENERALLY WE FOCUS ON
‘WHEN YOU NEED TO FINISH SOMETHING’ –
INSTEAD FOCUS ON
‘WHEN YOU SHOULD BE STARTING’.
THEN, START WHEN YOU NEED TO.
USUALLY, WE TEND TO UNDERESTIMATE THE TASK,
AND ALSO, SIMULTANEOUSLY
OVERESTIMATE OUR ABILITY, SPEED,
EFFICIENCY, AVAILABILITY OF TIME, ETC. AND
TEND TO PUT OFF THE ‘IMPORTANT WORK’
IN FAVOUR OF THE URGENT ITEMS,
UNTIL THE IMPORTANT WORK,
BECOMES ‘URGENT’.
THUS, WE START LOSING THE BATTLE.
21 May 2009 24

TIME TESTED TIME TIPS
3. SCHEDULE THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK,
DURING THE TIME WHEN YOUR ENERGY IS HIGHEST.
THE EARLIER IN THE DAY THE BETTER.
TAKE CONTROL OF THE DAY, BEFORE IT
TAKES CONTROL OF YOU.
21 May 2009 25

TIME TESTED TIME TIPS
4. PLAN WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE A PLAN,
YOU TEND TO ALLOW YOURSELF
TO BE INTERRUPTED, DISTRACTED AND DELAYED
FROM ACCOMPLISHING WHAT
IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU.
- DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THE WEEK.
LIST YOUR OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK,
IN ORDER OF PRIORITY.
- PLAN THE FOLLOWING WEEK,
BEFORE SATURDAY EVENING OR
EARLY SUNDAY MORNING –
YOU WILL HAVE TIME TO GIVE FINISHING TOUCHES.
- ALLOW ENOUGH TIME, TO FINISH
21 May 2009 26
A COMPLETE PART OF THE TASK (A MILESTONE)

TIME TESTED TIME TIPS
5. RECOGNISE THAT YOU WILL NEED
TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME INTERRUPTIONS.
THERE WILL BE SUDDEN CHANGES IN WORK.
BUILD INTO YOUR SCHEDULE SOME TIME
FOR INTERRUPTIONS AND
NEW OR UNEXPECTED WORK.
WHEN YOU HAVE A ‘MARGIN OF SAFETY’,
IT HELPS YOU TO MAINTAIN CONTROL.
21 May 2009 27

TIME TESTED TIME TIPS
6. WHENEVER YOU HAVE A CHOICE,
DON’T CRAM THINGS TOGETHER.
IF ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES RUNS LATE,
YOU WILL BE RUSHING
FROM ONE PROJECT TO THE NEXT
OR ONE APPOINTMENT TO THE NEXT.
THAT CREATES ADDITIONAL STRESS
THAT YOU DON’T REALLY NEED TO ADD.
ALLOW SOME EXTRA MINUTES IN BETWEEN
SO THAT YOU WON’T BE AS RUSHED.
21 May 2009 28

TIME TESTED TIME TIPS
7. KEEP YOUR DESK OR WORK AREA
FREE OF CLUTTER.
CLUTTER DISTRACTS YOU
FROM YOUR PRIMARY TASK.
IT ALSO CREATES ADDITIONAL STRESS.
KEEPING THINGS IN ORDER ~
PROMOTES A FEELING OF CONTROL.
[ A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND
EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE ]
[ AN ITEM MISPLACED, IS AS GOOD AS LOST ]
21 May 2009 29

TIME TESTED TIME TIPS
8. PHONE CALLS:
1) IF SOMEONE IS UNAVAILABLE
FIND OUT THE BEST TIME TO CALL BACK,
OR LEAVE YOUR NUMBER.
2) IF YOU NEED TO MAKE REGULAR CALLS,
IT WOULD BE BETTER TO AGREE UPON
A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TIME.
3) LEARN TO LEAVE CLEAR MESSAGES
ON OTHER PEOPLE’S ANSWER PHONES.
ALWAYS LEAVE YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER,
IF YOU WANT THEM TO RING YOU BACK.
4) ORGANISE YOUR THOUGHTS, BEFORE YOU MAKE
THE CALL; KEEP BRIEF NOTES OF CALLS MADE &
RECEIVED.
21 May 2009 30

TIME TESTED TIME TIPS
9. UNEXPECTED VISITORS:
- FIND OUT THE REASON, URGENCY, ETC.
- SET TIME LIMITS TO YOUR DISCUSSION,
POLITELY REVEALING YOUR WORK PRESSURE.
21 May 2009 31

Time Management: Working
for You
 Control  Do Not Try to be
Procrastination Perfect
 Make a Task List  Keep Desk Organized
 Plan Effectively  Stay Focused
 Set Goals  Learn to Say “No”
 Make Schedules  Control Interruptions
 Meet Deadlines  Concentrate on
 Be Decisive Results
 Set Priorities  Stay Motivated
 Write Down Ideas
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21 May 2009 33

Links to
Prof. V. Viswanadham
• Link to Presentation slides
• Link to Audio Files
• Link to Blog
May 21, 2009 34

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May 21, 2009 35

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May 21, 2009 36