This document discusses improving efficiency through better time management. It begins by noting that time is a unique and limited resource that cannot be replaced. Poor time management can lead to inefficiency and losses. The document then identifies some common causes of poor time management, such as lack of planning and prioritization, as well as indicators like a messy desk and missed appointments. It provides strategies for better time management, including setting goals and priorities, applying the 80/20 rule, improving meeting management, developing personal organization skills, and creating an information management policy. The overall message is that recognizing time as a valuable resource and implementing time management strategies can help individuals and organizations become more efficient.

1. Improving Efficiency
through Improving Time
Management
BY
Prof. Waswa Balunywa

2. Advice to a trader
“Remember time is money”
Ben Franklin, 1748
(American Politician, Scientists and Inventors)
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3. • Africans known for not keeping time
• Cultural problem of event time
• An event takes place irrespective of time
• But world has moved to a 24/7 day
• African managers must reform
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4. Objective of the session
• Recognize the importance of time
• Identify causes of time wasters
• Identify indication of time management
• Design methods of dealing with time
management
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5. Why study time management
• Become more efficient
• Live a meaningful life with less stress
• Time is money
• Time is limited
• Time is non-renewable
• Everything you do has an opportunity cost
• Poor time management leads to losses
Enables us to do the things at the right time and
improve on efficiency
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6. Why study ...
• So that we can get the best out of it
• So that we can do the important things
• So that we know what to do, when
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7. Time as unique resource
Time is a unique resource, different from other
resources of finance, equipment, manpower,
marketing, managerial skills, etc,. How
•It is finite i.e. Limited in supply and nobody has
more time than other people
• It cannot be stored
• It cannot be replaced
• A day once gone will not return
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8. • They are only 24 hours a day
• 1440 minutes a day
• 84000 seconds a day
• It cannot be increased
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9. Unique resource- cont’d
• It cannot be stored for tomorrow’s use
• It cannot be replaced for example last
Tuesday will never come around again
• It is involved in every part of management
process
Thus there is a great need to husband it properly
and utilize it not only efficiently but more so
effectively
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10. Causes of poor time management
• Lack of planning
• Procrastination
• People interruptions
• Telephone interruptions
• Doing subordinates work
• Meetings
• Stacked desk
• Fire fighting
• Information overload
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11. Causes...
• Unimportant tasks
• Waiting for others
• Lack of priorities
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12. Indicators of poor time management
• Messy desk
• Cluttered office
• Missed appointments
• Not prepared for meetings
• Doing other peoples’ work
• Lack of delegation
• Stress
• Lack of focus
• Procrastination
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13. Consequences of poor time management
• Stress
• Loss of opportunity
• Inefficiency
• Loss of productivity
• Inability to meet targets
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14. How to manage time
a) Plan usage of your time, set goals
b) Pareto principle of 80/20
c) Better management of meetings
d) Personal management of time
e) Information management policy
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15. Planning for time
If you don't know where you are going, any road
will take you there!
•Establish goals and targets
•Establish how to achieve them
•Identify resources to use
•Set priorities:
– What is important
– What is urgent
How do we spend our time in a day?
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16. Answer Questions
• Why am I doing this?
• Ask why, why, why many times
• What do I want to achieve?
• Is that important?
• What to loose if I don’t do it.
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17. • You can always change. You plan but only if
you have one
• Make a to do list to focus your time and
energy
• Keep the to do list live
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18. Frequencies of planning
• Daily
What to achieve in a single day
• Weekly
Priorities for the week
• Monthly
Major things to focus on
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19. Pareto Principle 80/20
• 20% of time gives 80% of value
• 80% of information is trivial
• 20% of information is critical
• The critical few and trivial many
• Concentrate more on the 20% critical issues
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20. Management of meetings
Types of meetings
• One on one
• Formal meetings
• Informal meetings
Is a meeting necessary?
Does it have purpose?
Is a meeting the best way to achieve a purpose?
Does it have a time period?
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21. How to manage a meeting?
• Plan for the meeting
• Send out documents in time
• Ascertain venue and all that is required
• Have rules for the meeting
• Involve everybody
• Keep time
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22. Personal management
• Plan your time
• Organize yourself
• Understand the value of time
• Plan your day ahead
• Have objectives for every activity
• Why are you doing a job?
• What resources do you have?
• Know how you can be efficient
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
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23. Personal management....
• Bite what you can chew
• Be willing to say no
• Become assertive
• Know what to delegate and do
• Teach your assistants to work with you
• Have specific times for specific things e.g.
Office routine, meetings with outsiders,
meetings with your staff.
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24. Have an Information management policy
• Have a study to manage information
• Handle paper once
• Use phones for your benefit
• Determine what you want to use; email and
social media form
• Apply the 80/20 rule for information
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25. Strategies of time management
• Planning
• Delegating
• Priotizing
• Learning to say ‘No’.
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26. Planning
To make good use of time, plan your day, your
week and decide what you want to achieve. This
will result into priority, delegating and a good
usage of time.
Schedule yourself. Find time for important
things
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27. Delegating
When you plan, you leave routine decisions and
action to others to do. You delegate . It frees
you to do strategic things
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28. Learn to say No.
At times people want you to do all kind of
things. After meetings , weddings etc
Learn to say you will not be able to.
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29. Handling phone calls
• Mobile phone has created change in the way
phone is managed
• The old phone system was easier to control
which channelled phones through a secretary
• Today a mobile phone is personal
• Every caller sets an agenda for a recipient
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30. Multi tasking?
• Good or bad
• Some people can, other cannot
• It can cause task completion longer
• Can be dangerous e.g. Speaking on phone or
you drive
• Can be necessary e.g pilot
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