An Introduction to Time Management
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This document provides an introduction to time management. It discusses the benefits of better time management, defines what time management is, and outlines 3 key principles of time management. The principles are: 1) being effective versus efficient, 2) distinguishing between what is important versus urgent, and 3) applying the 80/20 rule to focus on the most important 20% of tasks. The document suggests that properly managing one's time in accordance with these principles can help avoid feelings of guilt and improve overall effectiveness.
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An Introduction to Time Management
- 1. An Introduction to Time Management edagoodman@gmail.com
- 2. What we will cover • What are the benefits of better time management? • What is time management? • 3 principles of time management
- 3. What Is time management? • Time is like money. The less we have of it to spare, the further we should make it go – Josh Billings • Perhaps the very best question you can memorise and ask yourself is always “What is the best use of my time right now?” - Unknown
- 4. The myth of time management • Creates an impossible goal • Adds guilt to the already worrisome business of time management • Can cause a loss of effectiveness
- 5. Time is ticking away 11 12 1 10 2 9 3 8 4 7 5 6
- 6. Time management principles • Effective Vs Efficient
- 7. Time management principles • Effective Vs Efficient • What is important and what is urgent
- 8. Time management principles URGENT IMPORTANT • Where am I spending time? • Am I in the right box? • Would tasks be done to a higher standard if we took more time or completed them whilst not under time pressures
- 9. Time management principles • Effective Vs Efficient • What is important and what is urgent • The 80:20 rule
- 10. Now you try These things seem obvious – So why don’t we do them???
- 11. Thank you
Editor's Notes
- When you here the term ‘time management’ what do you think? Agree on a short and sharp definition Why bother with time management? Why do we find it difficult? Because time is a limited commodity and subject to so many demands – at work and at home – that it’s all too easy to get submerged in tasks and fail to see what is urgent, what is important and what can wait until tomorrow
- Exercise – What do you see at the benefits of better time management? & What gets in the way Achieving control over activities and increasing efficiency Being proactive rather than reactive Dealing with things as they arrive rather than procrastinating Building in ‘me time’ Relieving stress Getting home on time/not working evening and weekends as routine! Obviously, we cannot change time itself. There are 60 mins in an hour and 24 hours in a day. That will never change With that in mind, What do we feel about the line “ workers who arrive earliest or stay longest in the office, are the hardest working” “ Those who go home at a reasonable time are better organised?” Think about what sort of culture do you work in?
- Picture the Time Manager of Your Dreams You picture him at his perfectly polished and clutter-free mahogany desk. The picture of his wife and 2.4 children is smiling up at him. The man does not hurry He does not sweat He arrives at his desk at 7:59 in the morning He leaves exactly at 4:59 Between those times he moves from one perfectly planned decision and meeting to the next This picture is a myth and a dangerous lie and trying to live up to that image creates an impossible goal
- Let’s have a look at why that myth is dangerous Creates an impossible goal You cannot control everything in your professional environment. Interruptions and chaos are the rule, not the exception Adds guilt to the already worrisome business of time management It is tough enough to manage those small periods of time you can control. An additional serving of guilt because you cannot live up to an impossible standard doubles your trouble. Can cause a loss of effectiveness If you actually try to control everything, you lose your effectiveness. A manager who plans the day to the minute almost certainly loses effectiveness with those he/she plans around. Effective time management cannot ignore the needs of fellow workers
- Time management is the conscious control that we have over the amount of time spent on work activities. It has always been important, but now in the competitive technological age in which we live and the need to achieve some sort of work/life balance, it is in everybody’s interests that we focus on priorities. We should be asking ourselves frequently “what is the best use of my time right now?” Time is related to ‘value’. Not just the emotional value that we associate with what we choose to do with our time, but also the monetary value of our time at work. Time costs – and it’s critical that we spend it wisely It’s important to manage your time so that you can help your team and your customer’s can manage theirs . Don’t equate ‘being busy’ with ‘productivity’ or ‘efficiency’ The theory is, that developing techniques that give you efficiency, results in less stress and bestows a sense of accomplishment rather than defeat. Being organised and aware of constraints can give you the strength necessary to focus on key objectives whilst dealing or delegating the rest There is an abundance of books, courses and gadgets to help you manage your time. There is also technological support e.g. Blackberries, Palm Tops, etc. What did we do before them? Don’t follow everything you hear or are told. The important things is to find our what works for you…
- What to do… Let’s look at some practical techniques to help their time management I appreciate that we might all say that we never have enough time, but maybe you have taken on too many tasks or are doing the wrong things Effective Vs Efficient Effective refers to using your time to its best advantage. Efficient refers to producing more work in a given time period. What Can You Control? Realistic time management for a concerned professional includes: Effective rather than efficient time usage Controlling what is possible to control so that you have more time for the uncontrollable One key way to measure this is to rank tasks in priority order. This enables you to make effective use of controllable time. Without such priority ranking, your day controls you Forget that impossible goal. Focus on: The realistic The possible The achievable
- Another principle used is to identify what is important and what is urgent
- (Handout exercise 1) If we had time, we could debate the question… “ would tasks be done to a higher standard if we took more time or completed them whilst not under time pressures”
- As we’ve touched on, many people spend their days in a frenzy of activity, but achieve very little because they are not concentrating on the right things. This is neatly summed up in the Pareto Principle or the 80:20 rule. Also known as ‘The Law of the Vital Few’ In short, 80% of the effects comes from 20% of the causes. Business management thinker Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of income in Italy went to 20% of the population. It is a common rule of thumb in business; e.g., "80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients." Consider the jobs that you spend hors on that have a minimal payout How tempting is it to sometimes give priority to the loudest voice with a claim on our time. Remember, it many not be the most important Equally, how tempting is it to get rid of all the small things first and then not leave enough time for the most important? What are your 20% tasks that generate 80% productivity Value Income Payback
- People who use these techniques routinely are the highest achievers in all walks of life, from business to sport to public service. If you use these skills well, then you will be able to function effectively, even under intense pressure. But remember, not all techniques will work for all people. Time management is as much dependent upon individuals as much as it is on standard planning and organising methods The aim of this short session is get you to reflect on how you spend your time currently, in order to use it more productively in the future At the heart of time management is an important shift in focus… Concentrate on results, not on being busy
- Remember, though, that time management is no simple matter. It is a situation similar to the dieter who buys 200 cases of a popular dietry supplement. Kept in the garage, the supplement will not help him at all. Whether or not your time usage actually improves depends on what you do with the ideas. Think about how long you spend each day on things that don’t contribute to your success at work Do you KNOW how much time you spend.. reading junk mail? Talking to colleagues? Making coffee? etc How much more could you achieve if you had an extra ½hr each day?