This document discusses time management strategies and best practices. It emphasizes that time management is about developing an internal rhythm and aligning with external schedules. It is not about obsessively checking the clock, but rather planning and executing activities effectively. Some key tips include prioritizing tasks, avoiding procrastination, estimating task times accurately, documenting schedules, and revising schedules as needed. Managing time well requires discipline but allows one to treat time as a precious resource and seize opportunities.

1. The Art of Time Management
by Gopala swamy Ramesh & Mahadevan Ramesh
PPT by Dr.Suneetha Yadav
Professor
RGMCET

2. Introduction
• “You will never find time for anything. You must make it.’’ -
Charles Buxto
• Time management is about developing a
nice internal rhythm within ourselves and
then turning out internal clock to that
giant external clock.

3. …
• Time management is not about being obsessive-
compulsive about time and glancing at the clock
every two minutes.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a
common, chronic and long-lasting disorder in
which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring
thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions)
that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and
over.

4. OCD

5. Obsessions & Compulsions

6. ***
• Time management is about planning and
executing our activities as best as possible.
• Time management is really an easy soft
skill to acquire.
• Like all other soft skills, it requires a little
bit of discipline and some dedicated
practice.

7. Time is Precious e is Precious
• Time is money: Time is precious and you
should treat it exactly like you would treat
money or anything that you only have a
limited supply of.
• Time is opportunity: The special
circumstances of today, spent on today`s
project, and today`s challenges, will present
us with all kinds of possibilities and many
not come again at any other time in the
future.

8. …
• Timeliness and punctuality mean trust - Often
we will have to synchronize our schedules with
other`s and do things cooperatively with them.

9. Time Management - Best Practices
‘Failing to plan is planning to fail`
KEY QUESTIONS
• What are my long-term priorities?
• What are the short time milestones that I need to
achieve in my journey?
• What are the burning issues that I need to
address?
• ‘Planning is half the battle won’

10. Prioritizing the Tasks
• High priority items have precedence over
everything else.
• Allot enough time and resources to get
them done in the required time.
• Prioritizing task involves-
• Ranking and ordering of those activities
that you would do in a week or a month
or any given period.

11. ***

12. AVOID Fire fighting
• FF - The practice of dealing with problems as
they arise rather than planning strategically to
avoid them.
• Earmark specific times of the day to check and
respond to e-mail and internet browsing
• Rejuvenate yourself by taking periodic breaks. And
don’t use your break times as buffer times for your
unfinished work.

13. TIPS…
• Be a role model for punctuality- Be
painstakingly punctual for all appointments,
especially in high – priority activities
• Follow your natural rhythm- you should work
at a pace dictated by your natural rhythm.
• Be conscious of time, but don’t let a clock set the
pace for you.
• Even if you work at your natural pace, your
work will have to be integrated into other
people’s work.

14. Make efficient use of free time and
break time
• It is an art to use break time or even to factor
in break time into schedules.
• People who don’t have even one minute of
spare time because of their tightly-packed
schedules can burn out easily
• And may not always be successful, as such
schedules lead to inflexibility and that in turn
leads to ineffectiveness.

15. Estimating the time for each task
• Good planners know that there are always lag
times and lead times (the time between your
ordering something and actually getting it).
• And they are very good at figuring them out and
incorporating them in their schedules.

16. Documenting the Schedule
• The old fashioned to-do list on a piece of
paper and any cell phone of today that
usually has a to-do list in its organizer are
the best ways.

17. ***
• Referring, Tracking and Revising the
Schedule
• Finally, remember that your schedule is a
dynamic and live document and is subject
to change.

18. Time Management - The Killers
• Tasks raking longer than scheduled time
• Improper closures
• Interruptions
• Ineffective multi – tasking
• Procrastination
• A poor attitude of ‘they can wait’
• Being ultra-perfectionists and embellishing
reports and e-mails

19. Thank you
Reference – Mahadevan Ramesh & Gopalaswamy Ramesh – Ace of soft skills