The document discusses time management strategies such as prioritizing goals, categorizing tasks by urgency and importance, scheduling efficiently using techniques like batching and combining tasks, keeping a daily log, and managing procrastination. It also touches on personality types and organizational techniques.
This document summarizes a business analysis conference that took place in Bucharest, Cluj, and Chisinau, Romania on December 17, 2015. The conference focused on business analysis for urgent projects, which face tight timeframes, uncertainty, and frequent changes. Key success factors for these types of projects include strong leadership, quick decision-making, good communication, prioritization, and using a lightweight methodology. Common errors include miscommunication, lack of vision, and making assumptions without verification. The document also briefly discusses an agile perspective on business analysis and tools that can help, such as checklists, modeling techniques, and the BABOK guide.
This document provides guidance for managing a minimum viable project management office (PMO) in organizations that do not allocate sufficient time for project managers. It recommends implementing minimum viable tools and practices to help part-time project managers effectively manage projects while maintaining reporting standards. The goal is to help portfolio managers and minimum viable PMOs implement a resource-optimized set of expectations, tools, and training. Rather than rigid methodologies, the focus should be on the minimum required for accurate portfolio reporting and effective project management given time constraints faced by organizations.
The document discusses grant management for an organization. It outlines the key stages of the grant lifecycle including setup, induction calls, monitoring activities and indicators, continuation funding applications, and evaluating impact. It emphasizes measuring outcomes, collecting feedback, and showing how the project is making a difference to demonstrate the need for ongoing funding. Evaluation is presented as important for improving services, promoting work, and developing partnerships to help ensure longer-term sustainability.
Value Streams – Accelerate Your DevOps Journey!DevOps.com
IT Management increasingly requires metrics and insights into what is happening on the software factory floor. With each new process iteration, how do product teams demonstrate their progress towards DevOps practices? How do they justify the money and time spent on the transformation?
Join James Gregory, Solution Architect and Jeff Keyes, Product Marketing Manager from Plutora to discuss utilizing value stream metrics to focus transformation efforts and demonstrate results of each effort.
You’ll learn about:
What metrics are important and why to capture them
How to capture delivery metrics.
How to find the constraints in your delivery process.
How to show progress on your digital transformation journey.
The document discusses the top 3 challenges faced by Product Owners and recommendations to address them. The challenges are: 1) Trouble prioritizing work and finalizing decisions due to a lack of knowledge and direction. 2) Not attending meetings and having slow response times due to being overutilized with not enough bandwidth. 3) Constantly changing scope mid-sprint due to gaps in knowledge, interest, and process understanding. The document provides root cause analysis and recommendations such as establishing a clear product vision, deepening domain knowledge, increasing organization, and empowering the Product Owner role.
El documento menciona a varios artistas renacentistas italianos y sus obras más destacadas, incluyendo a Brunelleschi y sus trabajos en la Iglesia de Santo Espíritu y la Catedral de Florencia, Bramante y sus diseños de San Pietro in Montorio y la Capilla Pazzi, Donatello y sus esculturas de El David y Gatamellata, y Botticelli y sus pinturas El Nacimiento de Venus y Alegoría de la Primavera.
This document provides sign language vocabulary related to amounts, leaving behind or abandoning things, clusters or groups of things, and positive and negative evaluations. It defines means as "the whole amount" and provides signs for leave behind/abandon, cluster, all, ask, bad/good, bathroom, big city come/go, family, favorite, fine/cool, from here house, like, more, need, school, so-so, small, think, and raised.
This document provides information about social media usage and safety. It discusses facts about Facebook usage, common activities on Facebook, legal issues that can arise from social media posts, dangers of social media, and resources for internet safety. Key points include that over 50% of active Facebook users log on daily, inappropriate social media posts can damage college admissions and job prospects, legal trouble such as pornography charges or drunk driving sentences can be worsened by social media posts, and it is important to consider privacy and safety when using social media.
This document summarizes a business analysis conference that took place in Bucharest, Cluj, and Chisinau, Romania on December 17, 2015. The conference focused on business analysis for urgent projects, which face tight timeframes, uncertainty, and frequent changes. Key success factors for these types of projects include strong leadership, quick decision-making, good communication, prioritization, and using a lightweight methodology. Common errors include miscommunication, lack of vision, and making assumptions without verification. The document also briefly discusses an agile perspective on business analysis and tools that can help, such as checklists, modeling techniques, and the BABOK guide.
This document provides guidance for managing a minimum viable project management office (PMO) in organizations that do not allocate sufficient time for project managers. It recommends implementing minimum viable tools and practices to help part-time project managers effectively manage projects while maintaining reporting standards. The goal is to help portfolio managers and minimum viable PMOs implement a resource-optimized set of expectations, tools, and training. Rather than rigid methodologies, the focus should be on the minimum required for accurate portfolio reporting and effective project management given time constraints faced by organizations.
The document discusses grant management for an organization. It outlines the key stages of the grant lifecycle including setup, induction calls, monitoring activities and indicators, continuation funding applications, and evaluating impact. It emphasizes measuring outcomes, collecting feedback, and showing how the project is making a difference to demonstrate the need for ongoing funding. Evaluation is presented as important for improving services, promoting work, and developing partnerships to help ensure longer-term sustainability.
Value Streams – Accelerate Your DevOps Journey!DevOps.com
IT Management increasingly requires metrics and insights into what is happening on the software factory floor. With each new process iteration, how do product teams demonstrate their progress towards DevOps practices? How do they justify the money and time spent on the transformation?
Join James Gregory, Solution Architect and Jeff Keyes, Product Marketing Manager from Plutora to discuss utilizing value stream metrics to focus transformation efforts and demonstrate results of each effort.
You’ll learn about:
What metrics are important and why to capture them
How to capture delivery metrics.
How to find the constraints in your delivery process.
How to show progress on your digital transformation journey.
The document discusses the top 3 challenges faced by Product Owners and recommendations to address them. The challenges are: 1) Trouble prioritizing work and finalizing decisions due to a lack of knowledge and direction. 2) Not attending meetings and having slow response times due to being overutilized with not enough bandwidth. 3) Constantly changing scope mid-sprint due to gaps in knowledge, interest, and process understanding. The document provides root cause analysis and recommendations such as establishing a clear product vision, deepening domain knowledge, increasing organization, and empowering the Product Owner role.
El documento menciona a varios artistas renacentistas italianos y sus obras más destacadas, incluyendo a Brunelleschi y sus trabajos en la Iglesia de Santo Espíritu y la Catedral de Florencia, Bramante y sus diseños de San Pietro in Montorio y la Capilla Pazzi, Donatello y sus esculturas de El David y Gatamellata, y Botticelli y sus pinturas El Nacimiento de Venus y Alegoría de la Primavera.
This document provides sign language vocabulary related to amounts, leaving behind or abandoning things, clusters or groups of things, and positive and negative evaluations. It defines means as "the whole amount" and provides signs for leave behind/abandon, cluster, all, ask, bad/good, bathroom, big city come/go, family, favorite, fine/cool, from here house, like, more, need, school, so-so, small, think, and raised.
This document provides information about social media usage and safety. It discusses facts about Facebook usage, common activities on Facebook, legal issues that can arise from social media posts, dangers of social media, and resources for internet safety. Key points include that over 50% of active Facebook users log on daily, inappropriate social media posts can damage college admissions and job prospects, legal trouble such as pornography charges or drunk driving sentences can be worsened by social media posts, and it is important to consider privacy and safety when using social media.
1) Astral India Private Limited is a leading provider of swimming pool equipment and turnkey solutions in India, with over 10 years of experience.
2) They supply a wide range of pool equipment and provide services to hotels, residential complexes, water parks, and sporting venues across India.
3) Their products and services have been used in prominent projects like the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and residential and hotel projects by major developers.
The document outlines key processes, systems, and data flows within the FMCSA Medical Program. It describes the high-level process flows for medical examiner applications and drivers obtaining medical certificates. It also maps the data providers, consumers, and systems, including their connections to medical examiners, drivers, state DMVs, and other entities. Finally, it considers potential improvements to the high-level system design based on an initial analysis.
The 1989 film Total Recall starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is set in 2075 and follows Douglas Quaid who discovers he may have a split personality. People live in domed cities on Mars with robot-driven cars and GPS transmitters, as the environment outside is uninhabitable without oxygen producing nuclear power plants. Citizens have mutated physically due to living in the harsh Martian environment and low oxygen levels can cause explosions from hypoxia.
Kids would start school between 6-7 years old where they would learn using wax tablets, scrolls, pens and ink. Both boys and girls often learned how to swim in school. Shops and markets were typically run by poor people and freed slaves where rich people would go to pick animals like geese for feasts. They would eat meat daily. When building in cities, stone was brought in by large carts and broken stone or rubble was dumped in trash areas. Tiles would be used on new houses or houses damaged by storms. Some of the main Roman gods worshipped included Jupiter, Mercury, Juno, Vesta, Mars, Venus, Neptune, Ceres and Diana.
Dan and Greg are locked in an office after hearing footsteps outside the door. Greg had been rummaging through filing cabinets and Dan pulled him behind a desk when he heard the noises. They realize the door is now locked from the outside. Dan tries to open it but cannot. Greg also tries without success. Dan blames Greg for their situation, saying without him Dan would not be in this predicament, but Greg retorts that without him Dan would be a bigger loser.
Greece has a population of around 10 million people who mainly live in urban areas. The country grows and produces agricultural goods like cotton, grapes, olives and wheat. It also manufactures cement, cigarettes, clothing, metal products and textiles. Mining activities extract bauxite, lignite and chromite. The capital and largest city of Greece is Athens, which is a popular tourist destination known for its historic ruins.
The lungs are two saccular organs located in the thorax that make up the basic respiratory organ. They consist of an inverted tree of intricately branched bronchioles that communicate with thin-walled terminal alveoli surrounded by capillaries, where gas exchange occurs. The right lung has three lobes and the left has two. The lungs function to alter the pH of blood by changing carbon dioxide levels, filter small blood clots and gas micro-bubbles from venous blood.
The document discusses key topics and questions for brands and marketers to consider in 2011, including predicting the next big thing, finding inspiration, the brand acting as a curator, the importance of product over marketing channels, what constitutes a viral success, and keys to innovation. It provides examples and perspectives from experts on these topics. The overall message is that brands must look beyond past successes, think broadly about new opportunities, and experiment to stay relevant and innovative in a rapidly changing marketplace.
The document provides an overview of Chinese digital marketing trends and predictions for 2012. Some key points include:
1) Mobile marketing and gaming will continue growing in popularity as ways to engage users on social media.
2) Search will remain an important component of campaigns, and brands will allocate more budget outside of Baidu.
3) E-commerce is expected to maintain rapid growth, with the market reaching 4.8 trillion RMB.
4) In 2012, agencies need to focus on engaging users through social media and consider communication strategies as "push and pull" rather than just "push". Micro-targeting will also be more possible.
The past year has seen the emergence of a new standard for building web sites and mobile applications. In this webcast iFactory Art Director, Jeremy Perkins, discusses how publishers are adopting HTML5 to make their content easier to find, richer with interaction, and truer to design, creating deeper connections with users on a variety of devices.
A smart card contains a microchip that provides greater security, memory, and processing power than regular plastic cards. It has advantages like being more secure against counterfeiting due to the embedded chip, portable as it can be easily carried anywhere, and able to store larger amounts of data. However, smart cards also have disadvantages like being vulnerable to malware attacks that can modify transactions and risk of damage if the embedded chip is broken.
The document discusses several artworks from different periods and cultures:
- Francisco Goya's "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters" critiques the follies of Spanish life during the Inquisition.
- William Blake's "Elohim Creating Adam" challenges viewers to recognize humanity's fallen nature by depicting creation in negative terms.
- Jean-Francois Millet's "The Gleaners" depicts the difficulties of rural peasant life in France in the mid-19th century.
- Edouard Manet subverted artistic traditions with modern paintings like "Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe" and "Olympia" that depicted contemporary life.
Este documento presenta una guía sobre diferentes temas gramaticales en inglés como el presente simple, pasado simple, pasado continuo, primera condicional, be going to/will, comparativos y superlativos. Explica las formas y usos de cada tiempo verbal y estructura gramatical con ejemplos. Además, proporciona instrucciones sobre cómo formar comparativos y superlativos de adjetivos regulares e irregulares.
This document discusses misunderstandings and realities about differentiation in teaching. It addresses several misunderstandings: that differentiation is just instructional strategies; is just about instruction; and something a teacher only does in response to problems. The realities are that differentiation is a philosophy of teaching and learning; requires a positive learning environment; and ongoing reflection and adjustment by teachers. It suggests teachers investigate, invest in, and persist with differentiation through providing learning opportunities and reflection.
The document discusses the results of the learner taking two learning style assessments. In the first, the Discovery Wheel, the learner discovered their strengths were in motivation and testing, while their weaker areas were health, thinking, diversity and memory. They realized the importance of improving in their weaker areas. In the second assessment, the VAK System, the learner identified themselves as both auditory and kinesthetic learners, with room for improvement in visual learning. They concluded it is important to work on developing a balanced approach across all learning styles.
This document discusses time management, reasons for time crises, tips for better time management, and the benefits of proper time management for individuals and organizations. It recommends essential habits like prioritizing tasks, scheduling time for important issues, and taking the stress out of work. When time is not managed well, crises can occur due to lack of planning or underestimating time needed. The document provides tips for managing documents, interruptions, workspaces, and phones to make better use of time. For organizations, time management can improve productivity, performance, profitability, and reduce stress from crises.
Lean Kanban STL – March 2020 – Reference CanvasJason Tice
Check out the attached PDF for a high level view of the ideas & insights presented at the March 2020 Virtual Meetup of Lean Kanban STL on how lean & kanban principles & practices can be supportive of working from home.
1) Astral India Private Limited is a leading provider of swimming pool equipment and turnkey solutions in India, with over 10 years of experience.
2) They supply a wide range of pool equipment and provide services to hotels, residential complexes, water parks, and sporting venues across India.
3) Their products and services have been used in prominent projects like the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and residential and hotel projects by major developers.
The document outlines key processes, systems, and data flows within the FMCSA Medical Program. It describes the high-level process flows for medical examiner applications and drivers obtaining medical certificates. It also maps the data providers, consumers, and systems, including their connections to medical examiners, drivers, state DMVs, and other entities. Finally, it considers potential improvements to the high-level system design based on an initial analysis.
The 1989 film Total Recall starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is set in 2075 and follows Douglas Quaid who discovers he may have a split personality. People live in domed cities on Mars with robot-driven cars and GPS transmitters, as the environment outside is uninhabitable without oxygen producing nuclear power plants. Citizens have mutated physically due to living in the harsh Martian environment and low oxygen levels can cause explosions from hypoxia.
Kids would start school between 6-7 years old where they would learn using wax tablets, scrolls, pens and ink. Both boys and girls often learned how to swim in school. Shops and markets were typically run by poor people and freed slaves where rich people would go to pick animals like geese for feasts. They would eat meat daily. When building in cities, stone was brought in by large carts and broken stone or rubble was dumped in trash areas. Tiles would be used on new houses or houses damaged by storms. Some of the main Roman gods worshipped included Jupiter, Mercury, Juno, Vesta, Mars, Venus, Neptune, Ceres and Diana.
Dan and Greg are locked in an office after hearing footsteps outside the door. Greg had been rummaging through filing cabinets and Dan pulled him behind a desk when he heard the noises. They realize the door is now locked from the outside. Dan tries to open it but cannot. Greg also tries without success. Dan blames Greg for their situation, saying without him Dan would not be in this predicament, but Greg retorts that without him Dan would be a bigger loser.
Greece has a population of around 10 million people who mainly live in urban areas. The country grows and produces agricultural goods like cotton, grapes, olives and wheat. It also manufactures cement, cigarettes, clothing, metal products and textiles. Mining activities extract bauxite, lignite and chromite. The capital and largest city of Greece is Athens, which is a popular tourist destination known for its historic ruins.
The lungs are two saccular organs located in the thorax that make up the basic respiratory organ. They consist of an inverted tree of intricately branched bronchioles that communicate with thin-walled terminal alveoli surrounded by capillaries, where gas exchange occurs. The right lung has three lobes and the left has two. The lungs function to alter the pH of blood by changing carbon dioxide levels, filter small blood clots and gas micro-bubbles from venous blood.
The document discusses key topics and questions for brands and marketers to consider in 2011, including predicting the next big thing, finding inspiration, the brand acting as a curator, the importance of product over marketing channels, what constitutes a viral success, and keys to innovation. It provides examples and perspectives from experts on these topics. The overall message is that brands must look beyond past successes, think broadly about new opportunities, and experiment to stay relevant and innovative in a rapidly changing marketplace.
The document provides an overview of Chinese digital marketing trends and predictions for 2012. Some key points include:
1) Mobile marketing and gaming will continue growing in popularity as ways to engage users on social media.
2) Search will remain an important component of campaigns, and brands will allocate more budget outside of Baidu.
3) E-commerce is expected to maintain rapid growth, with the market reaching 4.8 trillion RMB.
4) In 2012, agencies need to focus on engaging users through social media and consider communication strategies as "push and pull" rather than just "push". Micro-targeting will also be more possible.
The past year has seen the emergence of a new standard for building web sites and mobile applications. In this webcast iFactory Art Director, Jeremy Perkins, discusses how publishers are adopting HTML5 to make their content easier to find, richer with interaction, and truer to design, creating deeper connections with users on a variety of devices.
A smart card contains a microchip that provides greater security, memory, and processing power than regular plastic cards. It has advantages like being more secure against counterfeiting due to the embedded chip, portable as it can be easily carried anywhere, and able to store larger amounts of data. However, smart cards also have disadvantages like being vulnerable to malware attacks that can modify transactions and risk of damage if the embedded chip is broken.
The document discusses several artworks from different periods and cultures:
- Francisco Goya's "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters" critiques the follies of Spanish life during the Inquisition.
- William Blake's "Elohim Creating Adam" challenges viewers to recognize humanity's fallen nature by depicting creation in negative terms.
- Jean-Francois Millet's "The Gleaners" depicts the difficulties of rural peasant life in France in the mid-19th century.
- Edouard Manet subverted artistic traditions with modern paintings like "Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe" and "Olympia" that depicted contemporary life.
Este documento presenta una guía sobre diferentes temas gramaticales en inglés como el presente simple, pasado simple, pasado continuo, primera condicional, be going to/will, comparativos y superlativos. Explica las formas y usos de cada tiempo verbal y estructura gramatical con ejemplos. Además, proporciona instrucciones sobre cómo formar comparativos y superlativos de adjetivos regulares e irregulares.
This document discusses misunderstandings and realities about differentiation in teaching. It addresses several misunderstandings: that differentiation is just instructional strategies; is just about instruction; and something a teacher only does in response to problems. The realities are that differentiation is a philosophy of teaching and learning; requires a positive learning environment; and ongoing reflection and adjustment by teachers. It suggests teachers investigate, invest in, and persist with differentiation through providing learning opportunities and reflection.
The document discusses the results of the learner taking two learning style assessments. In the first, the Discovery Wheel, the learner discovered their strengths were in motivation and testing, while their weaker areas were health, thinking, diversity and memory. They realized the importance of improving in their weaker areas. In the second assessment, the VAK System, the learner identified themselves as both auditory and kinesthetic learners, with room for improvement in visual learning. They concluded it is important to work on developing a balanced approach across all learning styles.
This document discusses time management, reasons for time crises, tips for better time management, and the benefits of proper time management for individuals and organizations. It recommends essential habits like prioritizing tasks, scheduling time for important issues, and taking the stress out of work. When time is not managed well, crises can occur due to lack of planning or underestimating time needed. The document provides tips for managing documents, interruptions, workspaces, and phones to make better use of time. For organizations, time management can improve productivity, performance, profitability, and reduce stress from crises.
Lean Kanban STL – March 2020 – Reference CanvasJason Tice
Check out the attached PDF for a high level view of the ideas & insights presented at the March 2020 Virtual Meetup of Lean Kanban STL on how lean & kanban principles & practices can be supportive of working from home.
Organizational design is a methodology that identifies dysfunctional aspects of an organization's workflows, procedures, structures, and systems. It aims to realign these aspects to fit current business goals and realities, and then develops plans to implement changes. The benefits of organizational design include excellent customer service, increased profitability, reduced costs, improved efficiency, and an engaged workforce. Periodic organizational design is needed as organizations that do not renew themselves may experience issues like inefficient workflows, redundancies, lack of customer focus, and delays in decision-making.
Poor time management as a manager can lead to stress, poor organization, missed deadlines, and mistakes which negatively impact an organization. To improve time management, managers should use tools like diaries, Gantt charts, to-do lists, and action plans. They should also set SMART goals, delegate tasks appropriately, avoid time stealers, and develop key personal qualities and skills needed to be an effective manager such as technical, human, and conceptual skills.
The document discusses organizational design and decentralization for NECs (National Employment Councils). It provides background on aligning organizational structure with strategy. Signs of outdated structures are identified as well as functions of NECs. A functional analysis is conducted to map core and support processes. A recommended ideal structure is presented with the Board/Council at the top, followed by core processes like industrial relations and support processes like finance. Flexible and outsourced structures are also discussed.
Time management involves organizing and scheduling one's activities to increase productivity. It can be achieved through Stephen Covey's time management matrix and seven steps like staying focused, automating tasks, and setting priorities.
Delegation means assigning authority and responsibility to others. It makes work easier, provides opportunities, improves self-efficiency and skills, leads to better decisions, saves time, and distributes workload. However, managers must be careful not to delegate tasks they cannot explain well or essential responsibilities like performance reviews. Proper delegation requires defining tasks, selecting individuals, explaining goals, agreeing on deadlines, providing support, and giving feedback.
This document provides information on planning, prioritizing and managing time. It discusses setting SMART goals, prioritizing tasks using the urgent-important matrix, and managing time by reducing procrastination, interruptions and disorganization. Key points include:
- Planning involves setting goals, outlining tasks and schedules, and identifying resources needed. The SMART framework makes plans specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
- Prioritizing arranges tasks by importance and urgency. The urgent-important matrix identifies tasks as important-urgent, important-less urgent, less important-urgent, and less important-less urgent.
- Managing time requires organizing one's work environment and communication, as well
The document provides information about Richard Cascarino and Jim Kaplan, who will be presenting on the topic of data analytics and internal auditing. It gives background on both presenters and their qualifications. It also provides an overview of the company AuditNet, which focuses on resources for auditors. The agenda for the upcoming presentation is outlined, including sections on analysis reporting, data visualization, and presentation.
Re-Planning of project Portfolio in crisis (ENG)Sergiy Potapov
This document discusses how to re-prioritize a project portfolio in times of uncertainty. It recommends focusing limited resources on the most important tasks by (1) re-prioritizing projects based on delivery dates, cash flow and value; (2) re-designing project scopes to focus on mandatory and "good enough" deliverables; (3) identifying the constraint or critical resource and maximizing help for it; (4) making aggressive time estimates using techniques like three-point estimates; and (5) attempting to accelerate projects by buying speed-up where possible, while freezing lower-priority projects until operations can be run more efficiently.
Everyone has faced this issue before when working in an agency, you got a customer which desperately needs a fixed budget and time to deliver an urgent project. Two corners of the iron triangle are fixed but you still have to deliver on your high-quality standards. You are left behind with the question how will I deliver this project in an agile way?
The document discusses effective time management. It explains why managing time is important and describes the typical three phases of a work day. It then lists some common time-wasting activities and the goals of time management. The document outlines tools for time management like to-do lists, prioritization of tasks, and time boxing. It provides examples and discusses delegation, scheduling, and thinking creatively. Finally, it includes scenarios to demonstrate effective time management techniques.
This document discusses how the Kanban method can be used as a foundation for leadership. It summarizes that Kanban focuses on visualizing workflow, limiting work in progress, measuring and managing flow, making process policies explicit, and using models to recognize improvement opportunities. The key aspects of leadership discussed are addressing stakeholder needs, starting with continuous improvement where you are, and doing what makes lean sense.
Preparing project professionals for the role of project managerAxium
This document discusses how to prepare project professionals to become project managers. It outlines the key differences and skills needed between a project manager versus an architect or engineer. Common reasons for project failure include lack of planning, clear roles, change management, and budgeting. Effective project teams have collective and individual accountability, relaxed atmospheres, objective understanding, consensus decision making, and constructive criticism. The roles and responsibilities of a project manager include planning, organizing, directing, controlling, marketing, financial management, and leadership versus management. The document provides tools and best practices for project managers including client service plans, project management plans, scheduling, delegation, change management, crisis management, and using assistant project managers.
How will IT (and Business) plans and attitudes change post COVID-19David Terrar
These are my presentation slides from the 29 April Cloud Industry Forum Members meeting where I gave my viewpoint and triggered group discussion on the changes in business and use of technology triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was necessarily held as an online Teams meeting as we were 37 days in to the UK's lockdown. I discuss how digital transformation is being accelerated as firms are forced to have their knowledge workers working from home, often for the first time. Tools like Zoom and Teams have suddenly become mainstream and used daily and cloud technology underpins everything. Business is going through a fundamental change as people are forced to examine their business processes, shift online and work in new ways. The successful companies have the rigid open leadership, and think differently. We suggest Mutable Thinking, exponential thinking and different mindset is required for the "new normal". The presentation also uses some slides from Dion Hinchcliffe's Post-Pandemic Playbook, and some Tom Fishburne cartoons. There will be write up to accompany the slides on cloudindustryforum.org
This document discusses various time management techniques and strategies. It notes that time management is more about managing ourselves than managing time. Some key points covered include setting clear goals and priorities, effective communication, batching similar tasks, avoiding multitasking, maintaining a balanced work-life schedule, and using tools like calendars, to-do lists, and file organization to be more productive. The document provides many specific tips for improving focus, reducing interruptions and being more effective with our use of time.
- The three critical skills you need to manage multiple projects webinar
Monday 24 April 2023
APM Women in Project Management Specific Interest Group
Presented by:
Elizabeth Harrin
The link to the write up page and resources of this webinar:
https://www.apm.org.uk/news/the-three-critical-skills-you-need-to-manage-multiple-projects-webinar/
Content description:
In this webinar, Elizabeth Harrin shared the skills you need to develop to get your to do list under control so you can spend less time juggling and more time moving your projects forward.
Elizabeth explained:
- The five things that make managing multiple projects different to just leading one project.
- Her favourite method for managing your time across multiple projects.
- The best way to sequence your projects.
- The one thing that´s killing your communications and what do about it.
This document provides guidance on managing organizational change that involves restructuring and potential redundancies. It emphasizes the importance of legal compliance, project management, communication, and supporting employees throughout the process. Key recommendations include forming a project team, carefully planning communications, conducting consultations and elections, offering support like career transition assistance, and treating all employees with empathy. The goal is to minimize disruptions, reduce risks, and help the company and employees move forward productively after the change. Real-world examples demonstrate that individual situations differ and require thoughtful, creative solutions.
Intro & Due Diligence Change Out Consulting 2mroeske
The document discusses several cases of operational issues facing businesses and the role of operational due diligence. It describes 7 cases ranging from financial losses and legal issues to issues with leadership, processes, costs and new market expansion challenges. It then outlines the key areas operational due diligence examines such as organization, leadership, strategy, processes, finances and more. It emphasizes the importance of due diligence when taking corrective actions such as turnarounds or business improvements.
This document discusses the key factors for successful teams. It identifies common obstacles that teams face such as lack of clear goals and poor communication. It then outlines 7 qualities of successful teams, which include having a clear vision, mutual support, defined roles, cooperation, individual competency, good communication, and a winning attitude. The document also provides tips for managing teams, such as defining good performance, describing current performance, asking questions, and gaining commitment from the team.
The document discusses best practices for customer service excellence, including defining excellent and poor service standards, understanding customer needs through surveys, implementing service level agreements, and getting feedback to continuously improve processes from both external customers and internal customers' perspectives. It emphasizes the importance of identifying mutual expectations, taking action, and getting feedback when serving both internal and external customers.
The document discusses characteristics of an innovation culture and best practices for innovation leaders. It outlines five key characteristics of an innovative organization: commitment to innovation, engagement of employees, willingness to challenge norms, management of risks, and cultivation of innovators. It also provides tips for innovation leaders, such as exposing employees to new ideas, creating diverse teams, and showing commitment to implementing good ideas. The document concludes with actions leaders can take to develop themselves, such as reading, training, volunteering, and consulting with mentors.
This document discusses webinar ground rules and follow-up expectations. It focuses on keeping content fresh, relevant and concise. The document is presented by Shannon Kluczny, Vice President of employee Services at BizLibrary, and covers leadership essentials such as defining key elements, creating a plan, discovering personal leaders, showing alignment, avoiding misinterpretation, and gaining experience to achieve a vision.
Coaching for maximum results - support materialsskluczny13
The document provides guidance on how to improve listening skills as a coach. It discusses identifying listening weaknesses, such as focusing on responding instead of the speaker. It recommends techniques for active listening, including not interrupting, maintaining eye contact, staying objective, and using body language to show interest. The document stresses that listening is key to understanding coachees and building an effective coaching partnership.
This document discusses coaching and provides guidance for those who want to be a coach. It states that anyone can be a coach as long as they demonstrate clarity, supportiveness, confidence building, mutuality, perspective, and patience. It also notes that everyone could benefit from coaching, whether it is for high-potential development, executive coaching, or skill improvement. The document recommends non-directive and holistic coaching approaches and provides tips for preparation, the coaching process, and setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. It highlights communication, ongoing support, and trust as important factors and notes benefits like increased contribution, self-direction, skills and loyalty from coaching.
Top mailing list providers in the USA.pptxJeremyPeirce1
Discover the top mailing list providers in the USA, offering targeted lists, segmentation, and analytics to optimize your marketing campaigns and drive engagement.
[To download this presentation, visit:
https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg/training-presentations]
This PowerPoint compilation offers a comprehensive overview of 20 leading innovation management frameworks and methodologies, selected for their broad applicability across various industries and organizational contexts. These frameworks are valuable resources for a wide range of users, including business professionals, educators, and consultants.
Each framework is presented with visually engaging diagrams and templates, ensuring the content is both informative and appealing. While this compilation is thorough, please note that the slides are intended as supplementary resources and may not be sufficient for standalone instructional purposes.
This compilation is ideal for anyone looking to enhance their understanding of innovation management and drive meaningful change within their organization. Whether you aim to improve product development processes, enhance customer experiences, or drive digital transformation, these frameworks offer valuable insights and tools to help you achieve your goals.
INCLUDED FRAMEWORKS/MODELS:
1. Stanford’s Design Thinking
2. IDEO’s Human-Centered Design
3. Strategyzer’s Business Model Innovation
4. Lean Startup Methodology
5. Agile Innovation Framework
6. Doblin’s Ten Types of Innovation
7. McKinsey’s Three Horizons of Growth
8. Customer Journey Map
9. Christensen’s Disruptive Innovation Theory
10. Blue Ocean Strategy
11. Strategyn’s Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD) Framework with Job Map
12. Design Sprint Framework
13. The Double Diamond
14. Lean Six Sigma DMAIC
15. TRIZ Problem-Solving Framework
16. Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
17. Stage-Gate Model
18. Toyota’s Six Steps of Kaizen
19. Microsoft’s Digital Transformation Framework
20. Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)
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https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg/training-presentations
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Every industrial revolution has created a new set of categories and a new set of players.
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April: We are going to go ahead and get started. Thank you for attending the BizTopix Webinar Series!
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April: The purpose of the BizTopix Webinar series is to provide a fresh perspective; in a concise format; on a relevant topic that may be of interest to you or your organization. For today’s presentation we have reviewed and incorporated over 15 streaming, online and books content offered by BizLibrary.
April: I’d like to now introduce our presenter today: Shannon Kluczny, Vice President of employee Services at BizLibrary. Shannon has been with Business Training Library for 8 years and is integrated in the training industry. You can connect with Shannon or BizLibrary on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. Shannon, I think we are ready to start. Shannon: Thank you, April, and good afternoon to all of you that are joining us on the audio portion and web portions of this presentation.
Today’s webinar is covering Time Management for Success. This is such a critical topic in this day in age when we are all trying to do more with less. The days seem to be getting shorter and the work is becoming more intense.
Today we’re going to discuss time management by dividing it into 3 main areas- How to Plan and Prioritize Analyzing your current process and allowing for adjustments And lastly how to avoid time wasters One thing I’d like you to consider as you are listening to this presentation. The material you’re about to hear are all different kinds of tips and tricks. Some may work for you, and some may not. Listen for ideas that you may be able to incorporate into your day, and certainly, don’t try to change everything at once.
Time management starts with identifying your goals. When you know your goals, you can determine how much time you will need to achieve them. Goals are specific, desired outcomes you identify to assist you in determining what it is you need to do and when. Without goals, it's easy to spend time on tasks that have no clearly defined purpose.
Effective goals are generally in the SMART format. Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic, and Time-related
Specific goals are more useful than vague ones. Goals should also be measurable, answering questions such as "How much?" "How many?" and "What percentage?" As well as being specific and measurable, goals should be attainable and realistic. It's easier to attain your goals when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Finally, goals should be time-related. You should set precise deadlines for achieving your goals and then create a schedule of all the tasks that are necessary to meet your deadlines. It can help to create a to-do list, outlining all those tasks.
A to-do list contains the tasks you need to complete in order to achieve your goals. It reminds you of what you need to accomplish. There are two types of goals: A short-term goal is sometimes referred to as an enabling goal because it can help you achieve a long-term goal. It's a stepping stone that enables you to measure your progress in achieving your longer-term goals. A short-term goal is also a goal that is generally achieved in the near future. A long-term goal is a goal that is achieved over a longer period of time, such as a few months or even years.
Like goals, the items on your to-do list should meet certain criteria. They should be action-centered , pinpointing specific actions that are required for you to meet your goals incremental , breaking actions into smaller, more manageable activities measurable , including criteria you'll use to measure whether each task has been completed successfully, and scheduled realistically , based on the time frame within which you expect to complete them – working according to a schedule increases the probability that you'll complete each task Don't put too many tasks on your list. Being realistic in your expectations and your time estimates is key. Consider the tasks that absolutely require your attention – tasks that no one else can do, for example – and put those on your list. But remember, too, to keep things in perspective. Don't think of your to-do list as a list of commands, but rather of possibilities.
Once you have your to-do list, you need to give each task a priority. To prioritize work effectively, you can use a priority matrix. A priority matrix helps you distinguish between tasks that are urgent and important, those that are important but not urgent, those that are urgent but not important, and finally, those that are not urgent and not important. Important and urgent tasks have the highest priority and should be dealt with first. You should devote as much time and effort to them as possible. Tasks in this quadrant include emergencies, deadline-driven projects, or problems that require immediate action. Important but not urgent tasks include planning, relationship building, networking, personal development, or identifying new opportunities. These are often the preferred tasks – the ones you would like to do first because they tend to be more interesting. Don't ignore these tasks, but try to put some time aside each day to work on them. If they are left too long, they can become urgent. Urgent but not important tasks include interruptions, some phone calls, e-mails, and meetings, and requests to help out another person. Because these tasks are not important, you don't want to lose too much time on them. They may be urgent but they are not important to you personally, so deal with them as quickly as you can and move on. Not urgent and not important tasks include dealing with junk mail like direct marketing letters, social talks with colleagues, other time wasters, and things you might prefer but don't need to do. These tasks have the lowest priority. Complete these tasks only when you have nothing more important to do.
Once you've prioritized your tasks, the next step is to schedule your tasks. To do this, you set aside specific times for their completion to ensure each one will get done.
To manage your time well, you should know not only what tasks you need to accomplish, but also when those tasks must be completed and how long they'll take. Making accurate estimates about how long a task will take is one of the keys to effective time management. Many management problems are the result of unrealistic estimates of how long it will take to complete specific tasks.
If you estimate time frames accurately, you'll be able to schedule work efficiently and meet deadlines: schedule work efficiently – Accurate estimates about how long tasks will take to complete make scheduling a lot easier. They ensure that you won't have to keep changing your schedule. meet deadlines – If you're accurate in estimating the time it will take to complete tasks, you'll be better able to meet your deadlines. If you're estimates aren't accurate, you may need to ask to change deadlines or disappoint others who are relying on you to complete certain tasks. With accurate time estimates, you'll also be more confident about setting deadlines because you know that the time you assign for completing each of your tasks is realistic.
It's important to estimate the time frames for your tasks accurately so that you can schedule all your work effectively and meet deadlines. To go about doing this, you first need to know the requirements of each task and your experience with activities – both when they run smoothly and when they don't – to produce three time estimates: The likely time is the time that the task normally takes you to complete. It helps to consider the time it takes to complete the task without interruption. You should also think about a time frame you would be comfortable with based on your workload, the task, and any external factors that may delay or speed up the completion of the task. The shortest time is the least amount of time that you have taken to complete the task in the past. It may also refer to the shortest time in which you think you can complete the task if there are no interruptions or distractions. You can estimate the longest time by considering what may go wrong when performing the task and then adding this extra time to the task's likely duration. This estimate should be based on your experience of this type of activity in the past, as well as on any foreseeable difficulties.
According to Parkinson's law, work expands to fit the time available for its completion – if you let it. Assuming that this is true, you need to be particularly careful about how you set deadlines for tasks. Give yourself too much time, and you'll end up taking all the time available. Give yourself too little time, and you'll feel stressed and defeated by the task before you even begin. Setting a realistic deadline does not mean that you need to spend lots of time to prepare and to plan before you begin, but it does require you to break down tasks into individual activities consider who or what else needs to be involved consider what else you need to achieve at the time consider what is a realistic amount of time to devote to each task Setting realistic deadlines not only enables you to achieve your objectives, but it will also help you feel as though you are making genuine progress
How often have you felt that you've got nothing to show for the time you've spent on something? That happens because you haven't been working efficiently. You might be tempted to cut corners, or delegate your workload to someone else. But being efficient means doing the tasks that you have to do in the most effective way – ensuring that neither time nor energy is wasted. You can improve your efficiency by combining tasks or organizing them in a way that ensures that you don't waste time. There are three methods you can use: batching coordinating combining Improving your efficiency is relatively easy if you are prepared to take control of your time. You need to plan ahead as far as possible, and think carefully about the types of activities you will be undertaking. To improve your efficiency you need to start by looking at the tasks and activities you have to complete, and then schedule them in a way that helps you to make the most of your time. Of course, it won't always be possible to do things in the most efficient way, but you can often save valuable minutes and hours by taking a little time to batch, coordinate, and combine your activities.
Batching Batching means pulling together similar tasks, and doing them at the same time. Look at what you have to do and think about what's involved. If they are similar in any way, then you may be able to combine them, or do one task after another to improve efficiency. If you have to make phone calls, update customer records, or prepare a report, you can batch activities together.
Coordinating Oftentimes, you will have to work with others, or rely on others for their input. Making sure that the resources or people involved in a certain task are available, can help you to be far more efficient. If you need input from others, you will need to contact them about scheduling before planning when to do your work. If you need to wait for resources or people to become available, schedule your activities around them instead of starting tasks that you can't finish, or wasting time waiting.
Combining If you are involved in meetings, if you have to travel, or if you have to work with other people, schedule your tasks so that you limit your traveling time, and you can run one task into another wherever possible. Look at your appointments and activities, and note when and where they occur. Can you combine a visit to one colleague with a visit to another, or could you move meetings so that they all happen in a short period of time? Cutting back on traveling time will give you more time to work. Taking control of your time is about more than just knowing what you've got to do. It's about ensuring that you use your time in the most efficient way. By scheduling tasks effectively, you can save time, and work smarter – not harder.
During the course of your business day, you need to manage your tasks in relation to the time available to you. The way you schedule most of your tasks will center around their deadlines and completion dates. However, some tasks may also have specific start dates or even dependencies that affect when you can schedule them. For instance, the completion of one of your tasks may depend entirely on someone else completing another task. Or you may not be able to start work on your task until the necessary resources become available. This is where the concept of sequencing can be helpfully applied. It is a process in which you plan your time by taking start dates into account. It allows you to quickly review what you need to do and whether there is time available to complete the required tasks. Sequencing is most effective when you have large tasks that need to be completed and when you're aware, in advance, of what needs to be done. To sequence your tasks effectively, you follow three steps: distinguish between sequential and parallel tasks, schedule tasks, and, where necessary, renegotiate deadlines.
Sequential tasks can't start until other tasks have been completed. For instance, you can start writing a financial report on three departments only once those departments supply you with the relevant financial figures. So dependent tasks need to be completed in a sequence, with each task being more or less finished before the next task can begin. Parallel tasks , on the other hand, are not dependent on any other factors for their start dates. They may be done at any time before or after a particular stage is reached. Whether a task is parallel or sequential depends largely on its context. You may ask yourself these questions when distinguishing between tasks: When can you start and what's the deadline? Is the task dependent on someone else finishing something first and do you need anything before you can start? How long will the task take?
Schedule your tasks To schedule your tasks, you start with the sequential tasks, scheduling the earliest start dates of each of these. You determine each start date based on the availability of resources or on the completion date for another task on which the sequential task depends. You then schedule your parallel tasks to fall into the time gaps that exist between the sequential tasks.
Renegotiate deadlines Sometimes, the earliest start dates, time frames for completion, and deadlines are not compatible. If you've assessed all your tasks and determined that some deadlines may not be achievable, you need to renegotiate these deadlines. Remember, however, that if people are dependent on the completion of your tasks for the completion of theirs, it may not be possible to renegotiate deadlines. Generally, there's more room for renegotiation if your deadline is the final date for overall completion of specific work.
In the average business, many demands are placed on employees' time. It can sometimes be difficult to determine exactly what you need to do, when you need to start and complete a task, and precisely how long the task will take you to complete. You may have numerous tasks that require your attention and that compete for your time. So how do you decide what to do first? You can prioritize tasks in a queue in several ways: Dealing with tasks by using the place in line method simply means that you deal with your tasks on a "first come, first served" basis. Using the customer status method means you consider the requirements or needs of the person who's making the request and then respond to the most urgent requirements or needs first. The processing time method involves completing the easiest and quickest jobs first, because they have the shortest processing times. By doing this, you clear a large amount of tasks in a short period of time. Using the due date method, you process tasks based solely on their due dates. As such, the task with the closest deadline will be completed first. Queuing is most effective as a way to manage your time when you have to juggle conflicting deadlines. If you have time to plan effectively, you probably won't need to use queuing at all. But if you do decide to use queuing, you should consider the pros and cons of each method. The method you choose should depend on your specific circumstances and the industry in which you work.
Reasons for using a time log Feeling like you don't have enough time to get things done can be very frustrating and exhausting. So it's essential to manage your time effectively. Before you can manage the time you have, you must understand what you're doing with your time now. Ask yourself two basic questions: "How much time do I have?" and "How do I spend my time?" To get a clear idea of how you use your time, create a detailed log of the way you spend the hours in your workday. Consider using a time log to record activities you spend time on during a typical week. Include how long each activity lasts and its priority in relation to your goals. Recording and assessing your use of time in a time log will benefit you. Using a time log helps you to clarify how you use your time so you can identify any problem areas. You can then determine how best to change what you do so that you use your time more productively. A time log shows you how much time you're really spending on activities that don't help you meet your goals. So it identifies problem areas in the way you manage your time and indicates changes you can make to be more productive. The information it provides places you in control, equipping you to manage your time better in the future.
Creating an effective time log Creating a time log is a good first step in gaining control over your time. To do this, follow these steps: keep a daily log – Generally, keeping a daily log for a full working week will provide sufficient data to work with. Recording every activity right after you've completed it is important. If you don't, you may forget what you've done and you'll be guessing at how long it took. You should include even minor activities; these take up time and would be difficult to remember if you tried to create the log from memory. Ideally, the log should cover typical days rather than days that include an unusual amount of travel, long meetings, or other atypical events. categorize activities – As you enter each activity in the log, label it using specific categories. By creating these categories, you'll provide a simple framework that makes it easier to analyze your log later. prioritize activities – You should prioritize activities based on their urgency and importance in relation to your main responsibilities and goals. The next set of priorities involves enabling goals – activities that indirectly support your critical goals. These activities have a medium value and a high degree of urgency. The lowest priorities include both urgent and nonurgent tasks that have little value in relation to your goals. summarize data – At the end of the week, summarize the data you've gathered, adding up the total amount of time you spent on each activity category. Include the total number of hours spent on each category, the average time per day, and the priority given to that category.
The management guru, Peter Drucker, recommends that executives get a firm grip on their discretionary time. Discretionary time is time that is under their personal control – about 25 percent of which is discretionary time – as opposed to committed time, which is time already committed to meetings and routine work. You too have discretionary time that you need to plan. You should set aside or block out time in workable chunks that will allow you to work on priority tasks undisturbed.
To make effective use of your blocked-out time, you need to ensure that you are realistic about the time you set aside, and ensure that you set aside time for specific activities. There are four types of activities that you should consider blocking out time for: Planning – Make sure that you block out time for advance planning. You can also use the time to make sure you have the resources available when you need to undertake tasks or attend meetings. Reviewing – Learn from your mistakes and successes. Take time to reflect on what you've done well, and what has gone wrong, and use what you learn to inform future projects. Dealing with important but nonurgent tasks – It's easy to leave things until they become urgent, but this isn't a good idea. Taking time to think about these important tasks, and considering how to deal with them, reaps dividends in the long run. Buffering – Make sure that you allow 15 minutes between all but the smallest tasks. You can fill the time later if you need it, but it's easier to do this than steal time from other tasks.
By setting aside chunks of time for planning, reviewing, nonurgent tasks, and buffering, you can ensure that your planner doesn't become too congested with meetings and unnecessary tasks. Blocking out time is particularly useful if someone else has access to your schedule – you can use the method to ensure that certain times are kept free for you to do your own work, rather than being swallowed by other people's requirements. Blocking out time gives you the chance to reflect on what has happened, and to look at different ways of handling problems. Most importantly, it allows you to get back in control of your own time.
How often have you found yourself wasting time because you're unable to decide what to do next? Decision-making is an essential part of effective time management. Of course, there are many ways of making decisions, and often it is important to give big decisions much time and consideration. However, when you need to make a quick decision, you need to be able to act with confidence. The PMI technique, suggested by Edward de Bono, is a variation on the weighing pros and con technique. PMI stands for plus/minus/implications and is an important decision-making tool. PMI provides useful checks and balances to ensure that the action you are going to take is actually going to improve the situation you're in. This is essential if your primary concern is managing your time effectively.
Using PMI is straightforward, and you can decide how much detail you want to consider depending on the type of decision you're trying to make. The key thing is that you consider each of the three areas of the PMI carefully – and always bear in mind that the best decision may be to do nothing. There are three key elements to PMI: Consider the actions that will result from the decision, and list all of the positive results. These will usually be time savings, reduction of the number of steps involved, cost benefits, and convenience. Consider the actions that will result from the decision, and list all of the negative results. Usually these will be things such as the need to involve more people, prolonged time frames, increased costs, disruption, or inconvenience. Consider the less tangible impacts of making the decision. They often relate to future impacts, personal esteem, career benefits, personal issues such as conflict increase or reduction, job satisfaction, or otherwise. Implications can be either positive or negative.
Understanding how your body clock affects your performance can help you to manage your time more effectively. Your body clock, influences your ability to perform tasks effectively throughout the day. Typically, an individual's body rhythm follows a general pattern. Of course, people are different, and you may describe yourself as a "morning person" or a "night person." But everybody's clock settles into a pattern of alertness, followed by dipping energy, and then energy recovery. Once you know the typical pattern of energy flow, you may want to schedule your tasks a little differently. It's true you may not always be able to control the timing of your tasks. But for tasks within your control, it can be helpful to consider your natural energy rhythms when scheduling them.
If you can match the activities you need to do to times when you are best able to do them, you will be more effective and productive in carrying out those activities. It can be useful to break time into several categories when determining when to schedule tasks based on your energy cycle: morning – The morning is best used for decision making and intellectually challenging tasks. Your energy levels are at their highest and you're alert, so you're able to "think on your feet" and handle difficult or complex issues. You should try to schedule meetings or conference calls for this time of the day. You should also focus on reading and analyzing information, problem solving, and getting to grips with difficult issues. early afternoon – Most people's energy levels begin to dip in the early afternoon. During this time – say from around 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – you should avoid mentally challenging tasks or activities requiring active short-term memory and quick thinking. At this time of day, you generally have the highest tolerance for pain. So this is an ideal time to visit the dentist or chiropractor, or to schedule other appointments that might involve discomfort. late afternoon – Energy levels are generally at their lowest during the late afternoon – from around 3 p.m. up to 4:30 p.m. You should not attempt to do anything mentally taxing, such as problem solving, calculations, or attending meetings, at this time. Instead, concentrate on reflective and creative tasks. This may include thinking about issues, writing, processing information, preparing for speeches or presentations, or anything that involves using your long-term memory. evening – As evening begins, most people find that their energy levels begin to increase. But although your energy levels are recovering, you usually aren't as alert as you were at the beginning of the day. This is the time to undertake routine or repetitive work that requires concentration but not analytical skills. Focus on tasks such as filing, making follow-up calls, checking documentation, or capturing data. This is also a good time to do physical exercise.
Personality can affect how you use your time, so it may help to do a personality assessment. The Myers-Briggs psychological personality measure is an established personality assessment tool. It measures psychological preferences in four areas: the source of your energy, how you gather information, how you make decisions, and how you deal with the outer world.
Each preference manifests itself in people's behavior. The eight different preferences are as follows: extraversion – Extraverts feel comfortable in public, find energy by being actively involved in numerous group activities, and like to make things happen and energize others. Extraverts tend to plan while in meetings, so they find portable planning devices useful. introversion – Introverts find energy from working with ideas, images, memories, and internal reactions. They're energized by their internal world and prefer working alone or in small groups. They tend to take time to reflect before taking any action. sensing – People whose preference is for sensing pay attention to what they can see, hear, touch, smell, or taste. Physical data and facts are how they gather information. They wouldn't trust hunches that seem to come out of nowhere, but instead look for facts and details. intuition – People who gather information by intuition tend to focus on patterns and impressions inferred from their experiences. They prefer to theorize first rather than learning through a hands-on approach. Intuitives also tend to remember their experiences more as impressions than as detailed events. thinking – When making decisions, people whose preference is for thinking try to base their decisions on principles, facts, and rules rather than on the specific contexts in which they're making the decisions. Thinkers weigh up pros and cons and then try to be logical and consistent in how they use that information to make decisions. feeling – People who prefer to make decisions using feeling as a guide rely on values rather than facts and principles. They weigh the views and needs of the people involved in the specific context of any situation. Feelers try to establish or maintain harmony and do so by considering the points of view of those involved. They often appear caring and tactful. judging – Judgers are people who like to reach clear decisions as quickly as possible. They are task-oriented. And they often feel a need for structure and organization when dealing with the external world. Others may interpret this as being too rigid or controlling. Judgers prefer to have a plan in place and to keep things in order. They may feel a strong urge to bring life under control. perceiving – Perceivers relate to the external world by trying to understand and adapt to it moment by moment. They prefer not to reach final decisions; they remain open to new information. As a result, they may be perceived as indecisive. These people feel most comfortable when being flexible and spontaneous. They're more motivated by the desire to understand and respond to the world than by the urge to organize it.
Your personality type can help you determine your strengths and weaknesses in terms of time management. The most important personality dimension in this regard is your preference as an extravert or introvert. However, your preferences as a sensor or intuitive, thinker or feeler, and judger or perceiver also impact how you use your time. Each of the personality preferences has strengths and weaknesses: Introverts work best when not distracted. They stay focused on a single task for lengthy periods. However, they might overlook new developments. Extroverts like to plan and come up with ideas as part of a group. They enjoy keeping busy and working on several projects at once and thrive on plenty of stimulation. However, they may have a tendency to jump too quickly into a task, not planning or thinking it over enough. People who prefer sensing to intuition like working with schedules and deadlines, however, they may focus too much on present tasks and therefore fail to plan thoroughly. Intuitives are good at seeing the big picture; however their tendency to remember impressions rather than details means they may not plan in enough detail. They think more about new possibilities and ideas and therefore may forget to consider how to make them a reality. This may mean they struggle with deadlines. Those with a preference for thinking tend to emphasize being objective and consistent. They may like to break things down into their logical parts, and may be capable of creating very efficient time management systems based on a rational, objective assessment of their goals. People with a preference for feeling over thinking like to make decisions based on how they affect others and themselves. Because their focus is on other people, they may be easily distracted if they don't have a time management plan. People with a personality that includes a preference for judging may have a natural flair for time management because planning is important to them. They prefer a more structured approach and often find planning on paper useful. They tend to make lists of things to do and plan their work to avoid having to rush. However, they may ignore new information because they're too focused on their goals. Those with a preference for perceiving may find too much planning annoying and restrictive. These people value flexibility, enjoy mixing work and play, and feel motivated by approaching deadlines. They work in short bursts of energy, rather than at a steady pace. However, they may find that they stay open to new information for too long and therefore don't make decisions when they're needed.
Whatever combination of traits you have, you'll tend either toward over-managing your time or toward simply dealing with matters as they arise. If you like to control your time, you may need to become more flexible. And if you tend to favor spontaneity, you probably need to gain more control over your work schedule. The Myers-Briggs test measures your preferences in terms of information gathering, decision making, energy source, and dealing with the outside world to determine your personality type and how you are likely to behave. These personality traits affect how you manage your time. Each personality type has certain strengths and weaknesses. So knowing more about yourself can help you to determine how to improve your time management skills.
Benefits of overcoming procrastination Procrastinating often has negative consequences. Even if you rush to finish a task in time, your work may not be up to scratch if it's rushed – and you're likely to feel guilty and stressed for as long as you put the work off. Procrastination can sometimes be difficult to recognize. If you have a deadline that's three months away, it can be easy to put off the work using the excuse that there's plenty of time. But this is still a form of procrastination. And if you're saying the same thing a month later, chances are you may end up leaving the work so late that you can't finish it – or finish it well – by the deadline. The common causes of procrastination are as follows: not knowing where to start – If a task is complex or it's not clear what steps must be taken, you may delay taking any action at all. Spending too long considering all the alternatives or simply feeling overwhelmed can prevent you from getting down to work and determining what's actually required. avoiding unpleasant tasks – You may procrastinate out of a desire to avoid doing something uninteresting or unpleasant. Instead of getting the job done, you spend your time on tasks that are less urgent but easier to complete and more interesting. being afraid of failure – Fear is a common and often unrecognized cause of procrastination. If you're faced with a task that's difficult, it may be your fear of failure that causes you to delay any action. People who tend to be perfectionists don't want to produce work that's less than perfect, and this can paralyze them into not even making a start – sometimes until it's really too late to get a job done properly. Overcoming a habit of procrastination can have several important benefits: you'll be more productive and your work may be of a higher quality because you haven't had to rush it you'll be less stressed because you don't continually need to worry about work you know you should be doing and you won't feel the time pressures that procrastination can place on you, and finally you'll have more control; by taking charge and not delaying action, you gain confidence in your ability to achieve goals and manage your own time
Several strategies can help you overcome the habit of procrastination: considering the consequences of procrastinating removing any obstacles causing you to delay a task setting yourself a deadline, and simply taking the plunge and making a start somewhere To help get you going, it might help to consider what effects procrastinating may have . These consequences may include stress, which is likely to increase the longer you put off the work having less time to complete work because of an initial delay, with the result that you may produce poor quality work the possibility of missing a final deadline, and increased costs – this may apply if you have to pay for resources until a task is completed or if a financial penalty is associated with missing a deadline
Sometimes it's necessary to put a task off. You may need to put a task on hold until you've received the information or resources required to complete it properly. This leads into another important strategy – identifying and removing any obstacles that are keeping you from making a start . Even if obstacles such as lack of required information, resources, or equipment are easy to overcome, you may find yourself procrastinating. You may lack confidence about your ability to get a job done because you fear you don't have the necessary knowledge or skills. If you've identified this as the reason why you're procrastinating, you can do something about it. Another useful strategy is setting yourself a clear deadline for completing a task , and letting someone else know what this deadline is. You're more likely to stick to the deadline you've set if someone else is expecting you to do this. Often getting started on a task is the hardest part of completing it. So a good way to overcome procrastination is simply to jump in and do part of the work . If a job is complex and you don't know where to start, it can help to break it down into smaller tasks. Then place these in a logical sequence and simply start at the top of the list. Once you've completed the first task, it's likely you'll feel more confident about what's required and more motivated to continue. And if it's fear that's holding you back, it can help to begin with the easiest task. Often, the best antidote for fear or indecision is taking action. You may even want to get the most difficult or unpleasant task out of the way first. This may require discipline, but it can also reduce stress. Once you've handled what's tricky or putting you off, you'll have a clear view toward the finish line. These additional guidelines can help you overcome a habit of procrastination: avoid being a perfectionist – although it's always good to do your best work, don't let impossibly high standards keep you from getting anything done at all remember to prioritize tasks and don't use work that's not important as an excuse for postponing work that is, and schedule breaks or other types of rewards for once you've completed tasks or significant parts of the work that must be done Benefits of overcoming a habit of procrastinating are that you'll be more productive and less stressed, and that you'll feel more in control of your work. Strategies for beating procrastination include considering its negative consequences, and identifying and removing any obstacles keeping you from making a start on a task. They also include setting clear deadlines and simply making a start on the work that must be done.
How not to take on too much Taking on too much work can have several negative consequences, both in your professional and home life: it can cause a high degree of stress and eventually lead you to "burn out" it can lead to neglect in your personal life, with overtime eating into time you'd spend with family and friends, relaxing, or exercising, and it can result in a failure to meet your core work responsibilities because you're too busy with other tasks In addition to these negative consequences, taking on too much work often leads to multitasking. The problem with multitasking is that trying to do more than one thing at the same time often leads to mistakes. It's also generally inefficient and stressful. You just can't work as effectively if your concentration is scattered among several different jobs.
There are two main strategies for overcoming a tendency to take on too much work: know your key responsibilities – It's important to know what your key work responsibilities and goals are, so you can prioritize meeting these over taking on other assignments. You should remind yourself that it isn't always possible to do everything. When you're feeling torn among different tasks, weigh up their relative importance in terms of your key goals. It can help to ask yourself the question, "What's the best or most important thing I could be doing now?" plan your time – You should plan your time carefully to ensure you spend it as productively as possible and that you don't take on more than you can manage. This involves dividing your day into blocks of time and assigning an activity to each block. Activities you schedule might range from working on different tasks to managing your e-mail and making calls, to handling personal chores, and to getting enough rest. You may also assign some flexible time, for unexpected tasks or those that take longer than planned to complete. Once you've allocated all your available time and your schedule is full, you'll know you shouldn't make any more commitments.
How to say "no" Once you know your key goals and responsibilities, as well as how full your schedule is, you'll know how to respond when someone asks you to take on more work. Saying "no" can be difficult, especially if it's your manager who asks you to take on a new responsibility. Even if it's a colleague who asks for your help when you're too busy to give it, it can be difficult to let go of the desire to please everyone. However, remember that it can be much worse to take on a commitment you won't be able to meet than to say "no" in the first place. When you do say "no" to a request to take on more work, it's important to avoid causing offense or bad feeling. If it's your boss you need to say "no" to, it's also important to prevent your response from sounding like insubordination. This won't be good for your relationship – or your career.
To say "no" without having negative consequences, you can follow certain strategies: buy time – Particularly if it's your manager who asks you to take on more work, it's a good idea to say that you'd like some time to consider the request. Give your manager a deadline for when you will get back to him or her. This will give you time to determine whether your schedule really is too full and, if it is, to prepare a suitable response. It also shows that you're taking the request seriously. Simply returning an abrupt "no" would be disrespectful of your manager's authority. When you buy time, it can also help to say that you appreciate having been asked to take on a particular responsibility. And remember, buying time doesn't mean changing the subject. say "no" in the right way – With either a manager or a colleague, it's always important to say "no" in a way that doesn't cause offense or appear unhelpful. Often the best approach is to make it clear how accepting more work will compromise your ability to meet your core responsibilities. avoid a discussion – When you say "no," it's natural to want to justify your answer at some length. The problem with this approach is that too often, you may end up arguing yourself into a corner. To help overcome a tendency to take on too much work, you should know your core responsibilities and goals, and weigh the importance of assignments in relation to these before agreeing to take them on. You should also schedule your available time. Once you can see that your schedule is full, you'll know not to accept further work. However, it's often difficult to say "no." It can help to buy time so that you can prepare an appropriate response. Also, you should ensure you refuse a request to take on more work in a way that won't cause offense and that doesn't invite further discussion.
Handling disruptive phone calls For most people, an important part of work life is interacting with others. Breaks and socializing with colleagues are important too. Interruptions can eat into the time you need to spend getting your work done, making you less productive and more stressed. In a typical office, interruptions come from a variety of sources: managers asking for updates, making new work requests, or popping in to discuss developments informally colleagues who request assistance or just want to chat meetings, which are often overly long and sometimes unnecessary your telephone and cell phone, with calls from fellow employees, clients, family members, or friends your e-mail, with messages ranging from urgent work requests to greetings or jokes from friends, and noise from nearby colleagues and their telephones Even brief interruptions can rob you of a lot of time. This is because after you've dealt with an interruption, you typically need extra time to regain your focus on what you were doing before. You can think of this as "switching" time – it usually takes some time to switch between tasks. Some straightforward strategies can help you to minimize interruptions at work: You can use voice mail to prevent phone calls from disrupting your work. You can close your e-mail while you're completing a task. If you have your own office space, close your door and possibly even post a "do not disturb" sign on it until you've finished what has to be done. Whenever necessary, you should be direct with managers or colleagues. If you don't have enough time to chat or assist with a problem, say so. Mentioning what it is you need to finish can help keep this from sounding too abrupt.
Among the most time-consuming of interruptions when you're working are phone calls. When you can't simply turn on your answering machine, you can use other strategies for reducing the time you spend handling phone calls: delegating – If you receive a call when you're busy, it may be appropriate to delegate the call by redirecting it to someone else. shortening the calls – Often, you can shorten the time a call takes by letting the caller know there's a deadline involved. Follow-up calls may not be required because setting a time limit encourages a caller to come straight to the point. rescheduling – If you're too busy to handle a call, it may be appropriate to reschedule it. Generally, you should offer a brief explanation of why you're not available to talk and offer times at which you will be available. When you use one of the strategies for minimizing the time a phone call takes, it's important to avoid being rude or too abrupt. Sometimes a particular client or customer calls often and requires frequent reassurance. If you cut the calls short, you may risk offending or even losing the client. And if you continue to spend more time on the calls than you have, you're at risk of falling behind in your work. To help prevent regular calls from a client from disrupting your work, you can pre-empt the calls and phone the client yourself when you have the time, and specify the times when you're available to accept and return calls so that the client knows what to expect – and use voice mail to do this when you're not available
You start your day knowing exactly what you want to get done. And then what happens? You face all kinds of unexpected demands from other people – from your boss, from co-workers, or from clients. And, if you're not careful, you spend most of your time reacting to these demands. How you deal with the relationship between what you want to achieve, and the demands of others, depends on what kind of person you are – on your social character. Two types of social character According to David Riesman's model of human social character, people tend to be one of two types: Inner-directed – Inner-directed people are motivated by personal, pre-decided priorities. Other-directed – Other-directed people respond readily to the demands of others because they need to please others. Riesman does not represent either inner-directed or other-directed behavior as correct, and in fact, he recommends that we adopt a reasonable compromise between the two – a social character he calls autonomous.
How does an inner-directed or other-directed person respond when someone interrupts an activity and wants his attention? How does an autonomous person behave? The following are descriptions of how different social types are likely to respond to interruptions: Inner-directed – An inner-directed person minimizes the length of time she gives to the other person. She often shows that she does not welcome the demand on her time. Other-directed – The other-directed person is invariably happy to stop what he is doing. He gives the other party as much time as he wants. Autonomous – The autonomous person does not usually object to demands on his time. But he does not lose sight of his own goals and says if a demand is not convenient at that moment because he is busy. A demand on your time from someone else may be an effective use of your working day, or it may not. However, you will only be able to evaluate the usefulness of the activity if you can detach yourself from the extremes of inner-directed or other-directed behavior. The inner-directed person feels that any interruption is stealing his time, while the other-directed individual always behaves as though she has no private time that anyone else could steal. The tendency is for people to be either inner-directed or other-directed. Neither is the best option. An autonomous social character represents a balanced way to respond to demands on your time.
Drop-in visitors are people who come into your office or to see you at your desk without a prior appointment. They can include managers, coworkers, customers or vendors, and friends. Sometimes drop-in visitors want your help with problems or to discuss work-related issues. At other times, they may stop by just to chat. They can use up some of your valuable time.
Several strategies can help you reduce the time you spend dealing with drop-in visitors: set time limits – Sometimes a drop-in visitor may settle in to chat or take a long time getting to a point. Setting a time limit on the discussion is a good way to prevent this. limit times you're available – If you're a manager, it's important to make time to see staff who need your assistance. But it's also important that you have enough time to complete your own work. You could choose to make it clear that you're available only between certain times. You could also choose to limit the issues you're available to discuss. ask how you can help – If you ask how you can help as soon as a drop-in visitor arrives at your desk, it shows that you're expecting the visitor to address a work-related issue. encourage visits outside your workplace – You should also ask friends or colleagues who want to catch up socially to meet you outside the workplace. This often helps to pre-empt visits. If you're a manager, you can schedule time to make the rounds and find out if any team members need your help – rather than facing interruptions once you're focusing on your own work. If you're too busy to deal with unexpected visitors, you should say so directly. Colleagues are likely to understand and empathize if you're trying to get your work done, and you'll be able to focus better on speaking to them once you know you've got the time. Ultimately, minimizing interruptions during the time you've scheduled to get your own work done will help your career, and leave you less stressed, with time left to assist others and to relax once your work is done.
How to Manage Paperwork Whatever happened to the paperless office? The appearance of the computer was supposed to remove the need for paper in the office, but most people receive more paper documents than ever before. If you are to avoid drowning in a sea of paper, you need a straightforward and efficient technique for managing it. Paperwork is causing a problem for you if it distracts you from the task in hand or if you ignore it for as long as possible. It's also causing a problem if you keep nearly all the documents that come in or print out copies of everything.
An approach to managing paperwork Ignoring paperwork that lands on your desk, or aiming to store it all, are simply two different ways of failing to manage it. Instead, there is a simple, but powerful approach for managing paperwork. Make a prompt decision about the fate of each document you receive, based on whether it should be filed passed on thrown away read through The choices contained in the "file, pass on, throw away, read" approach are not, of course, necessarily mutually exclusive. Some documents will need reading thoroughly before filing or passing on; others will not. It may or may not be immediately clear whether a document should be treated as trash.
Tips for quickly reducing volume It is certainly the case, however, that a cursory look will tell you all you need to know about many documents. A lot of paperwork that comes across your desk is not worth the time it would take you to read it. Here are two tips: do not keep any hard copies of electronically generated documents that you receive – for example, e-mails or reports do not make hard copies of documents that you write on your computer
How to decide While you will need to make critical judgments for each document and perhaps do multiple things with it, here are some quick guidelines for knowing when to do what with it: only file a document if you're likely to need it in the future pass on a document if it needs to be read by someone else throw away any document that is not relevant to you or a colleague read short documents immediately; keep longer documents for later reading
Managing your e-mail effectively has several benefits. It ensures you have fast, easy access to work-related information when you need it; it facilitates better time management; it helps you work more effectively; and it contributes to your and your company's overall efficiency. Some best practices for managing your time through effective e-mail management relate to handling your business e-mail account and others relate to keeping your business and personal e-mail separate.
Two ways can help you to manage your business e-mail properly: keep your inbox as empty as possible – The fewer messages you have in your inbox, the less you have to deal with. Keeping your inbox free of clutter also makes it easier to spot the messages that require immediate attention. eliminate sources of unnecessary e-mails – Simply deleting unnecessary e-mails is only a short-term solution. A more permanent solution is to stop unnecessary e-mails from arriving in your inbox by cutting out the sources of these e-mails.
One way to keep your inbox as empty as possible is to handle business-related e-mail as soon as you receive it. If you don't do this, e-mails might build up until your inbox overflows with more messages than you can cope with. You'll then waste time dealing with a large volume of messages. You can keep your inbox relatively empty by regularly deleting junk e-mails and old e-mails that you no longer need. You can also sort incoming e-mail into different categories or subjects, each of which has its own folder in your e-mail client. From there, you can decide which e-mails need to be handled and at what time. Another way to make more efficient use of your e-mail account and working time is to eliminate any sources of unnecessary e-mails. If you're on e-mail lists or have subscribed to newsgroups, you may receive a lot of e-mails you don't really need. Product alerts and newsletters can also fill up your mailbox. And despite assurances that your e-mail address will be kept private, subscribing to these services can leave you vulnerable to receiving more spam. It's best not to subscribe to services that will result in e-mails arriving in your business mailbox, unless you really need these to do your work. Usually, you can unsubscribe from a service by going to a web site or sending an e-mail. Even if you do need a service, you can often choose to limit the communications you receive. For example, you might specify you don't want to receive any promotional content, or opt to receive a daily digest instead of several individual messages.
It's not just work-related e-mail messages that clog up business people's e-mail accounts. Often, a lot of work time is wasted on handling personal e-mails. Having many personal messages in your mailbox can make it difficult to spot important business messages. If you receive personal e-mails at work, the first step to better management is to establish separate business and personal e-mail accounts. Separating these accounts keeps your business and personal e-mails – and lives – separate. It also helps make your work time more efficient. Your personal e-mail can be handled at another time – when you're not working.
There is a direct relationship between the physical organization of your office and your productivity. If you do not make the most of your workspace, you will not get the most out of your time. The size of your office, and the level of luxury in its furnishings, does not correlate directly, or inevitably, on your performance. So what does? Three elements of physical organization The three elements of the physical organization of your work space that have a positive or negative impact on your use of time are tidiness comfort structure
Tidiness Only have the files and papers that you're actually using on your desktop. The only objects on your desk permanently should be work-related objects that you really need to have there. It is easy to accumulate clutter on your desk and to find excuses to allow it to continue. But if papers are left strewn around, it is likely that you will expend unnecessary time locating them when you actually need them. Plus, clutter conveys an unfortunate impression of mental disorganization to co-workers. Exactly what you need to have permanently available depends on your job. A monitor, keyboard, mouse, and telephone may be enough. You may also require a physical address book, and a notebook. Most people do not need much more.
Comfort Lower or raise the temperature, get a more comfortable chair, exchange your light source for one that better suits you – do whatever you need to make your workspace comfortable for you.
Structure Filing systems that are consistently coded – alphabetized, color-coded, or whatever works for you – will keep your workspace structured. The details of a filing system are an individual matter, but you do need a system and one that helps you to work. The physical organization of your working environment has a direct effect on your time-effectiveness. Do not postpone taking action on any aspect of the physical organization of your office that should be changed
I’d like to leave you today with a personal story. My first realistic look at time management. I remember my freshman year from college. I vividly remember sitting at my desk in my dorm; talking on the phone with my dad. I was complaining about how I didn’t have time to get anything done. I was away from home, didn’t have a job, my only priority was a normal course load. He said, Shannon, how many hours do you sleep? I responded with 8. Then he asked, how many hours a day are you in class? I said 4. Then he said, that’s 12 hours. How many hours are in a day? Well, of course, 24- Then he asked. What are you doing the other 12 hours of the day?
Today we’ve discussed many areas of time management and strategies that can be used. Hopefully you’ve walked away with tips and tricks. Remember, don’t try to change everything at once. Hopefully this information has given you a new perspective on how to arrange your day and tackle tasks.
April: Thank you Shannon for today’s Webinar on Time Management! We will be sending an email this afternoon to all those that registered, including the audio recording, powerpoint slides, handouts and worksheets. Next Months BizTopix Webinar will cover Internal and External Customer Service. It is scheduled for Wednesday, April 27 th at 1:00pm