The document outlines a time management course that helps learners master various skills relevant to their work and personal lives. It discusses how personality traits influence time management styles, categorizing individuals into types such as perfectionists, socialisers, achievers, artists, analyzers, doubters, hurriers, rebels, and wanderers, each with distinct characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. The course emphasizes the need for self-awareness and balance in managing time effectively.

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Time Travellers
Time Management
MTL Course Topics
Time Travellers
TIME MANAGEMENT

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Time Travellers
Time Management
MTL Course Topics
The Course Topics series from Manage Train Learn is a large collection of topics that will help you as a learner
to quickly and easily master a range of skills in your everyday working life and life outside work. If you are a
trainer, they are perfect for adding to your classroom courses and online learning plans.
COURSE TOPICS FROM MTL
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Time Travellers
Time Management
MTL Course Topics
ARE YOU READY?
OK, LET’S START!

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Time Travellers
Time Management
MTL Course Topics
INTRODUCTION
No time management programme can be complete without
recognizing the effect of personality on attitudes towards
time. Our deep-rooted personalities play a part in
determining whether we are workaholics, work-avoiders,
procrastinators, dreamers, achievers, socialisers, idlers,
analysers or work fanatics. Being aware of how personalities
affect time management means being able to accept not
just how we are but how others are too.

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MTL Course Topics
TIME TENDENCIES
None of us can ever fully master time, just as none of us can
ever fully master our lives. We are subject to the
imperfections of being human and in particular, the
constraining personality traits which we both inherit and
acquire as we grow up.
Our individual personalities colour our attitude towards
time in one of two directions: doing too much or too little.
The tendency to do too much: ie, those who over-focus and
overwork and create imbalance in their lives. An example is
the workaholic who lives for nothing but his or her career or
the hyperactive who is never still.
The tendency to do too little: ie, the lazy, the fearful and
the melancholic. An example is the procrastinator who fears
making a mistake and the risk-taker who loves the thrill of
leaving things to the last minute.

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THE PERFECTIONIST
The Perfectionist is typically a workaholic who spends time
working hard to achieve what he or she regards as the
perfect piece of work.
Characteristics: conscientious; sets large challenges; works
hard in order to avoid failure; believes in high standards;
works to a set routine; pleased with praise; upset by
criticism.
Good at: planning each day; self-development; finding
solutions.
Poor at: making decisions (in case he or she gets it wrong);
knowing when enough's enough; relaxing by doing nothing.
Time management symbol: the 3 o'clock clock. Jean-Paul
Sartre described the 3 o'clock clock as "too early or too late"
for anything you want to start or finish: the typical dilemma
of work-obsessed perfectionists.

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A PERFECTIONIST'S TIME
The Perfectionist doesn't believe he or she has a problem
with time management: after all, they find time planning
second-nature, have the capacity for hard work and do
achieve work of a high standard.
The Perfectionist is typified by playwright George Bernard
Shaw who wrote mechanically every day of his life at set
times and to given targets. He later said: "When I was a
young man, I observed that nine out of ten things I did were
failures. I didn't want to be a failure, so I did ten times more
work."
To others: To others, perfectionists are unbalanced in their
zeal for work. Many people feel there is a holier-than-thou
attitude towards time management by perfectionists.
For balance: For a more balanced management of their
time, perfectionists need to see that perfection is
unattainable and that "good enough" is usually good
enough.

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MTL Course Topics
THE SOCIALISER
The Socialiser likes to spend their time in contact with
others. This can work in their favour as time managers
because they can build valuable relationships that help get
things done. It can also work against them if they
overdevelop the purely social side of their working life at
the expense of achieving useful work.
Characteristics: friendly; sociable; talkative; gossipy; warm;
caring; excitable; nurturing; nervous.
Good at: creating positive ambiences in which others work;
persuading others to do things with or for them; working for
others selflessly.
Poor at: planning their own lives; making personal changes;
sticking to routines.
Time management symbol: the phone, which is the
umbilical cord for the Socialiser to the world outside.

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A SOCIALISER'S TIME
Without strong personal ambitions, Socialisers are not good
time planners. Work is about being with others, not
personal achievement. The most favourite milieu for the
Socialiser is the meeting room. Meetings involving the
Socialisers are always sociable affairs since they will worry
as much about how others are as about what's on the
agenda.
To others: To others, Socialisers can be frustrating time
managers: they have few ideas, ambitions or techniques of
their own and prefer to do what others want rather than
work out what they want.
For balance: For a more balanced approach to managing
their time, Socialisers need to see the positive work benefits
in their relationships with others, not just the social
benefits.

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THE ACHIEVER
The Achiever is a highly ambitious person who prizes work
for the success it brings. Achievers want to impress others
and see work as a way of doing this. They will therefore
volunteer to do any job and take any task if it promises a
reward.
Characteristics: ambitious; popular; attractive; sexy; good-
looking; successful; smart; confident; fit; energetic.
Good at: making jobs look easy; accommodating themselves
to others; juggling high levels of work.
Poor at: knowing their limits; saying "No"; delivering their
promises; depth to their work.
Time management symbol: the promotion ladder. Achievers
rate work as the highest priority closely followed by
organisational success.

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AN ACHIEVER'S TIME
Achievers know that they are good at what they do. They
have few self-doubts about their abilities. They are quite
ready to take on any job and have high workloads. They
collect jobs willingly if this will make them look good in
other people's eyes.
To others: Superficially, the Achievers seem to come close to
the perfect time manager: suave, relaxed, debonair, hard-
working, successful, someone you'd want on your team.
However, there may be a different story under the surface:
jobs collected may not get done; jobs may lack originality
and depth; success may just be show.
For balance: Instead of volunteering to do everything,
Achievers can be more productive when they stick to what
they're good at.
"I think knowing what you can't do is more important than
knowing what you can do." (Lucille Ball)

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THE ARTIST
The Artist is a figure who doesn't quite fit into organisational
life. He or she may be a loner, may not dress, speak or act
like others in the workplace and is likely not to want to
conform to the rules, standards and norms that everyone
else has to follow.
Characteristics: different; special; sensitive; feels deeply;
sympathetic; thoughtful; appreciative; empathetic; creative.
Good at: unique insights; working beyond the call of duty at
something they believe in; innovative work.
Poor at: being on time; following procedures; routine work.
Time management symbol: the colour purple: Artist
personality types share Alice Walker's comment in the film
"The Color Purple": "I think it pisses God off if you walk by
the colour purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."

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AN ARTIST'S TIME
Artists have a cavalier attitude to time which they regard as
a constraint and restriction. They thus arrive late and stay
late; reluctantly follow rotas, and frequently miss deadlines.
To others: Artists can be frustrating members of the
workforce because of their bucking of systems. Their saving
grace is that they allow us to see the value of an alternative
view of work that is not based on following the conformist
route but is personal, individual and deeply felt. When they
succeed, they remind us that time at work can still be spent
on creating things of real value and beauty.
Advice for balance: Artists who work in organisations need
to cultivate their patch with hard work as well as reminding
us, as they do, that now and again, we need to stop and
watch the flowers grow.

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THE ANALYSER
The Analyser is a great student of work rather than a great
participant in it. They are gifted at reading, understanding
and interpreting situations; and can cast light on complex
problems and relationships for others. They make good
agony aunts, counsellors and listeners.
Characteristics: thoughtful; inquisitive; curious; well-read;
analytical; amusing; uninvolved; hate the spotlight; deflect
attention; bookish.
Good at: working things out in their heads; standing back
from problems; putting concepts into words.
Poor at: acting on their own advice; getting involved; self-
development.
Time management symbol: the monastic ivory tower where
time stands still.

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AN ANALYSER'S TIME
The Analyser has a touch of the absent-minded professor
about them. They can easily get so wrapped up in their
thoughts and ideas or in conversation with others that they
can forget the routine details of daily life - such as preparing
a meal, going to bed on time, keeping appointments.
To others: Analysers can be valuable for their intellectual
contributions but may prefer it when others do the work.
"Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's
thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world."
(Goethe)
Advice for balance: Analysers need to beware of the danger
of "analysis paralysis": spending more time chewing things
over than getting results.

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THE DOUBTER
The Doubter is a person who hesitates to act because he or
she is unsure whether they should. It may be because
something hasn't been decided, or information isn't yet
available or because a higher authority hasn't sanctioned it.
Doubters are the great procrastinators, questioners and
hesitators.
Characteristics: loyal to others; good in teams; likes
leadership; seeks protection; wants certainty; unsure.
Good at: following instructions to the letter, Doubters will
arrive not just on time but very early; handling responsibility
to others; working in a team.
Poor at: taking his or her own decisions; risk and change;
self-belief.
Time management symbol: the question mark: Doubters
always need to know a bit more before they will act.

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A DOUBTER'S TIME
Doubters make very good organisational men and women
because they believe that their time belongs to others
whom they are contracted to work for. They will therefore
drop anything at any time if asked to, no matter what the
cost in piled-up work or stress.
To others: Doubters are often highly competent, well-
adjusted, loyal and dependable servants of companies but
they frequently don't make it to the top. In Bill Cosby's
words, it may be because they are attuned to others' needs
more than their own: "I don't know the key to success, but
the key to failure is trying to please everybody.“
Advice for balance: For balanced time management,
Doubters need to regularly re-assess how much time they
give to others and how much time they keep to themselves.

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THE HURRIER
The Hurrier is a person who manages to combine a wide
range of activities in a short space of time. Everything they
do is done at a quick pace: they move quickly, talk quickly,
think quickly. In an age of short attention spans and busy
living, Hurriers appear dynamic time managers.
Characteristics: cheerful; busy; active; versatile; never short
of something to do; smiling; quick-paced; frenetic.
Good at: any kind of activity; energy to do many things;
organising.
Poor at: prioritising workloads; being easily distracted;
sticking to one thing for long.
Time management symbol: the hare, as in the fable of the
tortoise and the hare; or the indigestion tablet. Hurriers
rarely have time to eat a full meal or not be doing
something else while they're eating. "He who sows in a
hurry reaps indigestion."

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A HURRIER'S TIME
Hurriers believe they have a positive attitude to time: they
appear to know a lot, achieve a lot, leaving others for dust.
This is fine for work that is fast-paced but less so for work
that needs more depth, care and sensitivity.
"The trouble with life in the fast lane is that you get to the
other end in an awful hurry." (John Jensen)
To others: Hurriers are often loners who work at a pace
which others simply cannot match. Their value in a team is
that they will often volunteer to do work that nobody else
wants to do - and do it.
Advice for balance: Rushing through life may mean you get
to the end quicker than you'd planned - through burn-out,
exhaustion and illness. Hurriers can learn that slowing down
has its benefits too.

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THE REBEL
The Rebel is one of life's fighters whose passion is the heat
of battle. They are defenders of the weak; impassioned
challengers to anything unfair; chargers on white horses.
Rebels are reactive to the moment: they come to life by
living to the full in the moment, whether in an argument, a
piece of work or a party with friends.
Characteristics: loud; confident; dynamic; leaders; outgoing;
extrovert; battling; argumentative; entrepreneurial; strong.
Good at: squeezing every last minute out of time; living life
on the edge; defying deadlines; acting spontaneously and
instinctively.
Poor at: learning from the past; planning for the future;
suiting other people's plans; going at other people's pace.
Time management symbol: the candle that burns at both
ends.

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A REBEL'S TIME
Rebels believe that time is something to be challenged and
beaten. They thus like to run late for deadlines, coming to
life in the tension this creates and knowing that they will
beat it in the end. They push time to the limit.
"My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night.
But, ah, my foes and oh, my friends: It gives a lovely light."
(Edna St Vincent Millay)
To others: To others, Rebels sometimes seem blessed with
an uncanny ability for timeliness: they appear to bend time
to their will. When others give in to time, they believe they
can conquer it.
Advice for balance: Because they live intensely in the
moment, Rebels ignore both the past and the future. They
can thus fail to learn from their past experiences and
occasionally fail because of their reluctance to plan.

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THE WANDERER
The Wanderer is a person who loves the freedom to go
where they want. He or she believes life should be simple
and without commitment. They are thus frequently absent -
both in body and spirit. They are usually elsewhere when
you want them and, if you can tie them down, they find it
hard to concentrate for long on one thing.
Characteristics: relaxed; easy-going; peacemakers; no
problem; at ease with the world; unambitious; content;
likeable.
Good at: enjoying what life brings; going with the flow;
keeping things simple; avoiding confrontation.
Poor at: committing themselves to time and place; staying
around for long; exerting themselves.
Time management symbol: the empty desk and chair -
where the Wanderer was until they took off.

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A WANDERER'S TIME
Wanderers are more in tune with natural cycles than with
the artificial timescales of the workplace. They tend to go
with the mood. On the other hand, they tend to want to
avoid excessive commitments, so will dispatch their duties
as early, quickly and as simply as they can. Wanderers are
not ambitious but they manage to achieve a high level of
contentment.
"Nice guys finish last, but we get to sleep in."
(Evan Davis)
To others: Wanderers can be frustrating when they miss
appointments or fail to turn up. The compensation is that
business is always dispatched simply with a Wanderer.
Advice for balance: If others can teach Wanderers about
commitment, Wanderers can teach the workaholics about
enjoyment. "All the animals except man know that the
principal business of life is to enjoy it." (Samuel Butler)

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THAT’S
IT!
WELL DONE!

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THANK YOU
This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn