managing your time effectively

Managing Managing Your Time Your Time EffectivelyEffectively

Getting StartedGetting Started

Time management is a wide Time management is a wide and diverse area, with and diverse area, with different issues and different issues and challenges for each of us. challenges for each of us.

There is no ‘one-size’ fits all There is no ‘one-size’ fits all solution to Time solution to Time Management.Management.

It is important to learn the It is important to learn the general principles of Time general principles of Time Management and then see Management and then see how best they can be how best they can be applied to our livesapplied to our lives

Benefits of Managing TimeBenefits of Managing Time Higher productivity Higher productivity

and satisfaction and satisfaction

Improvement of Improvement of quality of workquality of work

Implementation of Implementation of important goalsimportant goals

Conservation of Conservation of EnergyEnergy

Less Stress, Better Less Stress, Better HealthHealth

Becoming AwareBecoming Aware

The first step towards any learning The first step towards any learning is to establish a baseline.is to establish a baseline.

Identify what aspect of your Time Identify what aspect of your Time Management do you most want to Management do you most want to work on.work on.

Analyze the use of your timeAnalyze the use of your time Keep a time-log to the nearest minute of everything you do Keep a time-log to the nearest minute of everything you do

over a over a typical typical working period of at least one dayworking period of at least one day

Include dealing with interruptions, travel and breaks. Include dealing with interruptions, travel and breaks.

Highlight everything that was not planned, and make a note Highlight everything that was not planned, and make a note alongside anything that was of special note, good or bad. alongside anything that was of special note, good or bad.

How many of the activities that you completed were planned for?How many of the activities that you completed were planned for?

How many activities did you invest time in but had not planned to How many activities did you invest time in but had not planned to do so?do so?

Where did you spend the most time, in planned or unplanned Where did you spend the most time, in planned or unplanned activitiesactivities

How many important activities did you get done?How many important activities did you get done?

The pickle jar theoryThe pickle jar theoryA professor taking a time management class gave the following illustration:A professor taking a time management class gave the following illustration:

““Imagine an empty pickle jar. Imagine an empty pickle jar.

Now, put some large rocks in it. Put in as many as you possibly can. Until you think it’s full. Now, I know you Now, put some large rocks in it. Put in as many as you possibly can. Until you think it’s full. Now, I know you think it’s full, but put a couple more in anyway. think it’s full, but put a couple more in anyway.

Okay, you’ve got a full pickle jar that you can’t fit anything else into, right? Now, put some pebbles in. Put as Okay, you’ve got a full pickle jar that you can’t fit anything else into, right? Now, put some pebbles in. Put as many in as you can possibly fit, and raise your hand when you feel your jar is full. Now, take your full jar and many in as you can possibly fit, and raise your hand when you feel your jar is full. Now, take your full jar and take sand and, you guessed it, fill that jar until you can’t possibly fit anymore in, and then add some water.take sand and, you guessed it, fill that jar until you can’t possibly fit anymore in, and then add some water.

I am sure the significance of this little exercise hasn’t escaped any of you. Each of us has many large priorities in I am sure the significance of this little exercise hasn’t escaped any of you. Each of us has many large priorities in our life, represented by the large rocks. We also have things which we enjoy doing, such as the pebbles. We our life, represented by the large rocks. We also have things which we enjoy doing, such as the pebbles. We have other things we have to do, like the sand. And finally, we have things that simply clutter up our lives and have other things we have to do, like the sand. And finally, we have things that simply clutter up our lives and get in everywhere: water.get in everywhere: water.

None of these are bad things. After all, we need the gamut of these objects—from large priorities to times of restNone of these are bad things. After all, we need the gamut of these objects—from large priorities to times of rest—in order to feel truly fulfilled. No Time Management theory should be without balance, and the Pickle Jar —in order to feel truly fulfilled. No Time Management theory should be without balance, and the Pickle Jar theory is all about balance. You make time for everything, and everything simply fits well where it is supposed theory is all about balance. You make time for everything, and everything simply fits well where it is supposed to fit.”to fit.”

Learning to PrioritizeLearning to Prioritize

The Time MatrixThe Time Matrix

Important v/s UrgentImportant v/s UrgentUrgentUrgent Not UrgentNot Urgent

II

DO NOWDO NOW

IIII

PLAN TO PLAN TO DODO

IIIIII

REJECT REJECT AND AND

EXPLAINEXPLAIN

IVIV

RESIST RESIST AND CEASEAND CEASE

Important

NotImportant

Quadrant 1 – Urgent and Quadrant 1 – Urgent and ImportantImportant

DO NOW DO NOW emergencies, emergencies,

complaints and crisis complaints and crisis issues issues

demands from superiors demands from superiors or customers or customers

planned tasks or project planned tasks or project work now due work now due

meetings and meetings and appointments appointments

reports and other reports and other submissions submissions

staff issues or needs staff issues or needs problem resolution, fire-problem resolution, fire-

fighting, fixes fighting, fixes

Subject to confirming the importance and the Subject to confirming the importance and the urgency of these tasks, these tasks need doing urgency of these tasks, these tasks need doing now. now.

Prioritize tasks that fall into this category Prioritize tasks that fall into this category according to their relative urgency. according to their relative urgency.

If two or more tasks appear equally urgent, If two or more tasks appear equally urgent, discuss and probe the actual requirements and discuss and probe the actual requirements and deadlines with the task originators or with the deadlines with the task originators or with the people dependent on the task outcomes. people dependent on the task outcomes.

Help the originators of these demands to re-Help the originators of these demands to re-assess the real urgency and priority of these assess the real urgency and priority of these tasks. tasks.

Dealing with the activities in Dealing with the activities in Quadrant 1Quadrant 1

If helpful you should show your schedule to If helpful you should show your schedule to task originators in order to explain that you task originators in order to explain that you are prioritizing in a logical way, and to be as are prioritizing in a logical way, and to be as productive and effective as possible. productive and effective as possible.

Look for ways to break a task into two stages Look for ways to break a task into two stages if it's an unplanned demand - often a if it's an unplanned demand - often a suitable initial 'holding' response or suitable initial 'holding' response or acknowledgment, with a commitment to acknowledgment, with a commitment to resolve or complete at a later date, will resolve or complete at a later date, will enable you to resume other planned tasks.enable you to resume other planned tasks.


Quadrant 2 – Not Urgent But Quadrant 2 – Not Urgent But ImportantImportant

PLAN TO DOPLAN TO DO planning, preparation, planning, preparation,

scheduling scheduling research, investigation, research, investigation,

designing, testing designing, testing networking relationship networking relationship

building building thinking, creating, thinking, creating,

modelling, designing modelling, designing systems and process systems and process

development development anticipation and anticipation and

prevention prevention developing change, developing change,

direction, strategy direction, strategy

These tasks are most critical to success, and yet commonly are These tasks are most critical to success, and yet commonly are the most neglected. the most neglected.

These activities include planning, strategic thinking, deciding These activities include planning, strategic thinking, deciding direction and aims, etc., all crucial for success and direction and aims, etc., all crucial for success and development. development.

You must plan time-slots for doing these tasks, and if You must plan time-slots for doing these tasks, and if necessary plan where you will do them free from necessary plan where you will do them free from interruptions. interruptions.

Break big tasks down into separate logical stages and plan Break big tasks down into separate logical stages and plan time-slots for each stage. time-slots for each stage.


Quadrant 3Quadrant 3REJECT AND EXPLAIN REJECT AND EXPLAIN trivial requests from others trivial requests from others apparent emergencies apparent emergencies ad-hoc interruptions and ad-hoc interruptions and

distractions distractions misunderstandings appearing misunderstandings appearing

as complaints as complaints pointless routines or activities pointless routines or activities accumulated unresolved trivia accumulated unresolved trivia boss's whims or tantrums boss's whims or tantrums Scrutinise and probe Scrutinise and probe

demands. Help originators to demands. Help originators to re-assess. Wherever possible re-assess. Wherever possible reject and avoid these tasks reject and avoid these tasks sensitively and immediately. sensitively and immediately.

3 - REJECT (DIPLOMATICALLY) 3 - REJECT (DIPLOMATICALLY)

Scrutinise these demands ruthlessly, and help originators - even Scrutinise these demands ruthlessly, and help originators - even your boss and your senior managers - to re-assess the real your boss and your senior managers - to re-assess the real importance of these tasks. Practice and develop your ability to importance of these tasks. Practice and develop your ability to explain and justify to task originators why you cannot do these explain and justify to task originators why you cannot do these tasks. tasks.

Where possible reject and avoid these tasks immediately, Where possible reject and avoid these tasks immediately, informing and managing people's expectations and sensitivities informing and managing people's expectations and sensitivities accordingly; explain why you cannot do these tasks and help the accordingly; explain why you cannot do these tasks and help the originator find another way of achieving what they need, which originator find another way of achieving what they need, which might involve delegation to another person, or re-shaping the might involve delegation to another person, or re-shaping the demand to be more strategic, with a more sustainable solution. demand to be more strategic, with a more sustainable solution.

Look for causes of repeating demands in this area and seek to Look for causes of repeating demands in this area and seek to prevent re-occurrence. Educate and train others, including prevent re-occurrence. Educate and train others, including customers, suppliers, fellow staff and superiors, to identify long-customers, suppliers, fellow staff and superiors, to identify long-term remedies, not just quick fixes. For significant repeating term remedies, not just quick fixes. For significant repeating demands in this area, create a project to resolve cause, which demands in this area, create a project to resolve cause, which will be a quadrant 2 task. Challenge habitual systems, processes, will be a quadrant 2 task. Challenge habitual systems, processes, procedures and expectations procedures and expectations


Quadrant 4Quadrant 4RESIST AND CEASERESIST AND CEASE 'comfort' activities, computer games, 'comfort' activities, computer games,

net surfing, excessive cigarette net surfing, excessive cigarette breaks breaks

chat, gossip, social communications chat, gossip, social communications daydreaming, doodling, over-long daydreaming, doodling, over-long

breaks breaks reading nonsense or irrelevant reading nonsense or irrelevant

material material unnecessary adjusting equipment unnecessary adjusting equipment

etc. etc. embellishment and over-production embellishment and over-production Habitual 'comforters' not true tasks. Habitual 'comforters' not true tasks.

Non-productive, de-motivational. Non-productive, de-motivational. Minimise or cease altogether. Plan to Minimise or cease altogether. Plan to avoid them. avoid them.

4 - RESIST AND CEASE4 - RESIST AND CEASE

These activities are not tasks, they are habitual These activities are not tasks, they are habitual comforters which provide a refuge from the effort comforters which provide a refuge from the effort of discipline and proactivity. These activities affirm of discipline and proactivity. These activities affirm the same 'comfort-seeking' tendencies in other the same 'comfort-seeking' tendencies in other people; a group or whole department all doing a people; a group or whole department all doing a lot of this quadrant 4 activity creates a non-lot of this quadrant 4 activity creates a non-productive and ineffective organizational culture. productive and ineffective organizational culture.

These activities have no positive outcomes, and are These activities have no positive outcomes, and are therefore demotivating. therefore demotivating.

The best method for ceasing these activities, and The best method for ceasing these activities, and for removing temptation to gravitate back to them, for removing temptation to gravitate back to them, is to have a clear structure or schedule of tasks for is to have a clear structure or schedule of tasks for each day, which you should create in quadrant 2. each day, which you should create in quadrant 2.


Your Daily Time MatrixYour Daily Time Matrix

Maintain a diary of your daily time Maintain a diary of your daily time matrix for a minimum period of 7 days.matrix for a minimum period of 7 days.

Classify the activities that you have do Classify the activities that you have do into one of the 4 columnsinto one of the 4 columns

At the end of the week, find out which At the end of the week, find out which quadrant do you spend most of your quadrant do you spend most of your time intime in

What can you do to make it betterWhat can you do to make it better

How To Plan Your DayHow To Plan Your DayHow To Stop How To Stop ProcrastinatingProcrastinating

How To Prepare For How To Prepare For MeetingsMeetings

How To How To Delegate Delegate

The “How to’s” of Time The “How to’s” of Time ManagementManagement

How To Use E-mail How To Use E-mail EffectivelyEffectively

How To Say NoHow To Say No

How To Prevent How To Prevent InterruptionsInterruptions

How To Get Cooperation How To Get Cooperation from Other Departmentsfrom Other Departments

Tips to Tame TimeTips to Tame Time Write down your long-term goals.Write down your long-term goals.

Every day, divide your tasks into A, B and C priorities.Every day, divide your tasks into A, B and C priorities. Always start with a high priority "A" task, even if you can Always start with a high priority "A" task, even if you can only accomplish a small part of it.only accomplish a small part of it.

Block off time for activities that are important.Block off time for activities that are important.

Stop spending time on trivia. Stop spending time on trivia.

Have the courage to say no.Have the courage to say no.

Always start meetings on time.Always start meetings on time.

Slow down. Slow down.

Avoid procrastination by completing unpleasant tasks first.Avoid procrastination by completing unpleasant tasks first.

Create time for balance in your life.Create time for balance in your life.

The bad news is… time flies. The good news is… you're the pilot." -- Michael Altshuler

Remember!! The keys to effective time Remember!! The keys to effective time management is knowing where you management is knowing where you want to go (objective) and knowing how want to go (objective) and knowing how to get there (planning)to get there (planning)“Cheshire Puss” Alice began, “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where want to get to” said the Cat

“I don’t much care where…” said Alice

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go” said the Cat

“… so long as I get somewhere” Alice added as an explanation.

“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough”

managing your time effectively

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