Managing the Time, Projects,

Conflict, and Stress

in your Life

6 December 2007 2

Workshop Agenda

Day 1 Section I – Mastering Your Time Section II – Solving Problems &

Successfully Managing a Case Day 2

Section III – Understanding and Managing Conflict

Section IV – Controlling the Stress in your Life

6 December 2007 3

Mastering TimeAgenda

Time Mastery Profile Covey’s four-quadrant model for

managing your time and your self Gaining control of your life Handling interruptions and

unexpected events

6 December 2007 4

The Time Mastery Profile

6 December 2007 5

Time Mastery

Overall Time Mastery Level

Level l - Beginning Time MasteryLevel ll - Improving Time MasteryLevel lll - Intermediate Time MasteryLevel lV - Competent Time MasteryLevel V - Excellent Time Mastery

6 December 2007 6

Time Mastery

Time Mastery Profile® Graph

– Shows self-assessed skill level in each category

6 December 2007 7

Time Mastery Profile ®

The profile is organized into 12 categories of Time Mastery

•Attitudes

•Goals

•Priorities

•Analyzing

•Planning

•Scheduling

•Interruptions

•Written Communications

•Procrastination

•Team Time

•Delegation

•Meetings

6 December 2007 8

Skills Gap Analysis Graph

with its importance to your job

Focus is on categories that represent the highest importance and least skill

Helps you determine where to focus your time management efforts by:

Combining your skill rating in each Time Mastery Category

6 December 2007 9

Attitudes

Our ability to control our time is related to our attitude toward controlling our environment.

Having a positive attitude about your ability to control and manage your own time

6 December 2007 10

Goals

Setting short- and long-term goals and staying the course for achieving them ““How you handle your How you handle your

own time is, in my own time is, in my view, the single most view, the single most important aspect of important aspect of being a role model and being a role model and a leader.“a leader.“

-Andy Grove-Andy Grove

6 December 2007 11

Priorities

Focusing on the most important tasks and activities rather than being driven by the urgencies of the day

“Concentrating on the essentials…we will then be accomplishing the greatest possible results with the effort expended.”

T. Engstrom & R. MacKenzie

6 December 2007 12

Analyzing

Analyzing time

spent on projects

and tasks to

understand if

your time is

being used most

effectively

“Time has no meaning in itself unless we choose to give it significance”

-L. Buscaglia

6 December 2007 13

Planning

Writing daily,

weekly, and/or

monthly to-do

lists“I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come indirectly through accident…”

-T.A. Edison

6 December 2007 14

Scheduling

Making the time commitments necessary to get work done

“Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan.”

-N.V. Peale

6 December 2007 15

Interruptions

Managing necessary interruptions and minimizing those that are not urgent or unnecessary

“Concentrate on one thing at a time, and rule out all outside influences that don’t have any real bearing on the task at hand.”

-M. Liquori

6 December 2007 16

Meetings

Making sure meetings are on time, have well-prepared agendas and clear objectives, and are truly necessary

Although meetings can be notorious time wasters, they are also easy to control and make productive

6 December 2007 17

Written Communications

Following a system for handling paper and electronic communication so that it doesn’t overwhelm you

There are only four things you can do with a document: dump it, delegate it, do it, or delay it.

6 December 2007 18

Delegation

Handing off work to another person who has the proper authority and skill to execute the task

Delegation is sharing responsibility and authority with others

6 December 2007 19

Procrastination

Tackling tasks that are unpleasant, overwhelming, or difficult first rather than putting them off

How does a project get to be a year behind? One day at a time.

-F. Brooks

6 December 2007 20

Team Time

Managing your time as an individual so that you are saving time for the people you work with

"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work." -Vince Lombardi

6 December 2007 21

Exercise

I don’t have time to… I always have time to…

6 December 2007 22

The Covey Grid: Time Management = Self Management

IVIII

III

Not UrgentUrgent

Imp

ort

an

tN

ot i

mp

ort

ant

6 December 2007 23

The Covey Grid: Time Management = Self Management

IVIII

III

Not UrgentUrgent

Imp

ort

an

tN

ot i

mp

ort

ant

Work crises

Deadline-driven projects

Personal/family emergencies

6 December 2007 24

The Covey Grid: Time Management = Self Management

IVIII

III

Not UrgentUrgent

Imp

ort

an

tN

ot i

mp

ort

ant

Work crises

Deadline-driven projects

Personal/family emergencies

Relationship building

Planning

Exercising/recreation

6 December 2007 25

The Covey Grid: Time Management = Self Management

IVIII

III

Not UrgentUrgent

Imp

ort

an

tN

ot i

mp

ort

ant

Work crises

Deadline-driven projects

Personal/family emergencies

Relationship building

Planning

Exercising/recreation

Most interruptions

Some phone calls

Some meetings

Some reports

Coffee-room chatter

Some email

Some phone calls

Some discussions

6 December 2007 26

Quadrant I Focus

IVIII

III

Not UrgentUrgent

Imp

ort

an

tN

ot

impo

rtan

t

Results:

• Stress

• Burn-out

• Crisis management

• Always putting out fires

6 December 2007 27

Quadrant III Focus

IVIII

III

Not UrgentUrgent

Impo

rtan

tN

ot i

mp

ort

ant

Results:

• Short-term focus

• Crisis management

• See goals & plans as worthless

• Feeling victimized

• Unsatisfactory relationships

6 December 2007 28

Losers!

IVIII

III

Not UrgentUrgentIm

po

rta

nt

No

t im

po

rtan

t

Results:

• Total irresponsibility

• Fired from jobs

• Dependent on others or institutions

6 December 2007 29

Time Masters

IVIII

III

Not UrgentUrgent

Impo

rtan

tN

ot im

port

ant

Results:

• Greater vision & perspective

• Life balance

• Control

• Discipline

• Fewer crises

6 December 2007 30

Saying NO

Focus on the BIG PICTURE Share your schedule Schedule the impromptu Hand it off Question urgency Be honest but firm (beware the squeaky

wheel) Provide options – (what can you do?) Be clear about YES

6 December 2007 31

Managing Interruptions

Keep a log Schedule email and return calls Handle once Screen calls Plan to not waste others’ time Update outgoing voicemail daily Minimize small talk Turn off ringer Find less time-consuming alternatives Practice call endings

6 December 2007 32

Handling Drop-ins

Consider everyone’s priorities Keep visits short and timed Stay on track Go see them Stand up Batch necessary information Consider rearranging furniture Indicate “quiet time”

6 December 2007 33

Scheduling Tips

Use big blocks for “quiet time” Get an early start Batch your work Identify your “prime time” Build in flexibility Schedule in relationship building

6 December 2007 34

Solving Problems & Successfully Managing a Case - Agenda

Stages of problem solving Defining the problem Analyzing stakeholders Analyzing causes Identifying the best solution Action planning and monitoring Meeting management

6 December 2007 35

Stages of Problem Solving

1. Define the problem & stakeholders2. Analyze causes & choose most

likely culprit3. Generate solutions & discuss4. Select best solution5. Plan and implement solution

6 December 2007 36

Defining the Problem

6 December 2007 37

Analyzing Stakeholders

Information, viewpoint, perspective Stakeholder to best represent Primary motivation How to involve

6 December 2007 38

Collecting Data

Hard Data• Facts

• Observable characteristics

• Statistics

• Events

• Quality (and other) levels

Soft Data•Opinions

•Feelings

•Behaviors

•Satisfaction levels

•Attitudes

•Stress levels

6 December 2007 39

Problem Containment

Taking quick, temporary action to treat the symptoms of a problem and keep it from getting worse

Quick fixFirst aid

6 December 2007 40

Problem Containment Strategies

Rapid investigation Stop the bleeding –

triage Consider past solutions

for quick fix Trial and error until

relief is obtained

6 December 2007 41

Tools for Cause Analysis

Brainstorming Force-field analysis Chronological analysis Repetitive whys

6 December 2007 42

Find the Best Solution – analyze strategies

Analyze pros and cons Force-field analysis More structured tools

Elimination Weighing against goals Weighing against consequences Combining Prioritizing Forced pair comparison Weighted criteria matrix

6 December 2007 43

Implementing the Solution

Identify the actions Identify owners for the actions Identify deadlines/completion dates Create milestones Target needed resources Plan for contingencies

6 December 2007 44

Resistance to Change

Accept it Empathize Be prepared Involve people Give advance warning Vent resistance Present it positively

6 December 2007 45

Arguing versus Dialoguing

ArgumentGoal = Win

Aggressive

Advocates position

Debates forcefully

Covers up views

Stubbornly persistent

Believes views = facts

Uses data selectively, hides evidence

Searches for others’ flaws

DialogueGoal = Understand

Assertive

Balances advocacy & inquiry

Engages with curiosity

Encourages other views

Questions & listens

Thinks out loud, reveals assumptions

Shares reasoning, fully discloses all data

Searches for own flaws

6 December 2007 46

Building Mutual Trust

T r u s t

Time

• Trust grows naturally over time.

• Once broken, it is hard to repair

6 December 2007 47

Building Trust

Honesty Openness Consistency Respect Promises

6 December 2007 48

Meeting Planning

Who? Why? How often? When? How long? Where? What preparations?

6 December 2007 49

Meeting Roles

Discussion moderator Timekeeper Recorder

6 December 2007 50

Process versus Content

"I have an idea about…"

Content what you say

Process how it gets across

Content: the problem, topic, question, answer, or agenda

Process: the approach, method, procedure, tool or technique

6 December 2007 51

Ground Rules

Statements of values and guidelines which a group establishes to help individual members decide how to act

They should be: Clear Consistent Agreed to Reinforced Transparent (visible behavior) Second nature

6 December 2007 52

Ground Rules

Respect – how will you treat each other? Responsibility – how will you share the

work? Procedures – how will you plan,

document, make decisions? Differences – how will you deal with

conflict? Meetings – how will you prepare, handle

tangents, document actions?

6 December 2007 53

Balancing Participation

Share the power Treat everyone equally Acknowledge expertise where you

have it Encourage quieter members to

share what they know

6 December 2007 54

Understanding and Dealing with Conflict - Agenda

The Role of the Brain & Emotional Hijacking

Conflict Styles The Laws of Interaction Effective Listening

6 December 2007 55

Role of the Brain

Neocortex

Amygdala

Emotional Hijacking:

A bio-reaction that occurs when we feel

• Dominated

• Diminished

• Deceived

• Disrupted

6 December 2007 56

Laws of Interaction

Normal human being has purpose, concerns, circumstances

Perception of uncaring leads to resistance to your purpose

Perception of awareness & sensitivity leads to communication & collaboration

Intersection of Value

6 December 2007 57

Interaction Cycles

Cycle of Waste Cycle of Value

Defend

Destroy

Disagree Align

Act

Adjust

6 December 2007 58

Listening Chain

Low level listening

High-level listening

4. Common purpose

3. Empathetic

2. Content Focused

1. Reactive

6 December 2007 59

Feedback Variations

Punishment Criticism Advice Reinforcement

6 December 2007 60

Positive Reinforcement

Statements and actions that support or strengthen a

person’s behavior

6 December 2007 61

Stress Management - Agenda

Physiology of stress Life event stress

assessment How we respond to stress Life satisfaction

assessment Stress and coping cycle Physical symptoms of

stress

6 December 2007 62

Physiology of Stress

6 December 2007 63

Response to Stress

6 December 2007 64

Cycle of Stress

Long-termEffect

Physiological

Response

Coping

Mechanisms

- Type A vs. B

- Past Experience

- Early Messages

Personality Filter

- Personal

- Environmental

- Job/Career

Stressor

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

Phase 5

6 December 2007 65

Coping and Intervention in the Stress Cycle

Long-termEffect

Physiological

Response

Coping

Mechanisms

- Type A vs. B

- Past Experience

- Early Messages

Personality Filter

- Personal

- Environmental

- Job/Career

Stressor

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

Phase 5Eliminate or

reduce stressor

Change our perception of the stressor

Acquire or increase coping strategies