Time Management Characteristics of Time Theres a finite

Time Management

Characteristics of Time • There’s a finite amount of time. • It’s the same for everyone. Nobody has more than anyone else. – Non-renewable resource – Cannot be replaced, saved, made up, or overspent • Thus, time is either used or wasted.

• How much is your time worth? – Time is money, right? – Wrong! Money is time. – You can always get more money – time is finite, scarcer, and more valuable. • How much is an hour worth to you? – 40 hours per week X 50 weeks = 2, 000 hours. – Divide annual salary by 2, 000.

• Time management helps you work smarter, not harder. – Smart time management helps you get the right things done.

Four Steps In Time Management • • Planning Organizing Controlling (keeping track of it) Evaluating

Planning • Set goals and objectives (always time framed deadlined). – Yearly goals: outcomes, projects, tasks, and improvement areas – Monthly objective updates – Weekly planning

Planning • Remember the 80/20 rule: 80% of your results come from 20% of your activities. – Do not get distracted. Focus is critical to success. – Focus on the critical 20% • Plan for the full range of your job functions and activities to get the results you’re expected to get. – Results are politically defined. – In other words, by those in power.

• If you’re unsure about what results are expected or about priorities, ask your boss. – “I didn’t have enough time” is a cop out – you’re blaming time, being a victim of time. – Don’t be a victim, take responsibility for managing and controlling your time. • According to boss’s or team’s priorities, not yours. – Take responsibility for results as the organization, boss, or team defines them. • Take responsibility for being on time.

Self-Management • People who are habitually late or constantly procrastinate: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Arrogant: Try to establish power consciously. Poor self-image: Try to establish power subconsciously. Unhealthy fear of failure ADHD Are you in denial about any of the above problems?

Self-Management • Overcome these problems with self-discipline: – Time management and priority setting – Professional help (yes, a therapist) – Don’t procrastinate on getting started or getting help in managing your time.

Planning Tools • • • To-Do list Action folder Management folder Project folders Calendar – Only one, synch in the cloud

To-Do List Problems • The longer, the worse – depressing. • Unconscious, stupid tricks we play on ourselves: – Do lots of little things first to give ourselves achievement feedback. – Do the easiest things first. – Do the most fun things first.

To-Do List Solutions • Scrub it every week to keep it short. • Put a deadline on all items. • Prioritize all items 1, 2, 3 (boss’s or team’s priorities). – Listen to boss or team carefully. • Listen for stuff you don’t want to hear. • Don’t listen defensively – it’s not personal criticism, it’s improvement advice.

Weekly Planning • Look at last week’s calendar for appointments, tasks, meetings, and stuff that needs to be carried over to the new week. • Look at what you have scheduled for the upcoming week. • Synthesize and construct a weekly calendar. – Deep Work by Cal Newport.

Daily Planning • Daily plans are most useful if you have sovereignty over your time. – Often not necessary for routine daily tasks (you don’t have control). • Set a time for your daily planning (first thing in the A. M. is usually best). • Look at your email, then delete, refer, or act on it.

Daily Planning – Delete as much email as possible • Unsubscribe to emails you don’t need. – Refer – Forward emails to appropriate people for action. – Act – Respond immediately if it takes less than two minutes.

Daily Scheduling Tips • Be tough on yourself – do the hardest, nastiest things first. • Save the easiest, most fun tasks for last in the day – look forward to them. • On every activity, ask “how is this helping me achieve my goals? ” – You distract yourself. – No Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter unless you have a job in social media marketing.

Daily Scheduling Tips • Break big jobs into smaller chunks and work uninterrupted: – Close your email program and browser. – Shut down your smartphone or use You. Mail or other answering apps. – No email, texts or social media during chunking. – Each chunk completed builds momentum.

• Don’t attempt too much. Make yourself feel like a winner. • Allow for interruptions. – If you’re a manager or team leader, leave one-quarter of your time unscheduled. – If you’re not a manager, leave one-eighth unscheduled.

Daily Scheduling Tips • Set a time limit on each appointment or meeting. • If you add something during the day, drop something. – Ask your boss which ones to drop. • Set a time for callbacks. – Best time for callbacks is when assistants aren’t around — before 9: 00 A. M. or after 5: 30 P. M. (no-screening time).

Working Your Plan • The number-one time management rule: – Do one task until it’s finished. • We interrupt ourselves (email notifications, texting, Facebook). – Focus intensely. – Champion athletes know the value of focused concentration.

Follow-Up • Conduct a desk check at the end of the day. – No random piles of stuff — have organized piles. – No Post-Its all over the place. – What color is your desktop? • If you don’t know or can’t see your desktop, you’re not well organized.

Organize Your Desk and Computer • Use a headset when you’re on the phone so you can take notes. • Write everything down. – How are you most comfortable – typing or writing? • If writing, use notebooks of some kind so you can save them and refer to them later. • Work space uncluttered – Clutter is distracting.

Organize Written Communications • Analyze repetition: use forms, templates. • Analyze correspondence. – Have separate files and templates for emails and paragraphs you write often.

Organize Everyone’s Time • Have no-interrupt hours. • Have quiet hours.

Manage Your Boss • Get specific instructions. • Get agreement on priorities. • Expand autonomy parameters – gain trust. – Difficult with control freaks.

Evaluating • Time logs (every six months) – Time logs must be accurate. – Analyze logs carefully and identify the biggest time wasters: • • Overextended lunch and coffee breaks? Extended, unproductive phone conversations? Inconsequential personal discussions, texts, Facebook, etc. ? Remember, we distract ourselves.

Evaluating • Look at your time log and ask these questions: – “Am I doing the right things? ” – “Could I have done things in less detail? ” – “What kind of interruptions? How long did it take me to recover? ” – “How long were my conversations? ” – “Did I say ‘no’ often enough? ” – “Did I go to too many meetings? ” • Poorly run meetings?

• Remember, you’re the one who makes yourself unhappy with unreasonable expectations and disorganization. – Create a time-management system that is right for you. • Trial and error • Get organized and smell the flowers, lower stress … be happier.