Time Management

For Busy Professionals

Owners Manual
Statewide Training and Development Services Human Resource Services Division Department of Administrative Services 155 Cottage Street NE, U-30 Salem, Oregon 97301-3967 (503)378-3040 http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/HR/training.shtml

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Learning objective/agenda ........................................................................................5 The good, the bad, and the ugly ...............................................................................6 Self-management ......................................................................................................7 Self-management scoring key...................................................................................8 Building blocks ..........................................................................................................9 The essentials of your job .......................................................................................10 Efficiency and effectiveness ....................................................................................11 Working smarter, not harder ...................................................................................12 The dirty dozen time wasters ................................................................................13 Cleaning up the dirty dozen.....................................................................................14 Lack of goals, priorities, and deadlines ...................................................................14 Working in a crisis mode, i.e., constantly putting out fires .......................................14 Unclear communication: poor instructions, no feedback, etc. .................................15 Information or work process bottlenecks...............................................................15 Overextended / inability to say no ...........................................................................16 Unrealistic time estimates / attempting too much at once .......................................16 Cluttered work area and general disorganization ....................................................17 Continued on page 4
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.)

Indecision and procrastination.................................................................................17 Drop-in visitors ........................................................................................................18 Telephone interruptions...........................................................................................18 Meetings: poorly planned, poorly run, or not necessary..........................................19 Poor delegation / excessive involvement in detail ...................................................19 Tips for reducing interruptions by drop-in visitors and co-workers ..........................20 If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority ..................................................21 The big rocks...........................................................................................................22 Work management: the concept .............................................................................23 Work management: the steps .................................................................................24 Action planning........................................................................................................25 Action plan .............................................................................................................26 Timesaving e-mail tips.............................................................................................27 Timesaving voice mail tips ......................................................................................28 Fallacies and facts about time management ...........................................................29 Personal action plan................................................................................................30

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

As a result of participating in this course, you will be able to:

1. List indicators of good time management and poor time management. 2. Describe your self-management practices by completing a survey. 3. Discuss the relationship between your work activities and the mission of

your job. 4. Identify strategies for dealing with common timewasters. 5. List and describe criteria and tools for prioritizing.

Agenda
Indicators of poor time management Indicators of good time management Self-management Building blocks of time management The essentials of your job Efficiency and effectiveness Working smarter, not harder Time wasters Prioritizing Work management Action planning Timesaving e-mail tips Timesaving voice mail tips Personal action plan

Time does not discriminate. It is constant and irreversible. Each day we all have the exact same number of minutes.

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THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

POOR TIME MANAGEMENT What does it look like? What are the observable indicators?

GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT What does it look like? What are the observable indicators?

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SELF-MANAGEMENT

How well do you manage your work? Take this quick survey to see how youre doing. Give a score to each item (give yourself the benefit of the doubt) using the scale below. Add up your total. Read the scoring key on the next page.

0 = Rarely

1 = Sometimes

2 = Often

3 = Almost always

____ 1. I reserve a part of each workday for preparations and planning.

____ 2. I write down my tasks, goals, and deadlines.

____ 3. I try to handle each task or piece of paper only once and fully.

____ 4. Each day I establish a list of tasks to be tackled, in order of their priority. I work on the most important ones first. ____ 5. I try to keep my workday free of interrupting telephone calls, unannounced visitors, and suddenly called meetings. ____ 6. I try to arrange my daily work according to my energy level. I do difficult tasks when my energy is high and routine tasks when my energy is low. ____ 7. I allow for leeway in my schedule to provide for pressing or sudden matters.

____ 8. I try to arrange my work so I can concentrate on the top priority tasks (opportunities or problems) first. ____ 9. I can say no if others want to take up my time and I have more important things to do. ____ 10. Periodically, I ask myself, Am I making the best use of my time right now?

____

Total

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SELF-MANAGEMENT SCORING KEY

If your total score is:

0 - 15 points

You fail to plan your time, and you let yourself be too influenced by others. You can achieve your goals and work more successfully if you use a priority list.

16 - 20 points

You try to gain control of your time, but youre not consistent enough for success.

21 - 25 points

Your self-management is good.

26 - 30 points

Youre a model for everyone who wants to learn how to deal with time. Let others benefit from your experience.

Take advantage of the Law of the Slight Edge: Small changes over time make a big difference.

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BUILDING BLOCKS

Time management techniques can be effective in and of themselves. But they provide you with a greater payoff when theyre supported by a foundation of building blocks.

TIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

GOALS OR PRIORITIES

PURPOSE OR MISSION

You can use time management techniques most effectively when you have a foundation of goals or priorities. You can only have clear goals or priorities when you have a clear purpose or mission. Effective time managers integrate these three elements. Those who achieve their goals invest their time. Those who dont, spend their time.
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THE ESSENTIALS OF YOUR JOB

1. What are the things you do in your job? In other words, what are the activities and tasks you spend your time on in doing your job? Use the spaces below to list the activities that take up your time as you do your job. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

2. What is the mission or purpose of your job? Why does your job exist? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

3. Are you spending your time on the right things? In other words, are the things youre doing, and spending time on, helping you achieve the mission or purpose of your job? If not, what changes do you need to make? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

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EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS

Definitions Lets look at some definitions. Heres how Websters Dictionary defines these two words: Efficient: Acting directly to produce an effect; acting or producing effectively with a minimum of waste or unnecessary effort; exhibiting a high ratio of output to input. Having an expected or intended effect; producing or designed to produce a desired effect.

Effective:

Now, lets define these words as they relate to time management:

Efficient: Effective:

Doing things right.

(Doing things in the right way) (Doing the right thing)

Doing the right things.

Right Thing Right In the space below, list several tasks youve done over the last week or so.
Right Thing

Wrong Thing

Wrong Way

Right Way

If youre going in the wrong direction, speeding up doesnt help.

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WORKING SMARTER, NOT HARDER

H S

A M

R A

D R T

work results in work results in

_____________________. _____________________.

The goal of T I M E M A N A G E M E N T is

to work _________________________ , not

_________________________ .

S M A R T work incorporates three principles of time management:

____________________________ :

Make a list of the things you want or need to accomplish. Number the items on your list in the order of their importance. Start with the number one item on your list and do not start anything else until youve completed it. Then work on number two until it is completed, then number three, and so on.

____________________________ :

____________________________ :

WORKING SMART is an effective time management technique because: 1 - Youre always working on the ____________ _____________________ thing.

2 - Youre making progress and solving problems by concentrating on __________ __________________ at a time.

Streamline your efforts . . . . . know that there are times when doing less accomplishes more.
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THE DIRTY DOZEN TIME WASTERS

TIME WASTER

RANK

1 Lack of goals, priorities, and deadlines

2 Working in a crisis mode, i.e., constantly putting out fires

3 Unclear communication: poor instructions, no feedback, etc.

4 Information or work process bottlenecks

5 Overextended / inability to say no

6 Unrealistic time estimates / attempting too much at once

7 Cluttered work area and general disorganization

8 Indecision and procrastination

9 Drop-in visitors

10 Telephone interruptions

11 Meetings: poorly planned, poorly run, or not necessary

12 Poor delegation / excessive involvement in detail

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CLEANING UP THE DIRTY DOZEN

What are some solutions for these common time wasters? What actions can be taken to reduce or eliminate them?

1 Lack of goals, priorities, and deadlines

2 Working in a crisis mode, i.e., constantly putting out fires

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3 Unclear communication: poor instructions, no feedback, etc.

4 Information or work process bottlenecks

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5 Overextended / inability to say no

6 Unrealistic time estimates / attempting too much at once

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Freedom from chaos is a very liberating feeling.

7 Cluttered work area and general disorganization

8 Indecision and procrastination

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9 Drop-in visitors

10 Telephone interruptions

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If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved its full potential, that word would be meetings. 11 Meetings: poorly planned, poorly run, or not necessary

12 Poor delegation / excessive involvement in detail

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TIPS FOR REDUCING INTERRUPTIONS BY DROP-IN VISITORS AND CO-WORKERS

1. Meet visitors outside your cubicle or work space. This keeps them from settling in and getting comfortable in your office. 2. Stay standing when someone drops by. Smile and say, What can I help you with today? Then stay standing. If you sit, that invites the visitor to do the same. 3. Look at your watch and say, Ive got only 5 minutes to talk right now, will that be enough time, or should we schedule this for another time? Always specify an amount of time. Dont say a few minutes or a couple of minutes. When time is up, glance at your watch, move toward the door, or give other nonverbal cues that the meeting is over. 4. For chronic drop-ins, develop a rescue signal with a co-worker you trust. Let a coworker know that when a certain long-winded person visits, you want to be rescued in five minutes by some urgent request. 5. Screen visitors if you have the option. Have the receptionist ask the visitor if he or she would like to make an appointment. 6. Put a big stack of file folders on the chair so theres no place for the visitor to sit. You can pick up the folders if the drop-in is someone you really need to see. 7. Take all the visitor chairs out of your office. Keep a folding chair out of sight that you can get if you want someone to sit down. 8. See people by appointment only. Say, Its our policy to see people by appointment only. I happen to have 5 minutes right now, will that work or should we schedule an appointment? 9. Be with co-workers on a regular basis. If co-workers know theyll see you frequently, whether at regular meetings, lunch, or on a break, theyll be far less likely to need to interrupt you when youre busy. 10. Meet with colleagues in their offices, not yours. Avoid meeting in your office whenever possible. If you go to a colleagues office, you can control how long you stay. 11. Rearrange your furniture so that you cant see people that walk by your area. If people cant make eye contact with you, theyre less likely to stop and chat. 12. Close your door or put up a sign that says, Lets talk later. Thanks. A closed door or a sign sends a strong signal, especially if you do it sparingly. 13. Consider establishing available hours. Depending on the type of work you do, you may set certain times of the day when youre available to see visitors and co-workers. 14. If youre allowed to do so, find a hideaway in another area. Let your supervisor know where you are and that you need uninterrupted time to concentrate on a critical project. Source: Jonathan and Susan Clark, cited in National Seminars Group Training Alert article.
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IF EVERYTHING IS A PRIORITY . . . . . . . . . . THEN NOTHING IS A PRIORITY.

If everything is a priority, what do you consider in determining the true priorities? Criteria I consider in determining true priorities ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Additional prioritizing tools include: The Pareto Principle Also known as the 80 /20 Rule. 80% of results will come from 20% of efforts. In other words, distinguish the vital few from the trivial many. For example, if you have a list of 20 important tasks, 4 are vital.

Have tos vs. Other Stuff Scratch the shoulda, coulda, and oughta appointments and tasks. Focus only on the have tos.

Urgency vs. Importance Definitions: Urgent: compelling immediate action; pressing. Important: having great value, significance, or consequence.

How would you prioritize the four priority categories? 1234Important and urgent Urgent but not important Important but not urgent Not important and not urgent 1234Important and urgent Important but not urgent Urgent but not important Not important and not urgent

The trap: Becoming a slave to the urgent at the expense of the important.

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THE BIG ROCKS

One day a time management expert was speaking to a group of motivated students. To drive home a point, she used a vivid and memorable illustration. As she stood in front of this group she said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then she pulled out a large, wide-mouth jar and set it on the table in front of her. Then she produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, in the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, she asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then she said, "Really?" She reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then she dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then she asked the group once more, "Is this jar full?" By this time the class was on to her. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" she replied. She reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. She started dumping the sand in the jar and it trickled into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more she asked, "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again she said, "Good." Then she grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then she looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you really try hard you can always fit some more things in it!" "No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. She went on, The truth this illustration teaches us is this: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all." What are the big rocksthe prioritiesin your job? Whatever they are, remember that if you dont put these big rocks in first, you'll likely not get them in at all. If youre spending your time on the smaller stuff (the gravel and the sand) that is less important, then youre robbing yourself of the quality time you need to get the important stuff (the big rocks) done. So back on the job, reflect on this story, and ask yourself this question: What are the big rocks in my job? Then, put those big rocks in your jar first. This same truth applies to life in general. What are the big rocks in your life? Your family? Your health? Your education? Your dreams? A worthy cause? Doing things that you love? Time for yourself? Again, remember to put your big rocks in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat the small stuff, then you'll fill your life with, and worry about, little things that don't really matter, and you wont have time for the important stuff. So tonight, or tomorrow morning, reflect on this story, and ask yourself this question: What are the big rocks in my life? Then, put those big rocks in your jar first. Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least. Goethe
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WORK MANAGEMENT: THE CONCEPT

1. Review what needs to be done.

2. Analyze what must be done.

3. Set priorities.

4. Plan.

5. Organize and schedule.

6. Establish controls.

7. Implement.

8. Monitor

9. Evaluate

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WORK MANAGEMENT: THE STEPS

1. Examine what needs to be done. 2. Develop a plan. a. b. c. d. e. f. What needs to be done? How long will it take? When does it need to be done? How is it to be done? Who is to do it? What resources are available?

3. Organize the work. a. Group related tasks. b. Schedule. c. Plan use of resources. 4. Implement the plan. a. Dont procrastinate. b. Get on with the job. 5. Control / monitor the work. a. Develop a to-do list. b. Schedule progress review dates and due dates. 6. Evaluate progress. Where am I and where do I want to go? What have I accomplished and how well? How am I doing in comparison with my goal? What problems prevent me from reaching my goal? (1) Which ones can I do something about? (2) Which ones need someone elses attention? e. What needs doing tomorrow / next week / next month? a. b. c. d.

Only Robinson Crusoe could get all his work done by Friday.
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ACTION PLANNING

An action plan is a simple project plan. It includes a goal with a target date and a list of steps. The steps identify who will do what by when with what resources. An action plan looks like this:

Develop Time Management training program for delivery on September 17. Goal: ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

STEP
1 - Schedule training room

ACCOUNTABILITY
RG

TIMELINE
By 8/14

RESOURCES

2 - Send announcement 3 - Send confirmation e-mails to participants 4 - Develop leader guide, trainee packet, AV aids 5 - Copy/assemble trainee packets 6 - Deliver training

RG RG

By 8/24 By 9/1

RG

By 9/11

- References - 24 hours - Paper - Copier - Equipment

JL

By 9/15

RG

9/17

Success Tips: (1) Begin with the end in mind. (2) Put first things first.
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ACTION PLAN

Goal: ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

STEP

ACCOUNTABILITY

TIMELINE

RESOURCES

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TIMESAVING E-MAIL TIPS

When sending messages Use the subject line to convey your message. Make it concise but descriptive. If an action is required of your reader, put it in the subject line, e.g., Need reply today. Keep the message short. Try to keep it to one screen. Make the message simple. Write short and easy-to-read sentences and paragraphs. Put the most important information first. If youre including a list of items, use a bulleted or numbered list (like this one). Make the message easy to respond to. Include enough information so the reader can give a quick answer. Phrase it so the reader can reply with a Yes or No. If you must send a long message, make it an attachment and briefly describe it in the subject line. When you have an attachment, the e-mail message should briefly, but thoroughly describe it. State its purpose, what the recipient is supposed to do with it, and the date you need a response. Every once in awhile, rather than e-mail a question to your coworkers, get up and go see them. Theres no substitute for personal interaction. And youll stretch your legs and get the break you probably needed but wouldnt otherwise have taken. When responding to messages Set aside specific times during the day that youll go through your e-mail to see whats arrived and whats important. Dont interrupt your important work every time an e-mail message arrives. But do check your e-mail box regularly. If you dont, you lose the major advantage of e-mail over snail mail. If its not necessary for you to respond to a message that you receive, dont. When you must respond to a message, make it short and sweet. Give Yes and No answers when possible. If you have to write a few sentences or paragraphs, make them concise and to the point. If youre getting copied (Cc) e-mail messages that dont specifically apply to your job or daily responsibilities, ask the people who have been sending them to take you off their lists. When important information is involved When you send or receive an e-mail that contains important information, save it and put it in the appropriate file so you can find it when you need it. Source: Time Management for Dummies, Jeffrey J. Mayer, IDG Books Worldwide, Foster City, California, 1995.

On weekends, dont read e-mail from work.

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TIMESAVING VOICE MAIL TIPS

When recording your message Make it brief, informative, and courteous. Update it daily so callers know when to reach you or expect a return call from you. Always encourage the caller to leave a message. Put some life, energy, and enthusiasm in your voice. Leave instructions so the caller can speak with someone else when youre not in. Example: Hello, this is Kelly Green. Its Thursday, September 17, and Ill be out of the office all morning. But I will be in this afternoon. So please leave a message, and Ill get back to you as soon as I can. If you need immediate assistance, press 0. Thank you.

When leaving messages for others Be prepared. Before calling think about what you want to say and how. Make your voice sound interesting, enthusiastic, and energetic. Speak slowly, clearly, and concisely so others can understand you. State the most important points first, with the lesser points following. Give your phone number twice, at the beginning and at the end of the call. When leaving your name, say it, and spell it out. Leave a specific time when youll be available for the person to call you back.

When your voice mail message isnt returned After youve called someone a few times and have left voice mail messages that havent been returned, try to reach the persons assistant or someone else in the department. Find out when the person youre trying to contact may be available to take your call. Dont sit around waiting for a return call that wont be forthcoming.

Source: Time Management for Dummies, Jeffrey J. Mayer, IDG Books Worldwide, Foster City, California, 1995.

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FALLACIES AND FACTS ABOUT TIME MANAGEMENT

If you find yourself believing any of the fallacies in this list, youre probably not managing your time as effectively as you could. FALLACY
1. There is never enough time. 2. I dont have enough time to plan things out. 3. I should respond to the urgent matters instead
of the important ones.

FACT
Everyone has all the time there is. Effective planning saves time in the long run, and helps achieve better results. In giving your attention only to urgent matters, longrange priorities are often neglected and may become future crises. Over-responding to a crisis tends to make it worse. Those who arrive on time are penalized for the sake of the latecomers, and those who arrive late are rewarded. Those who arrived on time may come late to future meetings, and those who were late may arrive later still. The employee can earn my confidence by gaining experience that comes only through delegated authority. Extra clutter on your desk is constantly moved about, can get lost, and is a distraction. The longer you work the more tasks you get and the more fatigued you become. Eventually you slow down and have to work even longer hours. It is more important to do the right job right. No matter how efficiently a job is done, it isnt effective if it is the wrong job. Youll get information overload, and it isnt always the kind of information you want or need. The interruptions and distractions keep you from more important tasks. Open door was originally intended to mean accessible. You must decide when you want to be accessible. People may confuse activity with results, motion with accomplishment. As they gradually lose sight of their real objectives, they concentrate increasingly on staying busy. Finally, their objective becomes to stay busy, which qualifies them as workaholics.

4. Nothing should take precedence over a crisis. 5. I should wait for latecomers before starting a
meeting.

6. I shouldnt delegate to an inexperienced

employee because Im not confident that he or she can do the job.

7. I leave things on my desk to remind me what

needs to be done with them.

8. The longer hours I work the more time Ill have

to complete all of my tasks.

9. It is essential to operate efficiently at all times.

I must do the job right!

10. Ill leave my door open because I want to

improve lines of communication.

11. I have to keep busy.

Source: Managing Time: Professional and Personal, Time-Life Video Series.

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PERSONAL ACTION PLAN

Of all the moments in your life, this is the one most filled with the greatest promise. Its your time. Its your turn. If not now, when?

1. A valuable time management concept or idea that I learned about, and that I want to apply or improve is:

2. A situation in the next two weeks in which I can do this is:

3. The result I want to achieve in this situation is:

4. My plan for applying this concept or idea is:

STEP

ACCOUNTABILITY

TIMELINE

RESOURCES

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