Time Management

The Bad news is Time Flies

The Good news is you are the Pilot
 What is Time and what is Management
• Time - the measured or measurable
period during which an action, process,
or condition exists or continues.

• Management - the act or art of

managing : the conducting or
supervising of something (as a
business).

• Managing - to handle or direct with a

degree of skill.
 What is Time Management
Time management is straightforwardly defined as the management of time
in order to make the most out of it.

• You can't manage time, it just is.

• So "time management" is a mislabeled problem, which has little chance of
being an effective approach.
• What you really manage is your activity during time, and defining outcomes
and physical actions required is the core process required to manage what
you do.
 Why Don’t People Manage Their Time?
 They don’t know about it.

 They are too lazy to plan

 They enjoy the adrenaline buzz of meeting tight deadlines.

 They enjoy crisis management

 Obstacles to effective time management
• Unclear objectives
• Disorganization
• Inability to say “no”
• Interruptions
• Periods of inactivity
• Too many things at once
• Stress and fatigue
• All work and no play
 What can we do

Recognize that obstacles exist

Identify them
 Biggest Time Wasters
• Thinking about it, worrying about it, putting it off...(Indecision)
• Creating inefficiencies by implementing first instead of analyzing first.
• Unanticipated interruptions that do not pay off.
• Procrastinating.
• Making unrealistic time estimates.
• Unnecessary errors (not enough time to do it right, but enough time to do it
over).
• Crisis management.
 Biggest Time Wasters Contd…
• Poor organization.
• Ineffective meetings.
• Micro-managing by failing to let others perform and grow.
• Doing urgent rather than important tasks.
• Poor planning and lack of contingency plans.
• Failing to delegate.
• Lacking priorities, standards, policies, and procedures.
 Biggest Time Savers
• Managing the decision making process, not the decisions.
• Concentrating on doing only one task at a time.
• Establishing daily, short-term, mid-term, and long-term priorities.
• Handling correspondence expeditiously with quick, short letters and
memos.
• Throwing unneeded things away.
• Establishing personal deadlines and ones for the organization.
• Not wasting other people's time.
• Ensuring all meetings have a purpose, time limit, and include only
essential people.
 Biggest Time Savers Contd…
• Getting rid of busywork.
• Maintaining accurate calendars; abide by them.
• Knowing when to stop a task, policy, or procedure.
• Delegating everything possible and empowering subordinates.
• Keeping things simple.
• Ensuring time is set aside to accomplish high priority tasks.
• Setting aside time for reflection.
• Using checklists and To-Do lists.
• Adjusting priorities as a result of new tasks.
Planning and Prioritization
 Organize and Prioritize
Urgent Not Urgent

I II
Important Important ,
and
Prioritize your tasks but

Important
Urgent Not Urgent
Where do the majority of your
tasks fall on the chart?
III IV

Not Important
Urgent, Not Urgent
but and
Not Important Not Important
 Organize and Prioritize
Urgent Not Urgent

I II
Quadrant I Important Important,

Important
Immediate Attention Required and but
Urgent Not Urgent

Do III IV

Not Important
Urgent, Not Urgent
but and

it now!! Not Important Not Important

 Organize and Prioritize
Urgent Not Urgent
Quadrant II I II
Requires attention, but not yet critical Important Important,

Important
and but
Urgent Not Urgent

Decide III IV

Not Important
Urgent, Not Urgent

a timeline
but and
Not Important Not Important
 Organize and Prioritize
Quadrant III Urgent Not Urgent
“Nice to do” I II
Important Important,

Important
and but
Urgent Not Urgent
Delegate III IV

To someone
Not Important
Urgent, Not Urgent
but and
Not Important Not Important
 Organize and Prioritize
Urgent Not Urgent
Quadrant IV I II
These activities are time eaters Important Important,

Important
and but
Urgent Not Urgent

Delete!! III IV

Not Important
Urgent, Not Urgent
but and
Not Important Not Important
 1. Important and Urgent
There are two distinct types of urgent and important activities:
1. ones that you could not have foreseen, and
2. others that you've left until the last minute.
• You can eliminate last-minute activities by planning ahead and 
avoiding procrastination .
• However, you can't always predict or avoid some issues and crises. Here, the best
approach is to leave some time in your schedule to handle unexpected issues and
unplanned important activities. (If a major crisis arises, then you'll need to reschedule
other tasks.)
• If you have a lot of urgent and important activities, identify which of these you could
have foreseen, and think about how you could schedule similar activities ahead of
time, so that they don't become urgent.
 2. Important but Not Urgent
• These are the activities that help you achieve your personal and
professional goals, and complete important work.
• Make sure that you have plenty of time to do these things properly, so
that they do not become urgent. Also, remember to leave enough
time in your schedule to deal with unforeseen problems. This will
maximize your chances of keeping on track, and help you avoid the
stress of work becoming more urgent than necessary.
 3. Not Important but Urgent
• Urgent but not important tasks are things that prevent you from
achieving your goals. Ask yourself whether you can reschedule or 
delegate  them.
• A common source of such activities is other people. Sometimes it's
appropriate to say "no" to people politely, or to encourage them to
solve the problem themselves.
4. Not Important and Not Urgent
• These activities are just a distraction – avoid them if possible.
• You can simply ignore or cancel many of them. However, some may
be activities that other people want you to do, even though they
don't contribute to your own desired outcomes. Again, say "no"
politely, if you can, and explain why you cannot do it.
• If people see that you are clear about your objectives and boundaries
 , they will often avoid asking you to do "not important" activities in
the future.
 Increase Effectiveness
• After organizing and categorizing tasks, prioritize tasks
• Develop new skills
• Time Sense
• Goal Setting
• Time Planning
• Recognize Procrastination
• Celebrate your accomplishments
 Delegate
• Decide what task or tasks you can delegate.
• Decide to whom you will be delegating this task.
• Define to this person exactly what the task is, why you are delegating it to
him, and make sure that you spell out the objectives of the task.
• Establish a deadline for completion of the task,
• Do not look over the person’s shoulder. Allow him to complete the task
alone unless he comes to you with questions.
• Express your appreciation when the task is complete. Fortunately, women
more readily give praise than men, so this is a given.
• Remember, ultimately, you are responsible for the completion of the task.
 Organize and Prioritize
• Plan your work, then work your plan
– The “to-do” list
– Assess your tasks
– Plan for the unplanned
 Technology and Tools
• Microsoft Outlook Basics to Manage Your Days
• E-mail management
• Calendar management
• Task management
 Learn when to say “NO”
• You can’t do everything
• Don’t undertake things you can’t complete
• Remain consistent to your goals
 Use your waiting time
• On public transportation
• At the doctor’s office
• Waiting for your plane
• On hold
• When you are early