Time Management

By Sunesh Hetiarachchi

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Time Management Skills
• Make lists.
• Prioritize tasks.
• Divide large tasks into
smaller steps.
• Group similar tasks.
• Monitor progress.
 Time Strategies
• Monitor your time.
• Adopt tools for time management.
• Find connections between time &
money.
• Develop “focused attention.”
• Use planning to set you free.
 Eliminate Time Thieves!
• Failure to set goals,
priorities, or deadlines
• Too much socializing
• Failure to say no
• Interruptions
• Disorganization
 Eliminate More Time Thieves!
• Poor communication
• Failure to delegate
• Fatigue
• Trying to do too
much
More…..
• What is most important
to do first?
• What has to be done so
others can work?
• What will cause the
most trouble if I do not
finish?
Your Future is What You Make It
TODAY!
“The best thing
about the future
is that it only
comes one day
at a time.” --
Abraham Lincoln
Time Management Benefits
• Remember special
events
• Have advance
preparation time
• Have more focus
and less stress
 Even More Benefits
• Work smarter not
harder
• Open up free time for
family, friends, and
fun
• Enjoy peace of mind
Thought for Today
“What you do today is
important because
you are exchanging a
day of your life for
it…let it be
something good.”
Determine activity dependencies and critical path
(simple example)

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 Network Diagram

• Start by writing each activity from the WBS on

a sheet of paper

• Create a network diagram that shows how the

activities can be implemented step-by-step

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Drawing the Project Network
• AON – Activity on Node networks show each
activity as a node and arcs show the
immediate predecessor activities
• AOA – Activity on Arc networks show each
activity as an arc, and the nodes represent the
starting and ending points

We will use the AON method

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 Critical Path Analysis

• Critical path = the longest path from the beginning of

the network to the end.

– If the activities on the critical path are delayed, the project

is delayed

– Critical path activities represent the activities that the

project manager has to oversee the closest.

– Slack or Float = those where there is extra time built into

the schedule

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• Example for a CRITICAL PATH analysis

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 Network diagram - Example:

• General Foundry Inc.

– Have 16 weeks to install a complex air filter
system on its smokestack.
– May be forced to close if not completed
within 16 weeks due to environmental
regulations
– Have identified 8 activities

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AON Network for General Foundry

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Activity Time Estimates

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 Critical Path Analysis

• Earliest Start Time (EST)

• Earliest Finish Time (EFT)
• Latest start time (LST)
• Latest Finish Time (LFT)

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Forward Pass: Earliest Start and Finish Times

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Backward Pass: Latest Start and Finish Times

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 Slack Time and Critical Path(s)
• Slack is the length of time an activity can be
delayed without delaying the project
Slack = LST – EST
• Activities with 0 slack are Critical Activities
• The Critical Path is a continuous path through
the network from start to finish that include
only critical activities

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Critical Path and Slack Times

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 Let’s Practice

• Classroom Exercise - New Toy Introduction

Project