TIME MANAGEMENT

Prepared by:
Soft Skills Unit
Contents :
• Introduction
• What is Time?
• Why Time Management is Important ?
• Signs of Wasting Time
• Time Wasters
• Prioritize
 First Things First (The Pickle Jar Theory)
 4 Ds
 Four Generations of Time Management
• Time Management Matrix
Contents :
• Saving Time
 Delegation
 Learn to Say “No”
 Listen to Your Biological Clocks
 Effective Meetings
 Conquer Procrastination
 Use Your Waiting Time
 Build Barriers Against Interruptions
• Scheduling
• Time Management Tips
Introduction

Time Management is
a series of
 Introduction (cont.)

Time Management is not a matter of

what To Do [To Do List] only,
But a matter of what Not To Do [Not to Do List] as well.
 What is Time ?

Yesterday is History

Tomorrow is a Mystery

But Today is a Gift

That’s Why They Call it

The Present
 Time is
• A non renewable resource

• Once it is gone, it is gone.

• You will never see this

moment again.

“An inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time.”

Chinese Proverb
Why Time Management
is Important ?
Why Time Management is Important ?

Bad time management = STRESS

Why Time Management is Important ? (cont.)

You need to be organized to

be creative.
Why Time Management is Important ? (cont.)

Most people waste about

2 hours a day.
Why Time Management is Important ? (cont.)

“Remember that time is money”

Benjamin Franklin, 1748
 To Realize the Value of:

• ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.

• ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature
baby.
• ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
• ONE DAY, ask a daily wage laborer with kids to feed.
• ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
• ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
• ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
• ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal
in the Olympics.
Signs of Wasting Time
 Signs of Wasting Time

Missed appointments
Messy desk and cluttered stuff

Can’t find things

Tired and unable to concentrate

Time Wasters
 Time Wasters

”A man who dares to waste one hour of life

has not discovered the value of life.“
Charles Darwin
 1- Lack of Focus and Direction

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem.

We all have twenty-four hour days.”
Zig Ziglar
 1- Lack of Focus and Direction (Cont.)

The Five Golden Rules for Setting Goals:

1. Set goals that motivate you
2. Set SMART goals
3. Set goals in writing
4. Make an action plan
5. Stick with it
 1- Lack of Focus and Direction (Cont.)
Try the following:
• Use Personal SWOT.
• Find a Mentor.
• Surround yourself with a network of great people who
have skills, knowledge and experience.
• Show diligence and challenge fear.
• Use picture goals.
• Avoid beating around the bush
in your conversations.
 2- Phone Calls

Telephone is a
 2- Phone Calls (Cont.)

Increasing phone calls Efficiency :

1. Some features can help maximize the usefulness of the
Telephone, such as Caller ID, Memory dial, Conference
calling and Voice-mail service.
2. Try hard not to receive any personal calls during the
work hours.
3. If you have a secretary in your office, ask him to filter
the incoming calls.
4. Say “I am busy right now, can you please call me later”
gently.
 2- Phone Calls (Cont.)

Increasing phone calls Efficiency :

1. Set your goals and set the call duration before making a
phone call.
2. Be straight to the point.
3. Make all your phone calls at one time.
4. Turn phone calls into e-mails.
5. Use speakerphone or headset so you’ll be free to work
on other things while you’re talking or waiting.
6. Make your calls while standing up, so you will never
chitchat.
 3- Messy Desk
• Keep paper work in color-coded
folders so that you can find it quickly.

• Read the mail quickly, so that

your desk will be clean.

• For any paper, keep it in a folder

or throw it away.

• Block time to purge and shred old files and papers.

 3- Messy Desk (Cont.)

• File alphabetically, by subject matter, immediately.

• Review files for duplicates of originals.

• Put high-usage files in a convenient location.

Remember:
Too many papers on your desk means
too many delayed decisions.
 4- Perfectionism
• Time management is a series of choices, a skill that enables
you to differentiate between what you need to do and
what you’d prefer to do.

• Good organization requires

setting priorities, and priorities
remind us that time constraints
truly do limit our options.

Remember:
80 percent of the results flow out of 20 percent of the activities.
(Pareto Principle)
 4- Perfectionism (Cont.)
• Differentiate between important and inconsequential tasks.
• List the advantages and disadvantages of trying to be perfect.
• Adopt the belief that progress is more important than
perfection.
• Stop comparing your work or yourself to others.
• Stop using all/never language.
• It creates self-criticism and low self-esteem, because
perfectionists are never happy with what they’ve done.
 5- Online Time-Stealers
• Some social website and Personal Blogs are made to steal
your time, you should limit them.

• Unnecessary chatting and online Games.

• Online shopping and auctions.

Remember:
Time only seems to matter
when it's running out
 5- Online Time-Stealers (Cont.)

• Edit the subject line and create a short description to help

locate e-mails quickly.

• Unsubscribe or request removal from mailing lists in which

you have interest.

• Use a spam detection system to eliminate unwanted e-mails.

• Create an address book for people or groups you frequently

e-mail.
Prioritize
First Things First

The Pickle Jar Theory

 First Things First (cont.)

Start with the rocks The important items

 First Things First (cont.)

Work on the pebbles Things you enjoy

 First Things First (cont.)

Put the sand Things you have to do

 First Things First (cont.)

Add some water Extra things

 First Things First (cont.)

Put the
Big Rocks
in First

Remember :
If you work really hard you can
always fit some more things into
your life.
 Prioritize (4Ds)

Do

Delete Prioritize Delegate

Delay
Four Generations of
Time Management
Four Generations of Time Management

The first generation could be

characterized by notes and
checklists.
Four Generations of Time Management (cont.)

The second generation could

be characterized by calendars
and appointment books.
Four Generations of Time Management (cont.)

The third generation adds the

important idea of
prioritization, of clarifying
values and of comparing the
relative worth of activities.
Four Generations of Time Management (cont.)

The fourth generation

recognizes that the challenge
is not to manage time, but to
manage ourselves.
 Self-Management

Daily Adapting
Schedule
Goals/ Tasks
Roles
Time Management Matrix

1 2

3 4
Time Management Matrix (cont.)

1
Activities :
• Crisis
• Pressing problems
• Deadline-driven projects
2

Results :
• Stress
• Burn-out
• Always putting out fires

3 4
 Time Management Matrix (cont.)

1 2
3 Activities : 4
• Trivia busy work
• Some mail
• Some phone calls
• Pleasant activities
• Time wasters
Results :
• Total irresponsibility
• Fired from jobs
• Dependent on others or
institutions for basics
 Time Management Matrix (cont.)

2
Activities :
• Relationship building
• Recognizing new opportunities
• Planning, recreation

Results :
1 • Vision
• Balance
• Discipline
• Control
• Few crises
3 4
 Time Management Matrix (cont.)

1 2
3
Activities :
• Interruptions, some calls
• Some mail, some reports
• Some meetings
• Proximate, pressing matters 4
• Popular activities
Results :
• Short term focus • See goals and plans as worthless
• Crisis management • Feel victimized, out of control
• Reputation - • Shallow or broken relationships
chameleon character
 Time Management Matrix (cont.)

In which Quadrant should we Live?

 Effective people stay out of Quadrants 3 and 4

because, urgent or not, they aren't important.

 They also shrink Quadrant 1 down to size in order to

spend more time in Quadrant 2.

 Quadrant 2 is the heart of effective personal

management.
 What is Important?

Five criteria by which you can weigh tasks (as employee):

1. Essential to your goals

2. High payoffs

3. Essential to your company’s goals

4. Essential to your boss’s goals

5. Can’t be delegated
 $ 86,400

Imagine a bank that credits your

account each morning with $86,400.
But, since it doesn’t carry over a balance
from one day to the next, any money you fail
to spend today will be deleted from your account.
What would you do?
Saving Time
 Saving Time

• Delegation
• Learn to say “No”
• Listen to your biological clocks
• Effective meetings
• Conquer procrastination
• Use your waiting time
• Build barriers against
interruptions
Delegation
 Delegation

Delegation Styles :
• Gofer Delegation
• Supervision of Efforts
(Stewardship)
 Gofer Delegation

• Gofer delegation is extremely directive and specific.

• Dictating not only what to do, but how to do it.
• The employer must function as a “boss” micromanaging
the progress of the “subordinate”.
• Employer wants the employee to do the task assigned, and
only that task.
• Initiative is not welcome. Just compliance.
• Each employee's task must be followed up on, monitored and
approved.
• This process is time consuming for the employer and boring
for the employee.
 Supervision of Efforts (Stewardship)
• Focuses on results instead of methods.
• People are able to choose the method to achieve the results.
• It takes more time up front, but has greater benefits.
• Takes the time to train, teach and guide each employee.
• It gives the employee a choice of methods and makes him
responsible for the result.
• The employee becomes a contributing, innovative and
responsible team member.
• Long initial training time and the need to give up control by
trusting and having confidence in the employee.
Supervision of Efforts (Stewardship) (cont.)
Stewardship Delegation requires a clear, upfront mutual
understanding of commitment and expectations in
five areas:
1. Desired Results
2. Guidelines
3. Resources
4. Accountability
5. Consequences
 Delegating Dangers
• Dispersing your workload just to get it off your plate can
send negative messages.

• Avoid delegating over the phone or by Email, especially for

complex projects or when delegating to someone with whom
you have a new relationship.

• Don’t mess with due dates or priorities you establish with

the person to whom you are delegating, this act creeps
into micromanaging.
 Delegation

Remember :
When you need to delegate a task, good communication
skills are vital.

"Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is.

Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become
as he can and should be.“
Stephen R. Covey
Learn to say “No”
 Learn to say “No”

To say "yes" to important priorities, you have to learn to say

"no" to other activities, sometimes apparently urgent things.
 Learn to say “No” (cont.)

• We say "yes" or "no" to things daily, many times a day.

Wisdom is essential to make those judgments effectively.
• Ask yourself two questions :
1. What will this commitment mean?
2. If you had to take on this commitment tomorrow,
would it—considering what you’ve planned—be a
good use of your time?

• It's almost impossible to say "no" to the popularity

if you don't have a bigger "yes" burning inside.
 Why we can’t say “No” ?

• Don’t have priorities.

• Want to do anything to be appreciated.
• Avoiding embarrassment.
• Feeling that you are able to do many things at the same time.
• Don’t listen carefully or understand the task in the right way.
• Others expect me to say yes, so I can’t disappoint them.
• You are not good in giving excuses.
• Can’t say “No” to my boss.
 How to say “No” ?
Four-step procedure that makes saying “No” safe,
diplomatic, and effective:
• Give a reason
• Be diplomatic
• Suggest a trade-off
• Don’t put off your decision

Remember:
You need to be able to say “No” and
mean it, but you may have to be persistent
enough to get others to say
“Yes”.
 How to say “No” ? (cont.)
Say :
• I am a little busy now, but I will be ready the next time.
• Because I am busy I might not give enough attention for
the task.
• I am sorry, I am not good in that, may be you can find
someone better.
• Yes I can do that, but not before the end of the month.
• Okay, but I will make a part, when you will continue.

Remember :
Be polite and gentle in all situations.
Listen to your Biological
Clocks
 Listen to your Biological Clocks

• Our internal biological clocks that regulate

many functions and activities, including sleep,
temperature, metabolism, alertness, blood
pressure, heart rate and hormone levels and
immunities.

• These biological clocks are reset by sunlight

each morning.
Listen to your Biological Clocks (cont.)
 Listen to your Biological Clocks (cont.)

We can make more efficient use of our time by scheduling

certain activities at certain times of the day:
 8 am - 12 noon
Cognitive, or mental, tasks such as reading, calculating
and problem solving.
 6 am - 10 am
Short term memory tasks such as last minute reviewing
for tests.
 1 pm - 4 pm
Longer term memory tasks such as memorizing
speeches and information for application.
 Listen to your Biological Clocks (cont.)

We can make more efficient use of our time by scheduling

certain activities at certain times of the day:

 2 pm to 6 pm
You are most efficient at tasks involving the use of your
hands such as keyboarding and carpentry.

 4 pm to 9 pm
Evening is the best to engage in physical activity, when
your large muscle coordination is at its peak.
Effective Meetings
 Effective Meetings

“A meeting is an event at which the minutes

are kept and the hours are lost.”
Unknown Author
 How Meetings could be Time Waster?

• Unorganized meetings
• No specific goals or no agenda
• Too many unnecessary meetings
• Attendance of uninvited persons
• Talking out of the agenda
• Social talk during the meeting
• Being indecisive
• Allowing interruptions
• Unsuitable time or place
 10 Golden keys for Effective Meetings
1. Create a written agenda for each meeting.
2. Assign the meeting a clear start time and official closing time.
3. Set at least one goal for your meeting.
4. Be reasonable about the number of topics to be covered.
5. Invite only the necessary people.
6. Never schedule a meeting because it’s customary.
7. Create an environment for productivity.
8. Establish an idea bin.
9. At the meeting’s close, orally summarize all agreements,
assignments and decisions.
10.Via a written meeting summary, list all steps to be taken to
fulfill the meeting’s consensus.
Meeting Agenda Form
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Procrastination

"Procrastination is the thief

of time."
Edward Young
Night Thoughts, 1742
 Why Procrastination ?
 Internal Forces
They are primarily inner rooted. They arise from the
procrastinator’s psyche.
For example, If you tend to fear failure and you procrastinate
largely for that reason, you’ll procrastinate on any task at
which you might fear that you’ll fail.

 External Forces
Even if you usually don’t procrastinate, your environment
can impose procrastination on you.
 Why Procrastination ? (cont.)
Unpleasant
Tasks
Overwhelming Fear of
Tasks Change

Unclear Task Fear of

Flow Procrastination Failure

Unclear Addiction to
Goals Cramming
Tendency to
Overcommit
 Conquer Procrastination ? (cont.)

• The task seems unpleasant

Five strategies can help you take on a task that you avoid
because it’s unpleasant:
1. Do it the first thing in the day.
2. The night before, place the task where you can’t
miss it and use the “measles” approach.
3. Find somebody else to do it.
4. Make an advantage/disadvantage list.
5. After completing the task, reward yourself with
something that is pleasurable for you.
 Conquer Procrastination ? (cont.)
• The task seems overwhelming
Three strategies will help you accomplishing the task:
1. Divide and conquer.
2. Find a solitary place to do it.
3. Ride the momentum.
• The task flow is unclear or unplanned
Visualize the flow using Flowchart.
Flowchart is a diagram that displays the step-by-step
progression through a procedure or system, frequently
using lines connecting the steps to indicate direction or
flow.
 Conquer Procrastination ? (cont.)
• Your goals are unclear
Make general goals into specific goals by reminding yourself
what it is, specifically, that makes the goal a goal.
In certain situations—especially in business—goals should
be not only clear but also measurable.
• You fear change
If you are resisting change, any of the following might
work for you:
 Change your physical environment.
 Change your routines and patterns.
 Do nothing.
 Conquer Procrastination ? (cont.)

• You fear failure

Believe that failure is the condiment that gives success its
flavor. So the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

• You tend to overcommit

In the future, before volunteering to take on new
commitments, take a few moments to review those
commitments you’ve already made but haven’t completed.
 Conquer Procrastination ? (cont.)

• You’re addicted to cramming

Doing something at the last minute is a dangerous habit
because:
 Last-minute work increases the odds of making a
mistake.
 You have no time to correct mistakes, or even to
discover them.
 A new, unexpected demand may come up at the last
minute and might hurts the quality of both tasks.
Use your Waiting Time
 Use your Waiting Time

Have you ever thought about how much time you spend doing
nothing during an average day?
 5 Minutes

What can you accomplish in five

minutes?
 Use your Waiting Time (cont.)
• It is an important personal time management skill to make
good use of your “waiting time”.
• Usually this is not a situation where you planned to do
nothing…it just happened!
• Think about all of the things you could accomplish if you could
make use of this time. For instance:
 Time you spend commuting on a train or bus
 Time you wait at the doctor for your appointment
 Time you spend on a plane, waiting for your plane, or the
time you spend waiting for your luggage
 Time you spend “on hold” on the telephone
 Time you spend when you arrive at work or at a meeting
earlier than you had anticipated
 Use your Waiting Time (cont.)

• You can either consider these periods as “wastes of time” or

as “gifts of time.”

• As “gifts of time”, you can use them as opportunities to

accomplish routine tasks that are necessary, but don’t require
large periods of time.

• Most successful people have already found that there are

a number of things that they can accomplish while they wait.
Build Barriers against
Interruptions
 Build Barriers against Interruptions
• Interruption means that your concentration is broken,
by an e-mail, a phone call, a request from a colleague, or
even by yourself.
• When you change your focus, you’re
changing your state of mind – which
makes it hard to remember what you
were thinking about before.

• Interruptions destroy your concentration.

And loss of concentration = loss of
creative work.
 Minimize Interruptions
• Switch your phone onto answer phone mode.
• Close your e-mail application.
• Put a ‘Do not disturb’ notice on your office door.
• If you’re at work, make sure that everyone knows about your
“sacred” hours.
• Find a “secret” place to work, conference room, function hall,
or other space in your building where you could go and work,
uninterrupted and undiscovered.
• Come to work very early or stay late.
 Minimize Interruptions (cont.)

• If you have problems with constant interruptions during

your workday, ask permission to work more flexible hours.
• Avoid walking around. Each time you move, it gives others
the opportunity to interrupt you.
• If you are a manager, inform your team about the time they
are allowed to interrupt you to ask or discuss any thing.
• If a colleague in your company needs to see you, suggest
you confer in his office. It’s much easier to leave someone
than to get that person to leave you.
Interrupters Log
The Flow Model
 The Flow Model (Cont.)

To improve your chances of experiencing flow, try

the following:

• Set goals
• Improve your concentration
• Build self-confidence
• Get feedback
• Make your work more challenging
• Improve your skills
• Coach yourself
Scheduling
 Self-Management

Daily Adapting
Schedule
Goals/ Tasks
Roles
Priorities 4 Ds Planning
 Scheduling

Before scheduling you need to plan !

 Plan Ahead
P- Predetermine a course of action
L- Lay out your goals
A- Adjust your priorities
N- Notify key personnel

A- Allow time for acceptance

H- Head into action
E- Expect problems
A- Always point to your successes
D- Daily review your planning
 Planning

• Plan tomorrow’s tasks today.

• Use :
 Deadlines
 Milestones
 Action Plan
 Planning (Cont.)

Don’t reinvent the wheel !

 Scheduling

• Use Weekly scheduling.

• Allow extra time for each task.
• Stick to your schedule and be flexible.
• Consider the productivity cycles.
• Include traveling time, waiting time, interruptions,
eating time and sleeping time.
• Use symbols and colors.
• Use technology to
schedule your week.
 Scheduling (Cont.)

“A schedule is not a puzzle, blank areas must be there.”

Sharl Antoun

Remember:
Focus on less, and you’ll actually achieve more.
Time Management Tips
 Time Management Tips
• Give your full attention to whatever you’re doing in the
moment, by clearing out unnecessary mental clutters.
• Set a specific hour each day to make all phone calls.
• Try not to buy too many newspapers or magazines, this
will waste your time because you will feel guilty if you
throw one away unread.
• Try hard not to lose your time, and never lose your temper.
• Sleeping well is a very important issue for your personal
time management.
 Time Management Tips (cont.)
• Reward yourself after finishing a task.
• Be Realistic in your Expectations.
• Create a “Not-to-do” list as well as a “To-do list”.
• It is impossible to keep abreast of the stream of Information
that flows every day . You must become selective.
• Never try to eat the elephant with one bite. Divide and
conquer.
”Nothing is particularly hard if you
divide it into small jobs.”
Henry Ford
 Time Management Tips (cont.)
• Pausing to relax and recuperate can reenergize your work
and make you more productive.

• Before delegating, targeting the right person for the job

should be your main priority.

• Consider swapping responsibilities, to save time and effort.

Remember:
Sometimes our most productive ideas come to us in
moments of spontaneity or play.
 Time Management Tips (cont.)
• Plan tomorrow’s tasks today.

• Reconfirm appointments you made some time ago.

• Give false times and deadlines to people.

• When reading a report, read the executive summary first.

• Use the bookmark feature on your Internet browser.

• Create backups for everything critical.

 Time Management Tips (cont.)
• Reserve the surface of your desk only for active projects and
the supplies you use most.
• Keep a pad and pencil beside your phones.
• High-speed Internet connections can be very valuable.
• Manage your computer memory. Delete unused files and
folders.
• Next time when you send e-mail, try to be brief as possible.
• Use Technology to manage your time.
 Time Management Tips (cont.)
• Learn to do the right thing, not to do the thing right.

• Focus exclusively on completing high importance tasks.

• Focus on less, and you’ll actually achieve more.

• Only use multi-tasking with low importance tasks.

Remember:
Great Time Management is not time-centered,
but task-centered. (T.N.T)
Time Management Tips (cont.)

Remember:
With respect to Time Management, we are all
individuals, and we work and learn differently.
One size does not fit all.
 Now

What one thing could you

do that would make a
tremendous positive
difference in your
personal life
?
 Recommended Readings

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,

Stephen R. Covey,
ISBN 0-671-70863-5

The One Minute Manager,

Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson,
ISBN 0-425-09847-8
 References
• The seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey
• First Things First
Steven Covey. Simon/ Schuster. 1994
• Time Management
Marc Mancini
• Secrets of Our Body Clocks Revealed
Perry Dawson
• The Great Time Management Secret
Dr. Jason Raj

• www.mindtools.com

• www.leadershipanswers.com

• www.wishfulthinking.co.uk
Thanks