Script_Time Management and Organisational Skills

Time Management and Organisational Skills

SELF-STUDYSCRIPT

This project is financed by the UK Government.

Time Management and Organisational Skills

SELF-STUDYSCRIPT

Time Management and Organisational Skills 4

Course objectives

Outlining Your Current Use of Time

ACTIVITY LOGGOALS CHECK-UPPROJECT YOU ARE WORKING ON

The Basics of Time Management

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD AND BAD TIME MANAGERSTIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, FEARS AND BENEFITS

Time Stealers and Time Use Review

TIME STEALER CHECKLISTTIME MANAGEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE TIME MANAGEMENT AUDIT EXERCISETIME USE REVIEW: WHERE DOES YOUR TIME GO?

Prioritisation Systems and Planning

PLANNING, 4D & TO DO LISTSURGENT AND IMPORTANT TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIXPRIORITISING YOUR TASKSPERSONAL PRIORITIESYOUR PRIME TIME

Getting Organised

DESK ORGANISATIONTECHNIQUES FOR MANAGING INCOMING CALLSHANDLING INTERRUPTIONSTHE FOUR STEPS OF CHANGE

Being Assertive

ASSERTIVE, AGGRESSIVE AND PASSIVEASSERTIVENESS AND YOU

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Table of Contents

Self-Study Script 5

Delegating

WHY DELEGATE?LEVELS OF DELEGATION ILEVELS OF DELEGATION IIWORKAHOLICS, DELAYERS, NON-DELEGATORS

Stress Management Techniques

WHAT IS STRESS?WHAT ARE STRESS ACTIVATORS?TIPS TO REDUCE STRESSHOW STRESSED ARE YOU?MANAGING TIME MEANS MANAGING STRESSPEAK PERFORMANCE CURVEDIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLANNERS AND SPONTANEOUS PEOPLEHOW TO HELP PEOPLE REACH THEIR PEAK PERFORMANCE

Time Management final things to consider

HOW ARE YOU GETTING ON?ACTION PLANTHE IDEAL TIME MANAGERS DAYPERSONAL LEARNING POINTS

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The purpose of this course is to help you develop the skills you need to use time management techniques which can provide greater control over use of time.

After this course you will be better able to:

understand your current use of time, identifying strengths and weaknesses examine the basic principles and benefits of time management understand best practice techniques for planning, prioritisation, e-mail, desk and filing management understand the link between time management & stress discover how to manage yourself and others explore the ways of effective delegation learn the strategies for being more assertive

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Course objectives

Task continuesover page

QuizQuestionnaire

Self-studytask

Individualthink task

Self-Study Script 7

Write how you currently spend/use your time in the boxes provided below:

One of your long-term goals Your favourite pastime/hobby Your top time-waster

Something you would like to do, but never seem to find time for

Your Prime Time: when you are most alert (morning, late at night)

Your course objective: what you want to get from this course

The amount of time you spend chatting to colleagues during the day

Your favourite time-saving tip or tool

Your Chinese horoscope

Outlining Your Current Use of Time 1.


ACTIVITY LOG

Complete the table below to indicate a typical day for you. If you find this difficult, try writing down how you spent your last working day at the office. Try to include everything that you did (including conversations in the corridor, queuing for lunch etc.)

time activity total time spent

1.

Self-Study Script 9

GOALS CHECK-UP

1. With regard to work, what do you want to be doing in 2 years time?

3. Do these help you to achieve these?

2. When is your next performance review? What do you need to have done by then (whats on your job plan)?

5. Do these help you to achieve these?

4. Your activity log (page 6)

1.


PROJECTS YOURE WORKING ON

Draw a spider diagram of the projects youre currently working on:

1.

Self-Study Script 11

Time is a unique resource, day to day everyone has the same amount. It is something you cannot increase or decrease. No matter how clever you are, how wealthy, how industrious, you still get 24 hours, 1440 minutes, 86,400 seconds in each and every day, no more, no less.

Managing Use of Time

So, if the time we have is finite, time management is a misnomer; a fallacy; a lie. Time simply cannot be managed.

What we are really talking about is time USAGE we will never have enough time. What we need to do is carefully manage the time we have, putting it to best use possible.

If you want something done, give it to a busy person.

The chances are that if this busy person gets the work done, they are as overwhelmed as everyone else is. The difference is that they know how to effectively use their time.

Investing Our Time

Before we can use time effectively, we have to invest some.

We have to understand time management and make a little effort to do things like:

Plan Organise Think Sort Even attend this course INVESTING time in time management is one of the best investments you can make. The word invest implies that we will get more back in return.

Time management is a personal process and must fit our style and circumstances. It takes a strong commitment to change old habits; however, this choice is available to us. If you choose to apply the principles from this course, you will obtain the rewards that come from better time investment.

The Basics of Time Management 2.


CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD AND BAD TIME MANAGERS

Think of people you work with or have worked with in the past.Think of one that was particularly good at time management and one that was not.

Write down in the relevant columns below:

a. What do good time managers do?b. What are the characteristics of bad time managers?

Good time managers Bad time managers

Who are the good time managers?

OPTIMUM PERFORMERS

Devoted to results Effective more than efficient Warm, outgoing relationships Set goals, plan time, take risks Well balanced, happy and successful

WORKAHOLICS

Addicted to work itselfMany insignificant tasksPoor relationshipsLack specific goals, fear risks Often under-achievers

2.


TIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

Prioritising Planning Desk management In-tray management Controlling e-mails Handling time wasters Overcoming personal behaviour barriers Stress management

TIME MANAGEMENT FEARS

Will I lose spontaneity? Will my day become so structured that it is boring? Will I be asked to do more work?

THE BENEFITS OF TIME MANAGEMENT

A. How would you use an extra five hours per week?

B. What are the benefits you would expect from better use of your time?

BENEFITS OF GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT

More time to do what you wantImproved availabilityFewer mistakesFewer crisesImproved job satisfactionWork done fasterMore time for new ideas and creativityMore time for career planningTime to improve systemsImproved healthYou may be easier to work withYou may feel more relaxed

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The 10 most common timewasters

1. Losing things2. Meetings3. Telephone4. Interruptions5. Delay6. Junk paperwork7. Crises8. Reverse delegation9. Perfectionism10. Distractions

List your top three time-wasting activities

Self-imposed Imposed by others

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2. 2.

3. 3.

Time Stealers and Time Use Review 3.


TIME STEALERS CHECKLIST

There are two big threats to your attempts at time management:

other people your own discipline

You will need to do something about both of them. Consider the following checklist tick those areas which you feel apply to you.

Organisational

Time problem You Manager Staff

Meetings too long too many badly planned unscheduled

Telephone too many too lengthy out-calls difficult

Visitors unexpected unscheduled colleagues others

Information not relevant inaccurate slow

Paperwork too many memos, reports etc. to read or prepare

Work crises unplanned unexpected

Organisation Unclear communication or authority

job definition etc.

Work delegation involvement in routine detail of subordinates or superiors work

Work objectives unclear priorities and deadlines

lack of progress reports

Socialising too much: gossip, small talk, etc.

3.


Personal

Time problem You Manager Staff

Delay indecision putting off until tomorrow etc.

Over ambitious attempting too much at once bad timekeeping etc.

Disorganisation poor personal planning cluttered desk etc.

TIME MANAGEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

Time management is a wide and diverse area, with different issues and challenges for each of us. While general principles can be covered in group training, each persons situation and priorities are best addressed through one-to-one coaching. This questionnaire helps the preparation of group training and personal coaching.

1. What aspect(s) of your time management do you most want to improve?

2. What do you think causes the above? (think about your personal reasons why you are the way that you are as well as the external pressures that have an affect).

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3. Which of these would you like to improve? (indicate A for Very Significant, and B for Significant. Mark X for any factor that is not significant or relevant to you):

day-to-day planning (action lists, prioritising, getting things done) planning projects or complex tasks (and executing them) medium/long-term planning (establishing goals and aims, steps to achieving) managing the balance between work and private/personal/home time being firm (saying no politely, resisting interruptions, managing workload) delegating (letting go, handing over, allocating tasks and following-up) efficiency of certain processes (finding more efficient ways to do things) decision-making and finishing tasks prioritising tasks and actions (timings, urgent versus important). communicating (especially dealing with written received communications) working to a deadline (without finishing in a panic) personal time-keeping (keeping an eye on the time and what needs doing) others?____________________________________________

4. Keep a time-log to the nearest minute of everything you do over a typical working period of at least one day. Include dealing with interruptions, travel and breaks. Highlight everything that was not planned, and make a note alongside anything that was of special note, good or bad.

5. Any other comments of thoughts? Eg, how important do you consider time management to be alongside other skills/abilities that you might want to develop? Do time management pressures vary a lot according to your situation, job, time of year, etc? What time management improvements have you implemented in the past and with what result? Continue on a separate sheet if necessary.1

TIME MANAGEMENT AUDIT EXERCISE

Read each statement and consider to what degree it applies to you. Circle the letter in the column that is closest to your feelings about the statement.

Strongly agree

Mildly agree

Mildly disagree

Strongly disagree

Reviewing

1. I cant remember what I did on my last day in the office S r q p

2. I know where my time management problems lie and I am taking steps to improve things P q r s

3. I never seem to learn how long things really take S r q p

4. During the last year I recorded a time log of exactly how I spent my time for at least a week P q r s

5. During the last year I have analysed my work systems to see if they can be simplified P q r s

6. I like to change and create new habits P q r s

1 www.businessballs.com. alan chapman 2002

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Strongly agree

Mildly agree

Mildly disagree

Strongly disagree

Planning and prioritising

7. I daily prepare a list of things to do S q r p

8. I put priority codes against all things on my daily to do list. P q r s

9. I often remember things that I should have done at work after I have gone home S r q p

10. I have a list of specific and measurable performance objectives with definite target dates P q r s

11. I have a list of all the smaller tasks that need to be handled over the next few weeks P q r s

12. I review my long-term objectives at least P q r s

13. I am not always clear about the purpose and intended results of all my objectives S r q p

Strongly agree

Mildly agree

Mildly disagree

Strongly disagree

Working Patterns

14. I need the pressure of deadlines to get goingS r q p

15. I get all the training I needP q r s

16. I always know where to find thingsP q r s

17. I have to wait for the right mood to do creative work S r q p

18. I decide what further action needs taking on all my paperwork the first time I pick it up P q r s

19. Recurring crises often happen in my jobS r q p

20. I seem to jump around and often leave things unfinished S r q p

21. I dont have to take work homeP q r s

22. I tend to do quick and enjoyable things firstS r q p

23. Its hard to stay on top of all my readingS r q p

24. I spend a lot of time fire fightingS r q p

25. I have to come in early or work late to get all of my work done S r q p

26. My desk and work area is clutteredS r q p

3.


Strongly agree

Mildly agree

Mildly disagree

Strongly disagree

Working with others

27. I allow interruptions to develop into social chatS r q p

28. I meet all my deadlinesP q r s

29. I inform others of my plans in good timeP q r s

30. People often have to wait for me to arrive at a meeting S r q p

31. I dont let interruptions waste my timeP q r s

32. I tend to get too involved in others work and to do things for them S r q p

33. I save questions up and handle several in one go so I wont constantly interrupt others P q r s

34. I ask why before I agree to a meetingP q r s

35. When I call a meeting I give people Time to prepare P q r s

36. The meetings I attend never seem to accomplish very much S r q p

Strongly agree

Mildly agree

Mildly disagree

Strongly disagree

Managing Others

37. I have a definite plan for developing those I manage so I can delegate more to them P q r s

38. Im too much of a perfectionist to delegate S r q p

39. I can let go and let others learn from their mistakes P q r s

40. Each person I manage knows their objectives and their role in achieving them P q r s

3.


TIME MANAGEMENT AUDIT SCORING

Under each category total up the number of letters that you have circled.

1. Multiply the p total by 3, the q total by 2 leave the r total as it is and ignore the s total (s=0).2. Insert the figures in the table below and then under the total column add them all under each category.

Calculation P X 3 q X 2 r X1 s X 0 Total

Reviewing + + + 0.00 =

Planning and prioritising + + + 0.00 =

Working patterns + + + 0.00 =

Working with others + + + 0.00 =

Managing others + + + 0.00 =

Take the scores from above and circle the number under each category in the tables on the next page.

Reviewing

1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Planning and prioritising

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Working patterns

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 28

Working with others

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Managing others

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

If you want to improve your time management this is a whole area to target. Dont try to change everything at once. Look for things you can easily change which will really make a difference.

There is a room for improvement Build on the strengths and look for Where you could make further efficiency savings.

You are clearly making effective use of your time. Is there anything you could do better? Focus on your Rs and Ss

3.


TIME USE REVIEW: WHERE DOES YOUR TIME GO?

Look at the results of your time logs and time stealer questionnaire and answer the following for discussion with others.

o Under each category total up the number of letters that you have circled.

o Is this the first time you have analysed where your time goes? Was the time log useful?

o Did the results surprise you in any way?

o How much of what you did was planned? Was your day structured? How often do you feel you are operating in crisis mode?

o Were you productive or simply busy? Are you getting important things done?

o What sort of hours are you working?

o What are your major time stealers? :

o Are you putting things off?

o Do you spend too long on particular activities?

o Do you allow yourself to be distracted by unimportant activities? If so, what?

o Did you spend large amounts of time reading and dealing with e-mails?

o Are you being interrupted frequently, if so is this my phone or in person, is it someone in particular?

3.


PLANNING

Sometime each day you need to sort through your in-box (including your e-mail inbox) and make a list of all the tasks that need to be completed. In other words, you need to make a To Do list. Once you have done this you need to prioritise the tasks on your To Do list and lastly you need to make appointments with your tasks.

Try doing this only once a day which saves you time and stops you reading each item over and over. At the end of each day is a good time to do this.

4D

When you sort through your inboxes do one of 4 things which each item:

Do It if it is something that will only take a few minutes eg signing something

Diarise It if its something that will need more time write it on your To Do list (later we will look at prioritising and diarising your To Do list)

Delegate It if you are not the best person to action this item (someone else has more time or expertise) then pass it on

Delete It if you dont need to keep it, dont!

This method ensures that both your in-boxes are cleared once a day which has a positive effect on your motivation and stress levels.

THE TO DO LIST

If you find that you are often caught out because you have forgotten to do something, then you need to keep a To Do list.

Prioritised To Do lists are fundamentally important to efficient work. If you use a To Do list, you will ensure that: You remember to carry out all necessary tasks You tackle the most important jobs first and do not waste time on trivial tasks You dont get stressed by a large number of unimportant tasks

There are many different tools that help you to keep a To Do list: Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), printed To Do list notepads, MS Outlook etc. It doesnt matter which tool you use as long as it allows you to: Enter data easily View an appropriate span of time

To draw up a prioritised To Do list, list all the tasks you need to carry out. If you have large tasks, break them down into smaller parts. If these still seem large, break them down again.

Prioritisation Systems4.


We will look at prioritising your tasks soon, but before we do that, use your activity log and spider diagram to draw up your own To Do list on the next page.

TO DO LIST

Task

4.


URGENT AND IMPORTANT TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIX

urgent not urgent

important 1 DO NOW emergencies, complaints and crisis

issues demands from superiors or customers planned tasks or project work now due meetings and appointments reports and other submissions staff issues or needs problem resolution, fire-fighting, fixes

Subject to confirming the importance and the urgency of these tasks, do these tasks now. Prioritise according to their relative urgency.

2 PLAN TO DO planning, preparation, scheduling research, investigation, designing,

testing networking relationship building thinking, creating, modelling, designing systems and process development anticipation and prevention developing change, direction, strategy

Critical to success: planning, strategic thinking, deciding direction and aims, etc. Plan time-slots and personal space for these tasks.

not important

3 REJECT AND EXPLAIN trivial requests from others apparent emergencies ad-hoc interruptions and distractions misunderstandings appearing as

complaints pointless routines or activities accumulated unresolved trivia bosss whims or tantrums

Scrutinise and probe demands. Help originators to re-assess. Wherever possible reject and avoid these tasks sensitively and immediately.

4 RESIST AND CEASE comfort activities, computer games,

net surfing, excessive cigarette breaks chat, gossip, social communications daydreaming, doodling, over-long

breaks reading nonsense or irrelevant material unnecessary adjusting equipment etc. embellishment and over-production

Habitual comforters not true tasks. Non-productive, de-motivational. Minimise or cease altogether. Plan to avoid them.2

PRIORITISING YOUR TASKS

In his book 7 Habits for Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey recommends four categories for prioritising your To Do list:

urgent and important eg crisis, deadlines, unexpected opportunitiesnot urgent but important eg planning, recreation, relationship building, learningurgent but not important eg interruptions, some meetingsnot urgent and not important trivia, time wasters, gossip

Urgent items can not be postponed you must do them now or there will be negative consequences for you or your organisation.

2 http://www.businessballs.com/timemanagement.htm

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Important items help you to achieve your goals.

Covey says that you should be giving highest priority to the items which are urgent and important and the lowest priority to the items which are not urgent and not important.

PRIORITISING YOUR TASKS YOUR TURN

Look at each item on your To Do list and decide whether it is:

Urgent in which case you can write it in columns 1 or 3

Important in which case you can write it in columns 1 or 2 (depending on whether it is also urgent or not)

urgent not urgent

important

not important

Remember you should be spending most of your time working on items in column 1 and less time as you move toward column 4.

4.


PERSONAL PRIORITIES

Your job purpose and goals should be spelt out clearly in a job plan so that you know what your manager considers your work priorities to be. But what about your needs? Do you have clear personal goals? Do you assign high priority to activities which help you develop as you would like? To achieve long-term goals you need to focus in the short term.

Goal Setting Idea

Take a pen, paper and timer. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Write on the paper everything you wish to accomplish during the rest of your life. Make no judgements based on your ability but let your thoughts run wild. After 10 minutes look at what you have written and decide what would be a reasonable time frame in which you could achieve them. Choose three of your goals and start working out what you need to do to achieve them and what in the short-term you will do.

Planning

Planning is key to successful time management. Some people are natural planners, others need to take time and care to plan. Many of us are so caught up in everyday activities and striving to meet deadlines that we rarely plan. Making plans can feel as time consuming as actually performing the task itself! However, effective planning helps us:

Make best use of our time so that we focus on issues which are important, rather than just urgent. Keep track of progress on a number of projects and activities Reduce stress and avoid panic through a more predictable routine

One minute of planning saves minutes of crisis.

Tips for planning your time

Plan out your day before you get started. Dont just launch into action.

Take five minutes at the end of the day to plan for tomorrow. Keep a To Do list, adding any new items and assessing priorities. Use a daily planner in your diary or on the desktop calendar. Plug in your appointments then assess

time left over. Try to allow one hour each day for important but non-urgent tasks. Move priority items from your to do list onto a daily activity plan. Try not to spend more than 90 minutes on one task. Move onto something else. Murphys Law build in four 15-minute shock absorbers to allow for crisis. Use the time for important

but non-urgent tasks. Think about your PRIME TIME and use it well. Batch tasks together to tackle in one series, e.g. telephone calls or responding to mail, instead of

tackling these activities in an ad hoc fashion. Ask others to cover your phone to avoid interruptions if you need to concentrate on a special task,

perhaps booking a meeting room if you need to avoid distractions.

4.


PRIME TIME

Plan your day bearing the following in mind:

When do you feel at your best during the day? When do you find it hardest to concentrate?

What kind of work should you do in high energy periods?

Draw your prime time

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management

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What will you do tomorrow?

Imagine it is now 16:45 and you are planning your day tomorrow. Bearing in mind the priorities for your work you noted earlier and using the ideas we have just looked at for planning your day, take five minutes to fill in the daily planner for tomorrow.

Appointment schedule

Early

8:00

9:00

10:00

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12:00 pm

1:00

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Late

Evening

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management

4.


DESK ORGANISATION

Everyone has different ways of working and different methods for arranging and managing their workspace. However unfair it may be, judgements are made on the appearance of a persons desk. A cluttered desk can distract you and make you look out of control.

A chaotic desk can lead to:

low productivity missed opportunities and deadlines frantic searches for lost information long working hours high stress levels unwanted distractions low morale unexpected crises

Organising your workspace

Use the 4 Ds strategy for dealing with paper. If its paper that youre currently working on, put it in a folder with the project name on it.

Clear your desk at the end of the day (as part of planning time). Escape a desk covered in Post-it notes by writing things down in a notebook. If necessary, reduce the number of knickknacks to a minimum (you dont need five pictures of your

kids), and place them in areas on or above your desk that will not interfere with your work.

What shape is your work area in?

Take a few minutes to draw a rough sketch of your work area just enough to create an impression of what youre working space looks like.

Look at your picture and think about the strengths and weaknesses of your systems using the following checklist:

Which items in your work area serve a useful function? Which items in your work area are unnecessary; even a hindrance? Could you improve your desk organisation? How well do you use your desk top trays? How do you use your hanging shelf? Could you improve your in-tray management? Do you have an efficient filing system? Do you feel you could benefit from trying out some new ideas? When would you start trying these ideas out?

Getting Organised 5.


TECHNIQUES FOR MANAGING INCOMING CALLS

put your phone on divert when busy set aside a quiet time during which you do not take calls. ask a colleague to screen calls for you, returning the favour. ask for all calls to be put on hold during meetings be polite, firm and brief with unwanted callers ask people to call you back at more convenient times. avoid tackling peripheral tasks while on the phone avoid taking notes on scraps of paper use a message pad make a list of excuses for keeping calls short e.g. Ive got a taxi waiting; I have a conference call booked etc.

Techniques for Making Outgoing Calls

Plan outgoing calls as if you were going to attend a meeting-get your objectives clear make outgoing calls in blocks prioritise calls set limits on the duration of each call collect relevant documents before calling summarise discussions at the end of the call

After each outgoing call ask yourself:

Was the phone the best way to get the message across? Did I achieve my objective? Did I spend too much time on small talk? Did the call drift into unimportant areas? Did the call last longer than anticipated? Was there anything I forgot to say?

INTERRUPTIONS HOW TO HANDLE THEM

Be ruthless with your time and gracious with people

Go to the others persons office or meet that person halfway Announce the time-limit from the beginning. Pre-state the conditions: I can give you five minutes. Get to the point assertively What can I do for you? Heres what we need to discuss Block out interruptions Maintain your work posture Consider scheduling regular staff meetings if you are frequently interrupted Use the walk-talk method Control the interruptions that you make

5.


Handling interruptions

Do think about positioning or a quiet spaceDo use voice-mail to screen callsDo diarise e-mail and voice-mail checks dont check them every time they arriveDo use body language i.e. stand up to indicate it will be a brief meeting when someone comes inDont offer visitors a comfortable chairDo arrange a later meeting timeDo delegate the interruptions eg ask someone to answer your phone and take messages while you work on an important task and return the favour later onDo avoid meetings ask yourself, do I really need to be there?Do have a pen and pad of paper handy to write down the things that pop into your head that youve got to do so you dont forget and can get back to them later. Do open your diary if someone asks for your time, open your diary (so they see what you have planned) and negotiate a convenient time.

THE FOUR STEP PROCESS OF CHANGE

1. Write down the timewasterConstantly looking at new e-mails then wasting time handling other items once I am in my in-box

2. List the problems caused by the time wasting habitI waste time which I need elsewhere

3. Visualise the timesaving behaviourI will not notice the message icon and will only look at e-mailsat set timesI will spend time saved on personal development activityI will feel more productive at the end of the day

4. Develop the timesaving habit write down the steps necessary to achieve our timesaving habit:I will schedule in regular times to look at my e-mailsI will ignore the envelope sign on my screenI will imagine I am out of the office when mail arrivesI will tell myself that someone would ring if something wasreally urgentI will schedule in time for personal developmentReview how I am getting on at the end of each week for thenext monthAsk the trainer to send me an e-mail to ask how I am getting on

Based on Treacy.D, Successful Time Management in a Week, Hodder and Stoughton, 1998

5.


THE FOUR STEP PROCESS OF CHANGE

1. Write down the timewaster

2. List the problems caused by the time wasting habit

3. Visualise the timesaving behaviour?

4. Develop the timesaving habit write down the steps necessary to achieve our timesaving habit:

5.


REMEMBER YOUR RIGHTS

You have the right to: Ask for whatever you want Change your mind Express your feelings and opinions Challenge anything you disagree with or feel is unreasonable Have firm beliefs Succeed Fail Make mistakes Set your own priorities Expect your own needs to be considered as important as the needs of others Refuse requests say No

NON-ASSERTION

Avoiding conflict at all costs Expressing your feelings, wants, needs and opinions in an apologetic, different or self-effacing ways Failing to stand up for your rights or doing so in ways which make it easy for others to easily disregard

them

Source: Wilson, P Calm at Work, Penguin, Middlesex, 1998Cooper C and Straw A, Successful Stress Management, Hodder & StoughtonEducational, London 1993

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR

Behaviour that involves: encouraging conflict ignoring or dismissing the needs, wants, rights and opinions of others standing up for your own rights in such a way that you violate those of others expressing your own needs, wants opinions and beliefs inappropriate ways manipulating others

ASSERTION

Behaviour that involves: dealing with conflict openly and honestly having respect for yourself and others protecting your own rights without violating those of others Honestly stating what you want, feel or need in direct and appropriate ways

Being Assertive 6.


ASSERTIVENESS AND YOU

Describe a situation when youve shown aggressive behaviour:

Describe a situation when youve shown passive behaviour:

Include as much detail as possible eg what happened, who it involved, what was the outcome, why you showed this behaviour, what you were trying to achieve etc.

6.


DELEGATION

Delegation is not simply downwards. It may be sideways or even upwards.

Why delegate?

To give you more time to concentrate on priority work To develop and motivate your people T make use of other peoples specialist skills To ensure an even spread of work across the team To do things quicker by concurrent activity

Why people dont delegate

Unable or unwilling to let go Lack of faith in others abilities Fear that others will perform better Believing you can do it quicker and better yourself Like to give impression of being overworked Enjoying doing the job Lack of training Difficult or aggressive team members No time to work out what the job entails

What to delegate

Routine jobs, together with attendant responsibility and power to make decisions Whole jobs to give a sense of achievement Jobs that others can do better and probably more cheaply too

What not to delegate

Accountability for the task it is part of your job you are delegating New tasks without giving guidance or training Unpleasant tasks which are really your responsibility

Actions for effective delegation

Delegate early: When possible, plan your delegation well in advance and delegate early.

Give a clear brief and gain agreement: Ensure that all concerned understand exactly what is expected. Brief them clearly on:

objectives what exactly is required resources people, money, materials priority be clear on dates and priorities

Delegating 7.


Agree review dates and stick to them: With longer-term delegation it is essential to diarise review dates. Once delegated it is easy to forget about the task until it is too late. If you agree what is to be achieved by each review you will have an excellent opportunity to:

Pool the best of new ideas and approaches Give praise and recognition Maintain focus on the job

Establish a last time: Agree a last time date which allows a buffer time to the official deadline. This will ensure there is time to re-do anything that is wrong.

Delegate whole jobs: This not only gives a sense of achievement, it develops others and frees up more of your time. Dont hover: Be available for help when needed, but do not hover. If you have ever worked for a hoverer you know how annoying it can be. Review meetings should reduce the need to hover.

LEVELS OF DELEGATION I

Delegation isnt just a matter of telling someone else what to do. There is a wide range of varying freedom that you can confer on the other person. The more experienced and reliable the other person is, then the more freedom you can give. The more critical the task then the more cautious you need to be about extending a lot of freedom, especially if your job or reputation depends on getting a good result. Take care to choose the most appropriate style for each situation. For each example the statements are simplified for clarity; in reality you would choose a less abrupt style of language, depending on the person and the relationship. At the very least, a please and thank-you would be included in the requests.

Its important also to ask the other person what level of authority they feel comfortable being given. Why guess when you can get the other persons view? You dont necessarily need to agree, but you should certainly take account of the other persons opinion. Some people are confident; others less so. Its up to you to agree with them what level is most appropriate, so that the job is done effectively and with minimal unnecessary involvement from you. Involving the other person in agreeing the level of delegated freedom for any particular responsibility is an essential part of the contract that you make with them.

Wait to be told. or Do exactly what I say. or Follow these instructions precisely.

No delegated freedom at all.

Look into this and tell me what you come up with. Ill decide.

This is asking for investigation and analysis but no recommendation.

Give me your recommendation, and the other options with the pros and cons of each. Ill let you know whether you can go ahead.

Asks for analysis and recommendation, but you will check the thinking before deciding.

Decide and let me know your decision, but wait for my go ahead.

The other person needs approval but is trusted to judge the relative options.

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Decide and let me know your decision, then go ahead unless I say not to.

Now the other person begins to control the action. The subtle increase in responsibility saves time.

Decide and take action, but let me know what you did.

Saves more time. Allows a quicker reaction to wrong decisions, not present in subsequent levels.

Decide and take action. You need not check back with me.

The most freedom that you can give to another person when you still need to retain responsibility for the activity. A high level of confidence is necessary, and you would normally assess the quality of the activity after the event according to overall results, potentially weeks or months later.

Decide where action needs to be taken and manage the situation accordingly. Its your area of responsibility now.

The most freedom that you can give to the other person, and not generally used without formal change of a persons job role. Its the delegation of a strategic responsibility. This gives the other person responsibility for defining what projects and tasks are necessary for the management of a particular area of responsibility, as well as the task or project, and how it is to be done and measured, etc. This amounts to delegating part of your job not just a task or project. Youd use this utmost level of delegation (for example) when developing a successor, or as part of an intentional and agreed plan to devolve some of your job accountability in a formal sense.

LEVELS OF DELEGATION II

1. Do exactly as I say. Here is the situation and what I have decided.

Impact on Control: You have total control over the delegation and the decision making process. Impact on Your Time: This provides absolute control but also requires substantial time on your side.

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2. Look into this and inform me about various options. I will then decide.

Impact on Control: You now trust the delegatee to perform a thorough research which you can then safely use to make a decision.

Impact on Your Time: You can spend less time on this as the delegatee will help you on the task. However, since you are making the decision, you will still need to go over the details and spend some time on the task.

3. Consider this problem and give me your recommendation on how to proceed. I will then decide and share my decision with you.

Impact on Control: You expect the delegatee to provide recommendations so you only have to use your intuition to confirm the decision rather than carrying the analysis yourself.

Impact on Your Time: You spend less time on the task as you dont have to spend as much time on the decision making process. However, since you retain control, if the need arises you can quickly take over and make sure the task is carried out with the right quality.

4. Explore this issue and make a decision. Check with me before going ahead with the decision.

Impact on Control: You delegate the task and the decision making, but still retain control in going ahead with a decision.

Impact on Your Time: You spend only a small amount of time signing off the tasks. As you are relying heavily on the delegatee for the analysis and the decision, you can save considerable amount of time.

5. Solve this problem. Consider the following parameters. So long as these parameters are satisfied you can make a decision and go ahead with it. Otherwise, check with me.

Impact on Control: You now trust the delegatee to research and make a decision so long as it is within the limits that you set.

Impact on Your Time: Minimal time is spent by you mainly to define the task and set the parameters. You are holding the delegatee accountable and have significantly reduced the amount of time needed on your side.

6. Here is the problem. I want you to take care of it. I trust your judgement. Here are the resources available for it. Do what it takes to solve it.

Impact on Control: You have given ultimate control over the task and the decision making process. The delegatee is now accountable and responsible for the outcome and you have made this very clear. This is a high-level delegation and is usually carried out on strategic decision making when delegating to people who have a high level of autonomy and control over their roles.

Impact on Your Time: The impact on your time is extremely small. The delegation activity is carried out more as a consultation or a discussion on resources and how decisions could impact other areas of work as oppose to a straight forward delegation activity.3

3 http://www.skillsconverged.com/

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WORKAHOLICS: NON-DELEGATORS & DELAYERS

Unfortunately studies show that workaholics have reduced chances of success. However unfair that may seem it does not matter. It is a trap with its roots deep in your mind, often stemming back as far as childhood. How many times did parents or teachers tell us we had to work hard to succeed. On the other hand, how many times have we heard: Dont work harder, work smarterPeople tend to fall into two categories of workaholics:

Type 1: NON-DELEGATORS

I can do it myself

Characteristics:

Reluctance to delegate. Finds it impossible to say no Ends up doing everyone elses work No confidence in staff

Treatment for those who want a cure:

Sit down and dont do anything until youve worked out who could help you Only work on IMPORTANT things and forget about the rest Start delegating: Ask yourself: How many tasks really need to be done by you? Which tasks do you not delegate because you actually like them Which tasks you delegate because you dislike them but really should be done by you

Type 2: DELAYERS

Characteristics:

Cluttered desk Constant revision of deadlines

Why do people delay things

Suggestions for Defeating Delayers

1. Get started immediately on something you have been postponing. Simply beginning will help you to eliminate anxiety about the whole project.

2. When you postpone taking important actions, fear of embarrassment, rejection or failure are often at the root of the problem. Analyse your fears. Ask yourself:

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i) What am I afraid of?ii) Is this fear real or exaggerated?iii) What else can I do to increase my chances of success

3. Set aside a designated time slot which you will devote exclusively to the task youve been putting off. Often you find that the 15 minutes of serious effort can get you over the hump of procrastination.

4. Do it now!

5. Use the Swiss Cheese method on a major task

6. Be courageous about undertaking an activity youve been avoiding. One act of courage can eliminate all that fear. Stop yourself telling yourself you must perform well. Remind yourself that doing it is far more important.

Clarke. C, Women at Work, Element 1992

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WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress is the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it, or the rate of wear and tear on the body caused by living.

Source: Seyle, H, The Stress of Life, Amacom, 1979

According to research done by Hans Seyle there are three stages during distress:

1. The body is alarmed2. The bodys resistance is increased3. The duration of the distress causes exhaustion

Stress works against individual productivity.

WHAT ARE THE STRESS ACTIVATORS?

Tight deadlines Responsibilities beyond your capability Ambiguity in job responsibilities Too much to do Office politics Conflict Too many rules Chaotic work environment Change

TOP TIPS TO REDUCE STRESS

Get plenty of exercise Back to the problem, get in control, scope out the situation and think how will you tackle it Talk to someone Get down with the nature4

Stress Management

4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpQrMqDoqE

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HOW STRESSED ARE YOU?

The first hurdle to beating stress is recognising its existence acknowledging that stress is a problem is a vital step towards reducing it. Measure your level of stress regularly by responding to the following statements, and mark the options closest to your experience. Be as honest as you can: if your answer is never, mark Option 1; if it is always, mark Option 4 and so on. Add your scores together, and refer to the Analysis to see how you scored. Use your answers to identify the areas that need improving.Options:

1. = Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Often 4 = Always

1. I blame myself when things go wrong at work 1 2 3 42. I bottle up my problems then feel like I want to explode 1 2 3 43. I concentrate on my work to forget about personal problems 1 2 3 44. I take out anger and frustration on those nearest to me 1 2 3 45. I notice negative changes in my behavioural patterns when I am under pressure 1 2 3 46. I focus on negative rather than positive aspects of my life. 1 2 3 47. I feel uncomfortable when experiencing new situations 1 2 3 48. I feel that the role I play within my organisation is worthless 1 2 3 49. I arrive late for work or important meetings 1 2 3 410. I respond negatively to personal criticism 1 2 3 411. I feel guilty if I sit down and do nothing for an hour or so 1 2 3 412. I feel rushed even if I am not under pressure 1 2 3 413. I have insufficient time to read newspapers as often as I would like 1 2 3 414. I demand attention or service immediately 1 2 3 415. I avoid expressing my true emotions both at work and at home 1 2 3 416. I undertake more tasks than I can handle at once 1 2 3 417. I resist taking advice from colleagues and superiors 1 2 3 418. I ignore my own professional or physical limitations 1 2 3 419. I miss out on my hobbies and interests because by work takes up all my time1 2 3 420. I tackle situations before thinking them through thoroughly 1 2 3 421. I am too busy to have lunch with friends and colleagues during the Week 1 2 3 422. I put off confronting and resolving difficult situations when they arise 1 2 3 423. People take advantage of me when I do not act assertively 1 2 3 424. I am embarrassed to say when I feel overloaded with work 1 2 3 425. I avoid delegating tasks to other people 1 2 3 426. I deal with tasks before prioritising my workload 1 2 3 427. I find it difficult to say no to requests and demands 1 2 3 428. I feel I have to finish all outstanding work each day 1 2 3 429. I think I will not be able to cope with my workload 1 2 3 430. Fear of failure stops me from taking action 1 2 3 431. My work life tends to take priority over my family and home life 1 2 3 432. I become impatient if something does not happen at once 1 2 3 4

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TOTAL SCORESANALYSIS

Now you have completed the self-assessment, add up your total score, and check your stress level by reading the corresponding evaluation. However low your stress level maybe, there is always room for improvement. Identify your weakest areas, and focus on doing something about them.

32-64: You manage your stress level very well. Too little stress can be un-stimulating, so strive to achieve the optimum balance between positive and negative stress.

62-95: You have a reasonably safe level of stress, but certain areas need improvement.

96-128: Your level of stress is too high. You need to develop new strategies to help reduce it.

MANAGING TIME MEANS MANAGING STRESS

Identify your best time and use it to carry out important tasks that need most energy and concentration. If you do, youll be tackling those tasks when you are fresh and energetic.

Some questions to help identify your best times throughout the year:

Are you more refreshed on Mondays or do you only get going on Wednesdays? (weekly) How long do you work before you take a day off? How do you cope with weekends, which are as busy

as your working days? (monthly) Which are the easiest months for you to deal with? Does your job have a cycle? (yearly)

PEAK PERFORMANCE CURVE

Deadlines are a fact of modern life and professionals in just about any role need to be able to efficiently deal with them. However, people deal with deadlines in different ways based on their personality. Deadlines can be stressful and the way people deal with this stress usually comes to define their success and subsequently the success of the team, especially when things go wrong. This article shows why everyone, team members or managers, must be aware of these differences and make decisions based on this knowledge.

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLANNERS AND SPONTANEOUS PEOPLE

Many research studies show that people can be divided into two types; the Planners or the Spontaneous. The planners like to make lists, know what they need to do in a specific order and will feel lost if they dont have a good plan. The Spontaneous like the thrill of the moment or the pressure and excitement of the work and are usually quick to start something and slow to finish it off. As with any behavioural trait, each quality can be detected in everyone, though some prefer one type over the other.

Both types can be found in a team and in fact research shows that it is better to have both types present as their existence makes the team much more balanced and efficient. However, when it comes to deadlines, differences start to get in the way and a good manager should be completely aware of these preferences and act accordingly.

The best way to explain these differences is with an example. Suppose Albert is a Planner. He likes to know what happens in each step and usually likes to have a full view all the way to the deadline. It is likely for Albert to get stressed earlier rather than later. Since he is a planner, Albert can quickly see he is falling behind the schedule and may get stressed as a result. He is likely to put a lot of hours to get back on the schedule so he can have a comfortable finish all the way to the end. He simply hates rushing things and usually believes those who rush before deadlines are those who didnt plan well. Back in his university days, Albert was a student who studied well in advance and simply put everything aside the day before the exam. He was prepared; there was simply no point to study anymore.

Now consider Jane who is Spontaneous. She likes the thrill and excitement of being under pressure. Somehow this gives her a focus that she does not get any other way. The pressure makes her work harder and she thinks this is the way to get the best out of her. She dreads planning, cant be bothered despite being told to do so and thinks planners are way too rigid and inflexible. She likes to leave everything to the end and then finish it all off with one large burst of activity even with no sleep for a couple of days. She then enjoys telling everyone how hard she worked for this. Back in university, she always left the revision to the last few days before exam. She went to overdrive and studied all the way to the last minute. It was common to see her going through her notes even 10 minutes before the exam.

Now imagine if Jane was Alberts manager. Albert will plan everything to the end. He will naturally peak well before the deadline because thats the way he works. He prefers to have the stress sooner than later. On the other hand, Jane is still relaxed and doesnt see the necessity to worry about the deadline. Eventually a few days before the deadline, Jane starts to feel the pressure and decides to make sure all is well. This is when Jane starts to look deeper into the project, introduces lots of change, initiates product modifications, feature additions and etc. since she is in overdrive and is coming up with lots of new cool ideas (at least in her own view). On the other hand, Albert is frustrated by all of these requests. He worked hard to avoid the last minute stress and now he is getting exactly what he dreaded. Worst, it is not his fault, it is his managers. If he declines to implement the new changes, his manager will not be pleased. He thinks he doesnt deserve this.

If you draw their performance graph before the deadline, it will look like the curves shown in the illustration. Albert simply peaks sooner than Jane and Jane can frustrate Albert by giving him lots of work at the time when he is not as efficient as he can be.

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HOW TO MAKE PEOPLE REACH THEIR PEAK PERFORMANCE

A good manager must be aware of this phenomenon and take steps to adjust so that team members operate at their peak performance. One way is to artificially adjust the deadlines so that everyone is peaked at the right time. For example, you can give earlier deadlines to those team members who peak later, so you can bring their peak performance forward and line it up with those who have an early peak.

In any case, as you can see, you should be aware that people have different styles of work and that treating everyone the same is suboptimal for the group as a whole. Rather than pushing team members to conform to a specific style, you will much better off to take advantage of their natural strength and peak performance at the right time. As a manager, you can achieve this by engineering their environment, restructuring their schedule, controlling their interaction and optimising their workflow.5

5 http://www.skillsconverged.com/

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1. Make a list of things you have to do in any given day. These are your priorities; everything else can be left until later. Within your list of priorities, make a list in descending order of their importance. This means that the really important tasks are done first.

2. Stick to your list. Take each task one at a time until you have finished. If you try to do too many at once youll end up confused and tired and may accomplish little.

3. Once you have finished a task, take a few moments to pause and relax. Remember to use this break wisely e.g. exercising rather than smoking?

4. Try to vary your tasks in the day mix and match dull tasks with interesting ones and tiring jobs with easier ones. Reward yourself for your achievements.

5. In the face of unrealistic demands and expectations coming from other people, be prepared to say NO. Practice being straightforward and assertive when communicating with others.

6. At the end of each day, sit back and reflect on what you have done and what you have achieved rather than worrying about those tasks that still need to be done.

7. Try to make time to switch off from your tasks at home or at work use your free time to relax and unwind.

8. Find a hobby or interest that feels removed from everyday stress and strain. Play as hard as you work.

9. A change of scene can help. Try to get away every so often even if it is only for a couple of hours.

10. Take good care of your health.

11. Talk to people. A problem shared

12. Try not to panic in a crisis.

Time Management final things to consider9.


HOW ARE YOU GETTING ON?

Work with your partner. Conduct the interview by asking her/him the questions below. Recognize what he or she is doing well and give suggestions on what needs to be improved related to time management.

Name of the interviewee:

1. Have you thought about goals you want to achieve in your life at work and home long-term and short-term, say for the next 6 months?

yes no

2. Have you done anything today, anything concrete that will help you attain your short-term goals? How about your long term goals?

yes no

3. Do you have a precise idea of what you want to do during the next week? yes no

4. Do you allocate time at the end of each day to plan your day tomorrow? yes no

5. Do you make the best use of hours in the day when you are most productive? yes no

6. Do you keep a To Do list, adding new work items to it and prioritising? yes no

7. Do you set up priorities according to importance rather than just urgency? yes no

8. Are you planning your tasks? yes no

9. Are you limiting time spent on any one task to 90 minutes? yes no

10. Are you building around one hour into each day to allow for the unexpected? yes no

11. Do you save time by asking other departments/individuals to help with tasks? yes no

12. Have you taken any measures recently to organise your desk more effectively? yes no

13. Do you throw away information you dont need or can get elsewhere if needed? yes no

14. Are you applying best practice in-tray techniques (emails and paper)? Are you controlling the urge to read new items instantly?

yes no

15. Do you restrict use of your desk space to papers for one task at any one a time? yes no

16. Are you using the Outlook system to organise incoming mail effectively? yes no

17. Are you making it easy for people to respond to your emails? yes no

18. Are you using the outlook system to track and file your sent items effectively? yes no

19. Are you using the Outlook or paper calendars/diaries to schedule your time? yes no

20. Do you find out exactly what people want, by when, when they give you the work? yes no

21. Do you ask senior staff to help decide where your priorities should be if they give you a job and you are already very busy?

yes no

22. Have you taken any measures to handle interruptions effectively? What? yes no

23. Do you have a clear idea of your current workload and how you are spending your time? yes no

24. Are you taking five minutes to think before acting when there is a crisis? Do you take ac-tion afterwards to prevent similar crises in future?

yes no

25. Do you ask why you are needed before you agree to attend a meeting? yes no

26. Are you avoiding perfectionism? How? yes no

27. Are you avoiding procrastination? How? yes no

28. Are you working sensible hours? yes no

29. Are you taking breaks, particularly lunch away from your desk every day? yes no

30. Are you taking measures to free your mind from work outside work? yes no

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ANALYSIS

Add up your score giving yourself one point for each yes.

If any of the questions did not apply to you simply reduce each of the numbers below by the number of questions you could not answer.

Between 25 and 30 points: Congratulations! You are managing your time superbly at the moment. Time to coach your colleagues! Check your progress when workload changes and remember long-term goals.

Between 10 and 25 points: Not bad! You are applying some of the best ideas for using time efficiently. Investing a little more time will be worthwhile. Take a look at the checklist areas where you answered no.

Less than 10 points: Dont waste time. Invest time now to commit to some changes to make the best use of your time

ACTION PLAN

Training sessions can only have real value if they bring about change in the workplace.

The aim of this course has been to inspire you to use time management techniques. Time management is an ongoing skill. Attending this course should help you constantly recognise areas where you can improve. The starting point for changing habits is commitment.

Use this page now to list a minimum of three things you would like to implement following this course. Dont be too ambitious. Many of the best ideas are simple ones. Look for things where a change would really make a contribution to your enjoyment and efficiency in the job.

Knowing is not enough!

Knowing is not enough. You must apply. Willing is not enough. You must do.

Bruce Lee

What you intend to do By When

Write one thing you will change after attending this course:

Write one thing you will keep doing after attending this course:

Write one thing you will keep doing after attending this course:

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THE IDEAL TIME MANAGERS DAY

When you get up, you are alert, relaxed and in a positive frame of mind

Your agenda for the day is already planned when you arrive at work

You have brief discussions with colleagues, managers and staff to find out about any instructions or questions they may have

You spend an hour working alone

You take care of interruptions efficiently and quickly

You use your break times to relax, possibly chatting to friends, always respecting your schedule

You have a light, nutritious lunch away from your desk

You sort your incoming mail to reduce your paperwork and e-mails

Meetings you run or attend are well prepared and run smoothly

You find others to reduce your workload and delegate to them effectively

Before leaving the office, you plan the next day

At home, you take full advantage of your time with family and/or friends, separating professional from personal life

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PERSONAL LEARNING POINTS

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