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Transcript of Time Management Strategies - sacrao.orgsacrao.org/2014Conference/presentation/Time Management...
Time
Management
Strategies
Becky Tankersley
Georgia Institute of Technology
SACRAO Annual Conference
February 17, 2014
Tool 1: Activity Log
• How do you really spend
your time?
• Each time you change an
activity (meeting, email,
phone, coffee, etc.) make
a note!
• Also note how you feel
(alert, lethargic, rushed?)
Benefits of an Activity Log
• Helps identify:
– When you’re at your peak
– Jobs you can delegate
– The number of times you
switch between tasks:
multitasking isn’t always
a good “skill”
Tool 2: To-Do List
• Often the turning point
for many careers!
• Captures all your tasks
in one place
• Writing things down
triggers your mind to
remember it
Tool 2: To-Do List
“Without to-do lists, you'll
seem dizzy, unfocused, and
unreliable to the people
around you.”
-Brian Tracy
Prioritize Your To-Do List
• A - very important, must
do, serious positive or
negative consequences
(ex: finishing a report,
campus visit, college fair)
• B - a task you should do,
but consequences aren't
as severe (ex. responding
to a non-urgent voicemail,
replying to email)
Prioritize Your To-Do List
• C - a task that would be
nice to do, but has no
consequences (ex: calling
a friend, having lunch
with a coworker)
• D - a task you can
delegate (ex: sorting files)
• E - something you can
eliminate (ex: Facebook)
Tips for Your To-Do List
• Make your list FIRST
thing in the morning
• Unexpected task? Add it
to the list!
Tips for Your To-Do List
• Remember the 90/10
rule:
The 10% of your time you
use to plan will help you
save as much as 90% of
your time in getting tasks
accomplished.
Tool 3: Urgent vs Important Tasks
• Important - has an
outcome that leads to the
achievement of your
goals
• Urgent – demands
immediate attention, &
often associated with the
achievement of someone
else's goals
Tool 3: Urgent vs Important Tasks
“What is important is
seldom urgent, and what is
urgent is seldom
important.”
~Eisenhower Principle
How to Classify Tasks
• Step 1 - list every task
you need to do, and
other items that utilize
time
• Step 2 - assign
importance using a scale
of 1-5
• Step 3 - assign urgency
• Step 4 - plot on matrix
Tip: Use the 80/20 Rule
20% of your activities
account for 80% of you
results. If you have a list of
10 things, 2 of them will
be the most important.
*Resist the urge to
complete non-essential
tasks first!
Tool 4: Managing Interruptions
• Keep an interruptions
log every day for 1 week
• Analyze it and see what
was valid, and what was
not.
Tool 4: Managing Interruptions
• If you see routine, valid
interruptions, block time
into your schedule.
• You will still need to
juggle, but now won't
have an overburdened to-
do list and be left trying
to cram everything into
your day.
Tips to Manage Interruptions
• Make ‘available’ and
‘not available’ time
• Invitation-only time
• Set ground rules
Action Items
• Learn how well you plan
(use handout)
• Create an activity log
• Write and prioritize your
to-do list – daily!
• Identify urgent and
important tasks
• Manage interruptions
Helpful Resources:
• “Eat That Frog!”
Brian Tracy
• Time Management
Toolkit - mindtools.com
• SACRAO.org