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Time Management
Instructor Guide
Time Management
Instructor Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About National Technical Training Institute (NTTI)......3 About Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (STVET) Project.................4 Acknowledgements 5 Preparing for Training.6 Top 10 Training Tips..7 1. Lesson One: Course Overview.........................................................................................................................8 Learning Objectives ..........................................................................................................................................8 Pre-Assignment ................................................................................................................................................9 2. Lesson Two: The Power of a Change...........................................................................................................10 Your Bucket List.....................................................................................................................................10 Exercise: Pre-Assignment Review ........................................................................................................12 3. Lesson Three: Changing Our Perspective...................................................................................................14 Making Changes ......................................................................................................................................14 Case Study: Another Day at the Office ............................................................................................................18 4. Lesson Four: Setting Goals ......................................................................................................................21 The Dot Exercise ...............................................................................................................................................21 Setting Goals with SPIRIT ..............................................................................................................................23 5. Lesson Five: Planning Tips and Tricks...................................................................................................25 Guidelines for Efficient Planning .........................................................................................................25 Making Plans ........................................................................................................................................................26 6. Lesson Six: Setting Up a Routine.............................................................................................................29 How Routines Can Help You ...........................................................................................................................29 Making Connections .........................................................................................................................................30 7. Lesson Seven: Doing it Right ..........................................................................................................................32 Being Brave and BOLD ...................................................................................................................................32 Case Study: Managing Time...............................................................................................................................35 8. Lesson Eight: Putting an End to Procrastination ................................................................................38 Eating a Frog ....................................................................................................................................................38 Making Connections ........................................................................................................................................39 9. Lesson Nine: Getting Organized ...............................................................................................................40 Making Connections ...............................................................................................................................42 10.Lesson Ten: Organizing Your Files.........................................................................................................43 Sorting Based on File Type....................................................................................................................43 The Batching Technique ........................................................................................................................46 11.Lesson Eleven: Managing Your Workload.............................................................................................47 Managing E-mail.....................................................................................................................................47 Case Study: Mary Marvelous ...........................................................................................................................49 Workload Analysis ..................................................................................................................................51 Making Connections ...............................................................................................................................52 12.Lesson Twelve: A Personal Action Plan ......................................................................................................55 Starting Point .....................................................................................................................................................56 Where I Want to Go ..............................................................................................................................56 How I Will Get There ...........................................................................................................................................57 Summary..58 References59
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Vision:
To become an excellent leader university of polytechnics in global in field of Technical Vocational Education and Training in Cambodia.
Mission:
To create the opportunities for students by providing high quality and competency (Theories, Practice and Ethics) of Technical Vocational Education and Training To provide a unique of technical and vocational training to prepare them within technical skills to entrance the current and future needs of labor market.
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ABOUT STRENGTHENING TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINNIG (STVET) PROJECT Grant No.0178-CAM
The Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (STVET) was approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 13 November 2009 for $24.5 million and became effective on 26 February 2010.
Objective
To help ensure an expanded public TVET system that is endorsed by industry and better aligned with the skills requirements of the formal and informal economies.
Impact
To expand the employment-ready, national mid-level workforce in both rural and urban areas. By 2020, it is expected that there will be at least a 30% increase in the number of employees holding formal TVET qualifications, and greater employer satisfaction with employees holding new formal TVET qualifications.
Outcome
An expanded and more integrated training system, endorsed by industry and better aligned with the basic and mid-level skills requirements of the formal and informal economies in the three industry sectors of mechanics, construction and business services and ICT.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Our profound appreciation is extended to the following people who have contributed in a variety of ways in preparation of this instructor guide. First, we wish to thank Mr. Yok Sothy, Director of National Technical Training Institute (NTTI) and NTTI management team for their initiative to produce this special soft skills manual. Second, we would like to heartfully thank Leaders of Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT) , especially the Directorate General of Technical and Vocational Education and Training for technical assistance and coordination. Third, we are grateful to Asian Development Bank (ADB) under Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project (STVET) STVET/ADB Grant No. 0178-CAM for their financial support. Mr. Tun Sorphorn, Chief of Department of Educational Science, Technical and Vocational Training for his cooperation, essential ideas and motivation. Mrs. Peng Lakhena, NTTIs Trainer for her kind help in the translation and validation. Mr. Kong Nhin and Mr. Samlok Seima, Counterparts for their close collaboration and better advice. Finally, our honest gratitude is extended to Technical Working Groups and national and international consultants of STVET project for their physical and mental support and especially motivation to produce this manual. Phnom Penh, Date: June 2012 Developed and Compiled by:
Dr. Bruce A. Hinch and Mr. Sayon Hem National and International TVET Teacher Training Specialists
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Time Management
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Time Management
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Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, you will be able to: Better organize yourself and your workspace for peak efficiency. Understand the importance of, and the most useful techniques for, setting and achieving goals. Identify the right things to be doing and develop plans for doing them. Learn what to delegate and how to delegate well. Take control of things that can derail your workplace productivity. Why did you take this course? Use this opportunity to consider your personal learning objectives and reasons for taking this course.
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Pre-Assignment
Please answer the following questions. What do you believe are your top three priorities/objectives in your position? 1. 2. 3.
What do you believe are the top three obstacles to working on your priorities or meeting your objectives at the moment? 1. 2. 3.
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your organizational skills right now?
What are the top three things you think you must do in order to be more organized? 1. 2. 3.
What would you do with any additional time if you found a way to give it to yourself?
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Time Management 31. 33. 35. 37. 39. 41. 43. 45. 47. 49. 32. 34. 36. 38. 40. 42. 44. 46. 48. 50.
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Now that you have a list of what you really want, you will have some ideas about what you need to change in order to get where you want to go. We encourage you to keep this list in mind as you go through this course. Print it off, and hang it up at home!
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Time Management Can you give some examples of how choice affects the way you work?
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What is the one activity that, if you did it superbly well and consistently, you know would have significant and positive results in your personal life or career?
If you know these things would make such a significant difference, why are you not doing them now?
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Making Changes
It would be hard to find a person who hasnt read a book or taken a workshop on time management, or at the very least thought about time management. Everyone is interested in learning to use their time more wisely. However, traditional time management wisdom only works well for some people. Weve assembled ideas here that arent just encouraged by time management teach ers. Weve tested them ourselves and bring the very best to you! Weve scoured the research to consider the range of personality types, and also looked to techniques that have been researched and applied to people from all walks of life. Because, lets face it, were all different, so we need different tools to collect and consider before figuring out which ones will work the best in our own situation. The truth is, we can all probably rearrange some things and do things differently. The result will be that we increase our personal efficiency, and enjoy life too. Of all the high priorities that we consider, we generally find the following four are the most neglected. See if you can relate to any of these. Neglecting any or all of them can be at a high cost.
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Paperwork (Exercise)
Take a mental look around your house and office. Are there stacks of paper everywhere? Are you meeting deadlines? Are you paying all your bills on time? Can you locate tax slips, auto insurance, or put your hands on your passport when its time? What kind of filing system are you using? In the same respect, can you find the files you need on your computer, and have you backed up your information? List some ideas for tackling paperwork and digital monsters.
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Reading (Exercise)
In order to read more, we have to make it easier than watching TV or mindlessly surfing the internet. How could you make time to read more?
Exercise (Exercise)
We talk about exercise a lot. We know how valuable it is; regular exercise reduces stress and increases mental alertness in addition to making us physically healthy. Its a critical component of healthy living, and yet it is easy to avoid if we dont preserve the time for it in our planner. How do you make time for exercise?
Some ideas:
o If exercising is getting lost, put the time for it into your planner to protect it. o Take part in exercise that you enjoy; if you hate running, dont be a runner. There are lots of options, from walking in your neighborhood to taking yoga. o Be brave and try something that interests you.
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Summary (Exercise)
These activities are all possible if you make an appointment and protect the time for yourself. If a colleague asks for a favor that youd rather not do, or a friend wants you to help them move, youre more likely to say no if the time is reserved for other things and noted in your planner. What other activities do you want to make time for?
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Discussion Questions
When is Myrons best time of day, and did he make good use of it? Explain.
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Did he have a problem saying no? Provide examples to support your answer.
Did Myron complete the tasks he started? If he did, give an example. If he didnt, provide a suggestion to help him.
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Discussing Myron
This is how we answered the case study discussion questions. Did he make good use of his best time of day? The best time of day would be early in the morning as distractions are minimal. However, Myron got easily distracted and didnt make use of this time. Did he work on his high priority items? He didnt because he didnt set priorities! Did he have a problem saying no? Absolutely. There are two situations in which Myron should have said no, or at least had some discussion before taking on more responsibility. When he went for co ffee with Bill and Claire, he should have taken only ten minutes as he planned. And when his manager asked him to sit in on a meeting, Myron should have explained that as a result, he would need more time on his project. Did Myron complete the tasks he started? If he did, give an example. If he didnt, provide a suggestion to help him. No, because he got distracted too easily. He could make better use of his time with a kitchen timer. Set it to go off every fifteen minutes. When it does go off, make sure youre still on the same task and making progress. Did he understand his problems? No. Myron thought the solution was more time, not better time management. What would you recommend for Myron? Myron needs to keep a long-term to-do list, perhaps on a calendar so he can be prepared for deadlines. He also needs to make a to-do list each day and prioritize; things that dont get done that day need to move to the next days list as top priority.
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Here is an example of a SPIRIT goal to help you out: Set up an organized home office.
I will convert the spare bedroom into a home office. I will have the space ready for setup in three months (November 1, 2019). When I achieve this, I will re-paint the space, put up some artwork to motivate myself, and check in with my goal of having the office complete six months from today (January 1, 2020).
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Plan discussions
Planning contact with colleagues and staff will help minimize disruptions. Keep a file for each person you meet with on a regular basis, with items to be discussed highlighted for easy reference. Make the planning suit your needs The most effective approaches to planning are those tailored to meet individual needs. Concepts, procedures, and worksheets should be modified to fit individual circumstances. Be flexible Experts say nothing should be attempted without prior planning, although applying flexibility is also important. Exercise: Using a Guideline Choose one of the guidelines for efficient planning to implement in your day-to-day life. Then, outline a plan for making this happen. Guideline: Plan:
Making Plans
A Planning Checklist For every plan you make, cover all these points: What Where When How Who Putting Plans into Action with Scheduling Tools Some useful short term planning tools: A daily to-do list A planner with at least a week at a glance A monthly project list Project planning worksheet 26
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A clean desk is not a sign of an empty mind! Dont fall prey to the false notion that a messy work area means you look busy, and thinking that if you look busy, then youre productive. Being active is not the same as being productive! Here are some tips for organizing your work area. Do it now! Anything that takes less than 30 minutes should be done as it comes up. If it will take more than 30 minutes, add the task to your planner. Dump. Throw out or take home all those things you have collected that you dont need or use. Were so used to holding on to things and sometimes are afraid to throw out the wrong thing. We like the same rule for work that we use at home: if you havent used it for a year (or an enti re business cycle), get rid of it, because you obviously arent using it. Sort and group. Your desk should be organized logically; pencils and pens in one place, another place for letterhead and envelopes. Have a basket for projects and another one for priority items so that you can locate the things you need when you want them. You can use the same kind of system on your computer so that you can find your working files. Once a project is complete, move it into an appropriate folder for retention. Set up a system. Use a planner to jot down your daily to-do list and schedule in any tasks that will take longer than 30 minutes to do. Prioritize each item so you know what to work on, and make sure you stick to the list. (Maintain some flexibility for emergencies, but make sure you get back to priorities as soon as possible.) Dont save papers that you can easily find somewhere else. Dont ask yourself, Is there a chance I will need this someday? because the answer is nearly always yes. Ask yourself, If I know I need this, do I know how to find it? One of our biggest time-wasters is searching for papers we know we have but we cant find. If a piece of paper is important enough to save, it is important enough to file for retrieval.
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Fact
One technique that we like is to use color coded folders for managing paper. If you put your current projects in a red or purple folder, let you colleagues know that they must not, under any circumstances, cover up a purple folder on your desk. That way you will always know where they are. Once you are finished with that particular project, move the contents to a permanent beige folder for storage, or have them scanned and filed on your computer in the appropriate place. With electronic files we also recommend that you update the properties section of your documents. In that section, you can add keywords or tags as well as update the authors name, and these functions will help enormously if you have to search for the file later on.
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Making Connections
Creating Your Routine What is one area of your life that you would like to have more routine in?
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Ideas might be: Taking the bus instead of driving (no need to pay for parking or fight traffic) Packing lunch the night before instead of in the morning Walking at lunch (alone or with a friend) Going to the gym right after work 31
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If you are receiving tasks and assignments by e-mail, or your boss delegates assignments to you, make sure you organize these incoming items immediately. If something will take more than 30 minutes to complete, schedule it in your calendar and prioritize the items there. If the task will take less than 30 minutes, try to get it done right away so that you are not procrastinating over it, or dont forget that it needs doing.
Let Things Go There is a rule we often follow at home that says if you have not used an item of clothing or kitchen gadget for a year, get rid of it. We need to apply the same thing to work: when you no longer need things, get rid of them. Its rare that we actually get rid of things we need, but if we do, its not likely to be the end of the world. You can replace it if you need to. If you are someone who has a hard time throwing things out, put them into storage first, and then set up an archiving date within 12 months so that they move from storage (which is usually very expensive) to the shredder or rubbish bin. If you are going through a stack of paper or items, start out with three piles, and act on them quickly. Sort them into piles to: shred, store, or dump in the garbage. Delegate Dont waste your time doing things that somebody else can do, especially if they can do them better than you. Save your time for those things which you are uniquely qualified to do. In addition to easing up your workload, delegation helps your staff to learn new things and to take risks where they have you there for back up if needed. Delegating does not mean that you give away work completely. As the owner of a task, you must remember that you are ultimately responsible for the results that are achieved. If you are not in a leadership position, you may be thinking that you d ont have anyone that you can delegate to, but thats often not the case. In many work teams, we can delegate laterally to a colleague who has a particular expertise, who is looking for some skill development, or simply has some extra time. Fact 32
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People normally will rise to the challenge when work is delegated to them. However, many managers apply the delegate until they complain rule, because its hard to otherwise know what someones capacity is. Five Levels and Five Steps of Delegation In The Creative Edge, author William C. Miller defines five levels of delegation: Tell: Based on my decision, heres what I want you to do. Sell: Based on my decision, heres what I want you to do, because Consult: Before I make a decision, I want your input. Participate: We need to make a decision together. Delegate: You make a decision. You must find ways to delegate, no matter what your position is. Learn to clearly defi ne who is to do what and let them show you that they can do it. Make sure your communication is clear so that they know what your expectations are and any limitations of the assignment (i.e. budget, time frames, or other resources). There are five steps to the delegation process: 1) Explain why the job is important. 2) Describe what is needed in terms of results (not how, but what). 3) Give the person the authority they need to do the job. 4) Indicate when the job needs to be completed and get agreement. 5) Ask for feedback to ensure a common understanding. Exercise: Delegating Work Are there things on your to-do list that you should delegate? Most likely there is. Choose one of those things and fill out the following steps for the process. (If you do not have an item that can be delegated, select one anyway to complete the exercise.) 1. Explain why the job is important.
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3. What authority will the person need? 4. When does the job need to be completed? The Story about Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got mad about it because it was Everybodys job. Everyone thought that Anybody could do it, and Nobody realized that Everybody wouldnt do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when actually Nobody blamed Anybody. Fact Here is some food for thought. Why do we resist delegating? We dont want to look weak, or as though we cannot handle things. Sometimes we also want to maintain control, and dont think anyone else will do it as well as we do. Why do we resist having others delegate to us? Some common reasons include: We have our own work to do, we want to make sure were not being dumped on, and/or we dont want to put in extra effort. What are some important things to remember when we delegate? To use the levels of delegation, to remember that we will own the work and are ultimately responsible for it, and that it is a way for other people to learn new things.
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Should Sheila consider establishing a quiet time when she would receive no calls or visitors? If so, when might be the best time of day for her to do this?
Sheila feels she should assign all departmental work and review all results. Is there a m ore efficient way? If so, please explain what she should do.
What other ways could Sheila gain more control over her use of time?
Discussing Sheila
This is how we answered the case study questions. Does she appear to be making effective use of delegation? Explain your answer. There are definitely some areas that she could improve on. For example, she may not need to spend so much time reviewing results once she has determined that a person is capable of doing the task. Spot checks may be enough. If her visitors are employees, how might she avoid interruptions? She could set aside a time for employee questions, or she could ask them to e-mail her questions first. She could also encourage employees to rely on each other as a resource. 36
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Should Sheila consider establishing a quiet time when she would receive no calls or visitors? If so, when might be the best time of day for her to do this? Having a half hour of quiet time to plan can be an excellent time management tool. Typically, the best time is at the very end or the very beginning of the day, or right before or after lunch. Sheila feels she should assign all departmental work and review all results. Is there a more efficient way? Rather than reviewing all work, she may be able to spot check work. She could also have certain tasks automatically assigned to people for example, having the same employee prepare a weekly report to save her time. What other ways could Sheila gain more control over her use of time? Planning tools that we discussed earlier in this course, such as to-do lists, may be useful. She may also want to ask about having an assistant who can help her manage mail and telephone traffic.
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Eating a Frog
Brian Tracy wrote a great little book called Eat that Frog! that helps people get over procrastinating. He also plays with a couple of quotes from the writer Mark Twain that help us to remember what we are meant to do, and how to stop putting things off. The idea is this: If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long. We are often guilty about procrastinating, and this stops us from getting things done. And as you likely already know, when we procrastinate about one thing, it can also interfere with getting other things done.
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Making Connections
Clearing Out the Frogs Looking at your own work to-do lists, have you prioritized what needs to be done? That is, have you sorted out the important jobs from the things you could do but dont have time to finish? Do you have a frog or two waiting for you at work? Are you procrastinating about an item on your todo list? If so, what are they?
One answer for a recurring frog might be: Add the frog to a routine, so you dont have to think about it, you just do it.
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Making Connections
Cleaning Up Choose one thing about your workspace that you will change when you return to work. Describe your plans for change.
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File Categories
There are some additional steps we can take depending on what kind of files you are trying to organize. We can usually divide our files into four categories. Working files Reference files Archive files Disaster files
Working Files
These files include your current projects, routine functions, and quick references. These are the files where you have 80% of your work. These should be within arms reach. They usually contain the following: The projects you are currently working on. This file should be cleaned occasionally to move projects to a reference file or to eliminate duplication. Fingertip information you need on a routine or daily basis, such as phone lists, client addresses, and computer codes. A follow-up file for each person with whom you come in contact on a regular basis, where you keep track of all correspondence with that person. A file for routine functions such as sales reports or other functions performed daily/weekly/monthly. Since these files should be within reach, they might be in a large desk drawer. Make certain they are in file folders, labeled in large letters, and then placed in hanging file folders that are also labeled. Usually it is more efficient to label hanging folders by category, rather than by a letter of the alphabet. Then categories can be alphabetized or color-coded.
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Reference Files
These are files you must refer to frequently as you work on current projects. This is where the bulk of your files will be located. Since you use these files regularly, they need to be kept handy, but not necessarily within arms length. The most important thing is to arrange all information in such a way that you can pull information out of the file easily . How to set-up this file system: Key questions for you to consider as this file is set up: What do I want to keep? What do I need to keep? If I wanted this information, could I find it elsewhere? Information that should be in the reference file includes: Research for future projects Past projects to which the client refers It can be helpful to consider key functions or components of your job, and make these the major categories for reference files. Other files might include: Sponsor files Administrative information Cull all duplicates or useless paper. Have a recycling bin and shredding container nearby. Establish subject categories, and label both file folders and hanging files. Put the file structure on paper prior to starting the filing. Label file drawers and create a master list of files if the amount of information is large. Remember to use large, clear print with a fine tip felt marker. Archive Files These are the files nobody looks at. You keep them because the law says you must, because you are afraid youll need them if they are thrown out, or because nobody wants to take the time to do anything about them. They should be kept in a designated location far from your work area. Disaster Files This is one file that contains all vital information, including identification and financial references, in case you have to vacate the office unexpectedly. You can also have a file like this at home so you have things organized in the event of a disaster. Exercise: Your Filing System List one thing about your paper filing system that you will change when you return to work.
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Electronic Files
The key rule is that the file structure used in paper files and electronic files should parallel each other so that you can find things quickly. Use keywords and search programs to help you find your files even faster. If you are not sure how to use keywords, the help section of your software program should be able to show you how. In this information age, we have to know what we need to keep and what we dont need to keep. Dont keep what you dont need. Dont ask, Will I ever need this? The answer is almost sure to be Maybe. Ask instead, Where could I get this if I needed it? Exercise: Your Electronic Files List one thing about your electronic filing system that you will change when you return to work.
Briefcase (Exercise) Your briefcase should be organized with: Tools that are needed frequently when away from the office Reference files that are frequently referred to, such as telephone lists Working files that are needed A system for expenses Look at your briefcase or purse, if you have one. How could you make it more organized?
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Managing E-mail
One of the greatest demands on our time is e-mail, and so it is important to put it in proper perspective with the demands of our jobs. Weve become a society where we expect replies to e-mail immediately. Many people send e-mails out to more recipients and with more frequency than is often required. While e-mail has become a benefit in many ways, it is also a huge contributor to peoples stress. And its not enough to just be able to check an e-mail on a computer somewhere; many managers have a handheld device that allows them to be connected to their e-mail 24/7. Exercise: Looking at Your E-mail Lets see what kind of an impact it has on your day in terms of time. How many e-mails do you receive in an average day? How many of those e-mails do you reply to? How many e-mails do you send (not including the replies)? Lets say that an average e-mail takes you three minutes (and that is only if they are short and need very quick thinking on your part). Total from above: x3= This is the total number of minutes per day that you manage e-mail. Look carefully at that number. It is not unusual for us to talk to managers who receive, reply, and create up to 100 e-mails per day. 100 e-mails a day is equivalent to 300 minutes, or five hours of time each day! Since we normally have lots of additional tasks in the day in addition to e-mail (like meetings, administration, performance management, and coaching), is it any wonder that we struggle to get through the day? Add to this the time you might take to read reports, meeting minutes, or agendas; process information; or work on projects; eat a healthy lunch; and perhaps invest some time in your people; and its no wonder we are often looking for more time!
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Our Recommendation
Heres what we think Mary should do. Mary decides to examine her project workload. She begins by listing her projects down one side. Across the top, she marks off the next four months and makes a column for each week. Then, for each project she puts an X at its promised date of delivery. She enters the hours per week that she thinks each project will require of her time. Finally, she gets down to the last project: the Employee's Health Insurance Policy. She estimates 10 hours per week for the first four weeks, 20 hours for the next six weeks, and 15 hours per week for the remainder of the project. Then she adds an additional row for her miscellaneous routine workload which includes answering the telephone, answering questions from co - workers and her boss, going to unplanned meetings, etc. She allows 10 hours per week for the miscellaneous workload. Finally, across the bottom she totals up her workload in hours per week. June 1-5 Developing orientation program Implementation of new cash register program Updating existing training documents Template for webinar Employees Health Insurance Policy Routine workload TOTAL 0 10 June 8-12 10 0 June 15-19 25 15 June 22-26 5 25
20 0 10 10 50
10 10 10 10 50
5 5 10 10 70
30 X 10 10 80
Mary looks at the totals and finds that she is currently booked at 50 hours per week. This would explain why she is working 2 evenings a week just to keep up. Furthermore, she discovers that there is a sustained workload coming up that averages approximately 80 hours per week.
Next Steps
Mary quickly realizes that she is not capable of completing all of these tasks on time. If the new project is really important, then something will either have to be delayed or reassigned to someone else. After rechecking the figures and verifying their accuracy she decides to take the chart to her manager. Dianne, she says, I wonder if you could help me prioritize my work. I am not complaining about things, but I would like to ensure all of the work is compl eted on schedule. I have prepared this expected workload chart for your review. Dianne takes a look at the chart and says, I'm impressed, Mary. I wish more people would show this type of concern about getting work done on time. When I give you an assignment and you take it on, I naturally assume that you are able to do it, unless you say otherwise. Too many of your co-workers 50
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don't seem to tell me the consequences until it's already too late. Then they fail to deliver the projects that I have promised to other people. Here's how we will fix this scheduling difficulty. I want you to maintain the Employees Health Insurance Policy as planned, but Project #1 can be delayed for eight weeks and Project #3 can be given to Jeff Jones. Take another look at your workload schedule and let me know if we can achieve the remaining delivery dates. On the way back to her office, Mary felt pleased that she had finally found a way to communicate and negotiate with her manager. She would definitely continue this planning technique to resolve work schedules that could not be achieved. Although she had often mentioned to Dianne that she had too much work to do, she had never before found a way to be listened to and have her concerns addressed.
Workload Analysis
Many people will recognize themselves in the case study. A workload analysis will help you get out of the sort of situation Mary was in. Use these questions to form the basis of workload analysis: What are the things you have to do every day? How much time must you allot to each thing? What are the things you have to do each week? How much time do you allot to them? What are the things you must do each month? How much time does each item take you? What are the things you do quarterly or annually? How much time do th ey take? Its a real pain, but by doing this analysis, you will probably realize that there are more things to do than there is time to do them. Keep in mind that most of us are overly optimistic about how much time we need for activities and dont allow enough time for them. This is the point at which you begin to prioritize. You may even see that some of the things you are doing dont have any real impact on your job; usually when you get everything tallied up, you have about two and a half minutes a week to do your primary job for your organization. We forget to schedule things if they are just in our head. You arent being paid to be a calendar. If you schedule them in, in pencil, you can begin to protect them. We dont like doing this. It brings face-toface with the reality of our situation. Its scary.
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Making Connections
Using Your Time Was it hard to remember how you spent your time? Explain your answer.
Did you take any time out this past week just for you? If so, what was it? If not, why not?
How many things did you do that you planned to do? What were they?
More or Less How many things did you put off? What were they?
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Happiness and Me Time Are you happy with the way you spent your time?
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How many of these hours did you spend on the things that you said were a high priority for me?
Regrets
I regret I havent taken the time to
Researchers tell us we spend far fewer hours of our lives regretting the things weve done than we do regretting the things we havent done. So how do you plan to change your regrets? How do you make your last answer, I have no regrets?
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Starting Point
I am already doing these things well:
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Summary
Congratulations! You have completed the course, Time Management: Get Organized for Peak Performance. In this course, we started by looking at ourselves. We explored our current practices, our goals, and our need for change. We discussed planning techniques and routines, and how to make them work for us. We then looked at how to get things done; how to be BOLD (have balance, organize our time, let things go, and learn to delegate), and how NOT to procrastinate. We then discussed how to organize ourselves and our work space, and how to manage our workload. We finished by discussing the case study of Mary Marvelous, and conducting a 168 hour analysis of our lives over the past week.
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References:
Allen, David. Getting Things Done. Penguin Books, 2001. Baca, Claudia M. Project Management for Mere Mortals. Pearson Education, 2007. Covey, Stephen. The Eighth Habit. Free Press, 2005. . The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press, 2004. Douglass, Donna N., and Merrill E. Douglass. Manage Your Time, Your Work, Yourself. AMACOM, 1993. Gennett, Donna M. If You Want It Done Right, You Don't Have to Do It Yourself! Quill Driver Books, 2003. Gleeson, Kerry. The Personal Efficiency Program. Wiley, 2003. Kolberg, Judith, and Kathleen Nadeau. ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group, 2002. Matlen, Terry. Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD. Specialty Press, 2005. Merson, Len. The Instant Productivity Toolkit. Sourcebooks, Inc., 2005. Stack, Laura. Leave the Office Earlier. Broadway Books, 2004.
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