Time Management Time Management

Medical College of Georgia Medical College of Georgia

Human Resources Human Resources Training & Education Training & Education
Every Human on Earth has the
Same Amount of Time ~
60 seconds in a minute,
60 minutes in an hour,
24 hours in a day,
and 168 hours in a week.
Time cannot be saved or stored.
It is not how much we have, but rather the way we use it.
s This You? s This You?
Desk or office cluttered with papers, files and
equipment.
Poor filing system.
No follow-up system.
Procrastination.
Being reactive instead of proactive to the job or
tasks at hand.
Unable to identify between the urgent, the
important and the unnecessary.
Unaware of the status of your job responsibilities.
Purpose Purpose
Provide you with the skills and techniques to
manage your time more effectively.
bjectives bjectives
Understand the components for setting and
assigning priorities.
Recognize the benefits of planning.
dentify your time wasters.
dentify key principles for managing your time.
Agenda Agenda
Time Management ntroduction
Time Management Assessment
Setting Goals and Assigning Priorities
Planning
Time Wasters
Rules to Remember
ntroduction ntroduction
n order to understand time management, you
must understand how you utilize your own
time.
Time Management is about prioritizing and
planning.
Please print the next slide and complete the
time management assessment.
%ime Management Assessment
Place a check in the column that best describes how you feel.

Usually Sometimes Rarely

Do you normally spend time the way you really want to? ____ ____ ____

Do you often feel obligated to do things you really don't ____ ____ ____
want to do?

Do you feel a sense of accomplishment from your work? ____ ____ ____


Do you work longer hours than your colleagues do? ____ ____ ____


Do you regularly take work home on the evenings and weekend? ____ ____ ____


Do you feel stress because of too much work? ____ ____ ____


Do you feel guilty about not doing a better job? ____ ____ ____


Do you consider your job to be fun? ____ ____ ____


Can you find blocks of uninterrupted time when you need to? ____ ____ ____


Do you feel in control about the way you use your time? ____ ____ ____


Do you maintain a regular exercise program? ____ ____ ____


Do you take vacations or long weekends as often as ____ ____ ____
you would like?


Do you put off doing the difficult, boring, or unpleasant ____ ____ ____
parts of your job?


Do you feel you must always be busy doing something ____ ____ ____
productive?

Do you feel guilty when you occasionally goof off? ____ ____ ____

Review your responses and focus on each item to see if it represents an opportunity to improve your time
management.

Adapted from Successful Time Management, by Jack Ferner, pp. 6-7, New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. _ 1980 Used by permission of the publisher.

Personal Time Management Personal Time Management

Begins with You! Begins with You!
t begins with you thinking through what is really
important to you in life. t only makes sense if you
organize your time around specific things that you
want to accomplish. You need to set goals in three
major areas of your life:
Family and Personal
Career and Business
Personal Development
"uestions to Ask Yourself "uestions to Ask Yourself
What is really important to me?
What are my highest valued activities?
What is the most valuable use of my time right
now?
Make Better Use of Your Time Make Better Use of Your Time
Eliminate low priority tasks or activities.
Find someone to help you with your workload.
Be more efficient at what you do.
Benefits of Time Management Benefits of Time Management
mproves communication
More time to relax
Reduces stress
mproves efficiency
Rules for Successful Rules for Successful
Time Management Time Management
1. Don't create impossible situations.
2. Define and set priorities.
3. Stop procrastinating.
4. Get organized.
. Plan.
Rule #1 Rule #1- - Don't Create mpossible Situations Don't Create mpossible Situations
Don't get trapped into doing too much.
Do not commit to something if you are
unable to complete the task.
Review your outside obligations.
Rule #2 Rule #2 - - Setting Priorities Setting Priorities
Setting priorities is a two step process:
(1) Listing things that need to be done.
(2) Prioritizing items on the list.
List Things That Need to be Done List Things That Need to be Done
Create a list of all the things that you
need or want to accomplish (tasks or
activities) in a given day, week, or
month.
Setting Priorities: The ABCD Method Setting Priorities: The ABCD Method
Astands for "very important; must do; severe negative
consequences if not completed."
Bstands for "important; should do; but not as important as
my "A" tasks, and only minor negative consequences if not
completed."
Cstands for "nice to do; but not as important as "A" or "B"
and no negative consequences for not completing."
Dstands for "delegate, or assign to someone else who can
do the task in my place."
Criteria for Setting Priorities Criteria for Setting Priorities
#uIing: You are the best one to rule out if
something is not considered a priority or something
that really does not have to be done.
CIarity: As you set your priorities make clear what
you are setting as a higher priority and what is the
best use of your time.
%iming: Understand the start and finish time for
each priority.
Suggestions to Help You Set Priorities: Suggestions to Help You Set Priorities:
1. Take the time to be clear about your goals.
2. Maintain your balance in life by setting priorities
in the areas that meet all of your goals.
3. Make the commitment to improve those aspects
of your life that are most important to you.
Suggestions to Help You Set Priorities: Suggestions to Help You Set Priorities:
(cont'd) (cont'd)
4. Be sure to take the time to do your work right the first time.
. Remember that what counts is not the amount of time that
you put in overall; rather, it's the amount of time that you
spend working on high-priority tasks.
6. Understand that the most important factor in setting
priorities is your ability to make wise choices.
http://www.time-management-tools.com/articles/setting-priorities.htm
Time Management Tips Time Management Tips
Eliminate low priority tasks or activities.
Find someone to help you with your
workload.
Always think on paper.
Rule #3 Rule #3
Stop Procrastinating Stop Procrastinating
Recognize that procrastination stems from
habit.
Understand the cause for procrastination, then
develop strategies to fix it.
Complete unpleasant tasks first. Schedule them
for early in the day.
Break large jobs into smaller, more manageable
tasks. Plan and complete a start-up task, no
matter how small.
Determine a time for making a decision and the
criteria for making it.
Set deadlines for yourself. Tell other people
your deadlines and encourage them to check up
on you.
Time Wasters Time Wasters
Things that get in the way of your planning Things that get in the way of your planning
Something (or someone) that keeps
you from doing things which have more
value and importance.
Time Wasters Generated by You Time Wasters Generated by You
Disorganization
Lack of interest
Procrastination
Causes of Procrastination Causes of Procrastination
verwhelming tasks
Unpleasant tasks
Fear of change
Fear of failure
Addiction to cramming
ver committing
Unclear goals and tasks
Time Wasters nfluenced by Your Time Wasters nfluenced by Your
Surroundings Surroundings
Visitors / interruptions
Phone calls
Meetings
Customer complaints
Paperwork
Computer problems
Rule #4 Get rganized Rule #4 Get rganized
Do you ever receive magazines or catalogs for
items that you will never use, but you keep
them in a pile?
s there little or no work space on your desk
because of the extreme amount of items on
your desk?
Are you embarrassed by how your office looks
when an unexpected visitor drops by?
Get rganized Get rganized
Create a tickler file.
Have a central place for all of your phone messages.
nly place items on your desk that you use regularly.
Always tidy up your work area before you leave each
day.
Pre-Sort the mail: To-File, To-Read, To-Contact.
Use a variety of containers to organize office supplies,
paper clips and pens.
ey Principles for Managing Time ey Principles for Managing Time
Find out where you are wasting time.
Create time management goals.
mplement a time management plan.
Prioritize ruthlessly.
Ask for help.
Establish routines and stick to them as much as
possible.
Get in the habit of setting time limits for tasks.
Be flexible.
Make more time for yourself.
Tips to Remember Tips to Remember
When Managing Your Time When Managing Your Time
Establish goals and priorities
Use a 'to do' list
Prioritize your tasks
Avoid procrastination
Manage interruptions
Celebrate your achievements
How Well Do You Plan? How Well Do You Plan?
Rule # Rule # - - Planning Planning
Establish objectives.
Define action steps.
Schedule action steps.
Select start dates.
Effective Planning Effective Planning
Long Term Planning:
Short Term Planning:
Weekly Planning
Daily Planning
Monthly Planning
Plan Your Day Plan Your Day
Create a To Do list:
1. List all the things you must, should, and would like to
accomplish each day.
2. Assign a priority (A,B,C,D) to each item on the list.
3. Start with the A's. Too many people spend time on
the less important items.
4. Mark items off the list as you complete them.
Develop a To Do List: Develop a To Do List:
1. List your tasks.
2. Rank each item in terms of priority using
the ABCD method.
3. Devote primary attention to your A's.
4. Cross off items as you complete them.
. Develop and check the list daily.
6. Develop a new list for each day.
7. Don't jam your day full of activities.
Plan Your Week Plan Your Week
1. Each Friday provide a list of your goals for the next week.
2. dentify goals for each week.
3. Record all required and regularly scheduled activities such as
meetings, church activities, athletic practices, etc.
4. Assign time to accomplish each goal identified for the week.
. verestimate the time it will take to prepare for major projects.
6. Schedule some planning time!
7. Schedule exercise and relaxation time.
Plan Your Month Plan Your Month
&se a monthIy caIendar to get an overview of your time.
#ecord the foIIowing:
1. Dates of holidays or trips.
2. Dates of all meetings, major assignments, and projects.
3. All other appointments.
Use Your Calendar/Planner Use Your Calendar/Planner
Use one calendar.
Planner
GroupWise 7 (preferred method)
Great method of communicating appointments and tasks
with research team.
Block off time to accomplish tasks.
Don't rely on your memory.
Tips to Remember Tips to Remember
When Managing Your Time When Managing Your Time
Establish goals and priorities.
Use a 'to do' list.
Prioritize your tasks.
Avoid procrastination.
Manage interruptions.
Celebrate your achievements.
Summary Summary- - Learning bjectives Learning bjectives
Understand the components for setting
priorities.
Recognize the benefits of planning.
dentify your time wasters.
dentify key principles for managing your
time.
Resources Resources
Get rganized Now! Newsletter retrieved at
www.getorganizednow.com
Lorentz, ate (200). Spring Cleaning: Time to dust off your
desk. Retrieved at cnn.com.
Covey, Stephen. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
Harcourt Brace: New York.
Harvard Business Essentials. Time Management, ncrease
Your Personal Productivity and Effectiveness. Harvard
Business School Press: Boston, Massachusetts.