Time Management

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT

TIME TIME MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT

- - Trainer Sonali ChulkiTrainer Sonali Chulki

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENTEFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT

Why manage time?Why manage time? - Three phases of a typical work day - Three phases of a typical work day

What are time losing activities?What are time losing activities?

What are the Goals of time management ?What are the Goals of time management ?

What are the tools for time management? What are the tools for time management?

Analyzing scenariosAnalyzing scenarios

WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME?WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME?


Personal time management skills are Personal time management skills are essential skills for effective people. essential skills for effective people. People who use these techniques People who use these techniques routinely are the highest achievers in all routinely are the highest achievers in all walks of life, from business to sport to walks of life, from business to sport to public service. public service.

If you use these skills well, then you will If you use these skills well, then you will be able to function exceptionally well, be able to function exceptionally well, even under intense pressure. even under intense pressure.

WHY MANAGE TIME?


WHY MANAGE TIME?

A typical day in the office takes one A typical day in the office takes one through : through :

1)1) Start of day activities - booting the Start of day activities - booting the workstation, opening the relevant workstation, opening the relevant programs, files (Confidence phase)programs, files (Confidence phase)

2)2) Flurry of activity during peak hours (Chaos Flurry of activity during peak hours (Chaos phase)phase)

3)3) End of day activities – uploading files, End of day activities – uploading files, sending mails, filing, pending work list, sending mails, filing, pending work list, system EOD system EOD (Confusion phase)(Confusion phase)


WHY MANAGE TIME?

Three phase analysis Three phase analysis

Confidence – Confidence – Starts work with confidence that all things done Starts work with confidence that all things done

yesterday were done accurately and on time yesterday were done accurately and on time (ready to shoot rockets!)(ready to shoot rockets!)

Focused on the tasks at handFocused on the tasks at hand

Strong concentration, motivated state of mind and Strong concentration, motivated state of mind and prepared to take the days work prepared to take the days work


WHY MANAGE TIME?


Chaos – Chaos – Work starts coming in at lesser time intervals, Work starts coming in at lesser time intervals,

load builds up, phone calls, errors in yesterday’s load builds up, phone calls, errors in yesterday’s work, time lags in yesterday’s work (bombarded work, time lags in yesterday’s work (bombarded by tasks!)by tasks!)

Flooded with too many tasks, stress starts buildingFlooded with too many tasks, stress starts building

Lost concentration, lost self image, tiffs with peer, Lost concentration, lost self image, tiffs with peer, irritability, ‘somehow manage’ to sail throughirritability, ‘somehow manage’ to sail through


WHY MANAGE TIME?


Confusion – Confusion –

Exhaustion, resignation, frustration Exhaustion, resignation, frustration

Lower self esteem, lower confidence, lower resultsLower self esteem, lower confidence, lower results

Ends day with a hefty pending list, unsorted Ends day with a hefty pending list, unsorted matters, unreconciled differences, blame gamesmatters, unreconciled differences, blame games


WHAT ARE GOALS OF TIME MANAGEMENT?WHAT ARE GOALS OF TIME MANAGEMENT?

To remain confident and poisedTo remain confident and poised

To reduce stress levelsTo reduce stress levels

To achieve better resultsTo achieve better results

To improve self esteem To improve self esteem

To ensure better team participationTo ensure better team participation

To ensure better work life balanceTo ensure better work life balance


WHAT ARE TIME LOSING ACTIVITIES?WHAT ARE TIME LOSING ACTIVITIES?

Lack of organization / planningLack of organization / planning

Lack of delegationLack of delegation

Lack of self disciplineLack of self discipline

ProcrastinationProcrastination

Inability to say ‘NO’Inability to say ‘NO’

Interruptions – forced & unforcedInterruptions – forced & unforced

Unproductive activitiesUnproductive activities

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE MANUALMANUAL

WHAT ARE THE TOOLS FOR TIME WHAT ARE THE TOOLS FOR TIME MANAGEMENT?MANAGEMENT?

1)1) A- list (activity lists with time frames & priorities) A- list (activity lists with time frames & priorities) Sample 1Sample 1

2)2) P- list (pending tasks, procrastinated tasks) P- list (pending tasks, procrastinated tasks) Sample Sample 2 2

3)3) Delegation of responsibilitiesDelegation of responsibilities

4)4) Develop scheduling skillsDevelop scheduling skills

5)5) Time BoxingTime Boxing

6)6) Thinking out of the boxThinking out of the box


A-list (Activity Lists with time frames) – A-list (Activity Lists with time frames) – Sample 1Sample 1

Date: 8-Sep-08 Name :

Activities & Tasks Time Priority Pending Reason

Start of Day

Check recon file 7:30:00 AM Med 1 Incorrect mapping

Send funding figs to dealers 7:45:00 AM High

System BOD 8:00:00 AM High

Process deals

JPY 8:30:00 AM

Sort pending issues

NZD \ AUS 1:00:00 PM

SGD \ HKD 2:00:00 PM

EUR 3:00:00 PM

USD 4:00:00 PM

End of Day

Update files - KPI 4:30:00 PM

Send mails 4:45:00 PM

System EOD 5:00:00 PM

Filing 5:15:00 PM

Update pending list 5:30:00 PM


P- list (pending & procrastinated tasks) P- list (pending & procrastinated tasks) Sample 2Sample 2

Date: 8-Sep-08 Name :

Activities & Tasks Pending/ Reason Action taken Resolution

Procrastinated

Check recon file Pending Incorrect mapping Mail acc dept Pending

Filing of old items Procrastinated No time Pending folder


Delegation of responsibilitiesDelegation of responsibilities

Identify tasks which could be delegated – this Identify tasks which could be delegated – this could include routine, repetitive tasks which could include routine, repetitive tasks which can be easily taken over by an available can be easily taken over by an available resourceresource

Delegate these with due training and regular Delegate these with due training and regular follow-up till the resource becomes familiar follow-up till the resource becomes familiar with the taskwith the task

Split responsibilities between you and your Split responsibilities between you and your colleague, so your time is saved and the colleague, so your time is saved and the result is achievedresult is achieved


Develop scheduling skillsDevelop scheduling skills

Assign priorities to activities as an input to Assign priorities to activities as an input to task schedulingtask scheduling

Order the tasks, check which task needs to Order the tasks, check which task needs to be completed first in the order of prioritybe completed first in the order of priority

Check task linkages and interdependenciesCheck task linkages and interdependencies

Check which tasks can be ‘crashed’ or Check which tasks can be ‘crashed’ or automatedautomated

Check which tasks can be pushed to be Check which tasks can be pushed to be done during slack timedone during slack time

Plan your day beforehandPlan your day beforehand

Source : mindtools.comSource : mindtools.com


Time boxing is a time management technique Time boxing is a time management technique common in software development projects to plan out common in software development projects to plan out a projecta project

It involves splitting the project up in a number of It involves splitting the project up in a number of separate time periods (normally two to six weeks separate time periods (normally two to six weeks long). long). Each part has its own deadline and its own budget. Each part has its own deadline and its own budget.

By incrementally finishing one part at a time, a By incrementally finishing one part at a time, a project can be successfully delivered.project can be successfully delivered.

Source : wikipediaSource : wikipedia

Time BoxingTime Boxing


Think about alternative solutions for activities Think about alternative solutions for activities which consume unwarranted time or which which consume unwarranted time or which impede smooth work flowimpede smooth work flow

These might include splitting the tasks, These might include splitting the tasks, automating the process, adopting a different automating the process, adopting a different approachapproach

Check with other departments who might Check with other departments who might have similar activities and the solutions they have similar activities and the solutions they applyapply

Thinking out of the boxThinking out of the box

Scenario 1Scenario 1

You have just started your day, your friend from the HR You have just started your day, your friend from the HR department calls you for a cup of coffee. You see that department calls you for a cup of coffee. You see that yesterday was a good day, there are no pending items on yesterday was a good day, there are no pending items on your ‘TO DO’ list, and no work is waiting for you right now. your ‘TO DO’ list, and no work is waiting for you right now. However there was a long pending issue with local helpdesk, However there was a long pending issue with local helpdesk, which was giving you problems, which you could always which was giving you problems, which you could always circumvent in the past.circumvent in the past.

What should the ideal course of action be?What should the ideal course of action be?- Tell your friend that you have some long pending items, Tell your friend that you have some long pending items,

hence “NO” and go back to planning your dayhence “NO” and go back to planning your day- Go with your friend since no immediate work is waiting and Go with your friend since no immediate work is waiting and

no one has asked about your pending problemno one has asked about your pending problem- Use this time to touch base with IT and see if the matter can Use this time to touch base with IT and see if the matter can

be resolved with a fresh mindbe resolved with a fresh mind


You are a data processor and you find a large number of items in You are a data processor and you find a large number of items in your queue awaiting processing. While you are concentrating on your queue awaiting processing. While you are concentrating on resolving each item in your queue, your Manager walks in. He resolving each item in your queue, your Manager walks in. He talks to you about a urgent job which needs to be done talks to you about a urgent job which needs to be done ‘urgently’. You can see that items on your work desk are piling ‘urgently’. You can see that items on your work desk are piling up. up.

What should the ideal course of action be?What should the ideal course of action be?- Tell your Manager that if you take up the urgent job, your routine Tell your Manager that if you take up the urgent job, your routine

job would suffer, and you would have missed targets and job would suffer, and you would have missed targets and timelines, so “NO”timelines, so “NO”

- Take up the task immediately finish it haphazardly, so he cant Take up the task immediately finish it haphazardly, so he cant say you didn’t helpsay you didn’t help

- Tell your Manager that you are busy right now, and missing any Tell your Manager that you are busy right now, and missing any item in the queue would result in loss, however indicate to him item in the queue would result in loss, however indicate to him that you would have the report on his table before you left for that you would have the report on his table before you left for the daythe day


You have been handling the same work station for 6 You have been handling the same work station for 6 months, you have been observant and notice that a months, you have been observant and notice that a particular activity takes a lot of your time is medium particular activity takes a lot of your time is medium level priority and low level risk, however it involves level priority and low level risk, however it involves tedious manual processing. tedious manual processing.

What should the ideal course of action be?What should the ideal course of action be? - Analyze the activity to see where the bottleneck lies, - Analyze the activity to see where the bottleneck lies,

and try to find a solution and try to find a solution - You do the activity differently and save time- You do the activity differently and save time - Since it is low risk and medium priority, you keep the - Since it is low risk and medium priority, you keep the

activity pending, finish other more important and high activity pending, finish other more important and high risk activities on timerisk activities on time


Its time for the annual audit, and your Manager is busy with the Its time for the annual audit, and your Manager is busy with the auditors, since you are the senior most, you are often called for auditors, since you are the senior most, you are often called for clarifications. By the time its noon, you notice that you have a hefty clarifications. By the time its noon, you notice that you have a hefty pile accumulating on your desk. There is one absentee today and his pile accumulating on your desk. There is one absentee today and his work needs to be completed too, you also have to sit with the work needs to be completed too, you also have to sit with the auditor to take him through your work.auditor to take him through your work.

What should the ideal course of action be?What should the ideal course of action be?- Sit with the auditor let the processing accumulate, you will Sit with the auditor let the processing accumulate, you will

spend some extra time to sort that later, overtime is spend some extra time to sort that later, overtime is inevitable in this situationinevitable in this situation

- Communicate with the team and see whether you can swap Communicate with the team and see whether you can swap your checklist, so that all your high priority/ high risk your checklist, so that all your high priority/ high risk activities are taken care of and you can tackle the low risk activities are taken care of and you can tackle the low risk activities after the auditor has leftactivities after the auditor has left

- Explain the situation to the auditor, request him to list his Explain the situation to the auditor, request him to list his queries, so you can tackle them all together. Check with him queries, so you can tackle them all together. Check with him at regular intervals, keeping your own deadlines in mindat regular intervals, keeping your own deadlines in mind


Thank you Thank you

Time Management

Documents

effective

time losing

time management

time boxing

manage time

urgent job

phase analysis

yesterdays