This document discusses various time management strategies and techniques for improving productivity. It identifies common time wasters like interruptions, poor planning, and procrastination. It recommends analyzing your work preferences, energy levels, and setting SMART goals. Key strategies include prioritizing tasks by urgency and importance using Steven Covey's time management matrix, saying no to unnecessary tasks, and focusing on the highest priority important tasks that are within your control.
5. Ask Yourself Do you make yourself a to-do list? How often do you accomplish what you plan? How often are your plans hindered by interruptions? If you could only work 2 hours a day, what would you do?
6. Walk-up interruptions Telephone interruptions Internet Surfing Extended breaks Poor planning Procrastination Cluttered work space Poorly run meetings Conversations Misfiled information Last minute changes Waiting/Delays Duplication of Effort Spam Mail Time Wasters
7.
8. “ Hard work is often the easy work that you did not do at the proper time”
9.
10.
11. Get into the Groove Adapted from Mihaly Cslkszentmihalyi “ Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience ”
17. Steven Covey’s Quadrant Quadrant IV: Not Urgent, Not Important Quadrant III: Urgent and Not Important Quadrant II: Important and Not Urgent Quadrant I: Urgent and Important
23. Ask If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?
24.
Editor's Notes
Managing Your Self Managing Others
Review a Successful Day – ask people to spend 2 minutes talknig
Some of these are necessary, some of these are not in your control and everyone needs down time – not suggesting we eliminate all these things but be aware of what they are and how they impact your time
Discussion point?
Who agrees with this statement?
Why do you come to work? Wasting your own time – refer to your own motivators and drivers for working Avoiding unpleasant tasks – create a rewards system Unwillingness to handle difficult tasks – break them down into smaller tasks WHAT ARE OTHERS’ IDEAS?
Mihaly Cheek-sent-me-high-ee - People are most happy when they are in a state of flow or a state of concentration or absorption in an activity at hand. Every action, movement and thought follows on inevitably from the previous one Get into the Groove Fast time - When absorbed in or enjoying an activity Slow time - When bored or doing something difficult
Even if you don’t run meetings yourself, see if these apply to meetings you attend and see if you can influence organiser to change
Discuss with people how they prevent interruptions Examples – stand up when people come to your desk to limit time If you don’t answer, 1/3 of the time people will go find the answer themselves or go elsewhere
For Time Management Purposes – focus on TIME as the thing you control – therefore scope (and cost or quality) will need to be adjusted by the other party
QI – You don’t want to spend too much time there - Many things become urgent due to procrastination and poor planning QII – Quadrant of Quality. Ignoring this quadrant feeds Q1, leading to burnout etc. Investing in QII reduces Q1 QIII – Quadrant of Deception – the noise of urgency creates the illusion of importance; Activities are important – but maybe to someone else QIV- We often escape to QIV for survival IF YOU ARE WIRED TO RESPOND TO URGENCY, YOU MOVE FROM QI TO QIII IF YOU ARE FOCUSED ON IMPORTANCE, THEN YOU MOVE FROM QI TO QII
Pareto Principle - Essentially a few tasks (20%) are vital, the rest (80%) are trivial – but those 20% produce 80% of your results – remind yourself of the 20% you need to focus on when new tasks keep coming in. If something in the schedule has to slip, make sure it isn’t the 20%. Focus 80% of your time and energy on the 20% of your work that really matters.
Bad example – I want to write a book on Time Management Good example – I want to write a book on Time Management that is at least 200 pages long and have it done by March 30 th next year. I will commit to writing two pages a day until I complete it.