TIME MANAGEMENT FOR
SUPERVISORS – PRINCIPLES, TOOLS
AND PRACTICE
CHARLES COTTER PhD, MBA, B.A (Hons), B.A
www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter
AUGUST 2018

2-DAY TRAINING PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
• Introduction and Preview of training
• Diagnosis: Effective utilization of time
• Applying time management principles
• Identifying and combatting time wasters – self-generated
and environmental
• Benefits of effective time management – personal and
organizational
• Consequences of poor time management e.g. stress

2-DAY TRAINING PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
• Applying time management tools and techniques
• Video clip: Applying the R-A-C technique
• Personal Effectiveness
❑The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
❑Work-Life Balance
❑Assertiveness
• Case Study: “Who’s got the Monkey”
• Conclusion

TIME MANAGEMENT

AGREE OR DISAGREE?
WHY?

INTRODUCTORY LEARNING ACTIVITY
• Individual activity:
• Complete the following statement by inserting one word only.
In order to effectively manage time in the NWU work
environment, I need to/to
be………………………………………………………
• Jot this word down and find other learners who have written
down the same word.
• Write this word down on the flip-chart.
• You’ll be given the opportunity to substantiate your choice of
word.

How competent are you as a (time management) pilot?

LEARNING
ACTIVITY 1
• Individual activity:
• In your capacity as a
supervisor, complete the
personal time
management evaluation
survey below and refer to
the score interpretation
on page 10.
• Refer to the time analysis
of the 5 time management
principles.

LEARNING
ACTIVITY 1
• Time analysis
• Principles:
• #1: Goal Setting (Questions 6, 10,
14, 15)
• #2: Prioritization (Questions 1, 4,
8, 9, 13, 14, 15)
• #3: Managing Interruptions
(Questions 5, 9, 11, 12)
• #4: Procrastination (Questions 2,
10, 12)
• #5: Scheduling (Questions 3, 7,
12)
• Identify gaps and/or
improvement areas.

APPLYING THE PARETO PRINCIPLE
(80/20%)

AVOID PROCRASTINATION

SUMMARY: TIME MANAGEMENT
PRINCIPLES

SELF-GENERATED
TIME WASTERS
• Personnel factors
• Disorganized
• Procrastination
• Inability to say no
• Burnout and stress

ENVIRONMENTAL
TIME WASTERS
• Organizational factors
• Organizational Cultural factors
• Management factors
• Top management
• Work processes, procedures &
habits
• Supply chain
• Unproductive meetings

CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE MEETINGS
• Effective meetings really boil down to three things:
❑They achieve the meeting's objective
❑They take up a minimum amount of time
❑They leave participants feeling that a sensible process
has been followed
• If you structure your meeting planning,
preparation, execution and follow up around these
three basic criteria, the result will be an effective
meeting.

USING TIME WISELY
• To ensure you cover only what needs to be covered and you
stick to relevant activities, you need to create an agenda.
• To prepare an agenda, consider the following factors:
❑Priorities – what absolutely must be covered?
❑Results – what do need to accomplish at the meeting?
❑Participants – who needs to attend the meeting for it to be
successful?
❑Sequence – in what order will you cover the topics?
❑Timing – how much time will spend on each topic?
❑Date and Time – when will the meeting take place?
❑Place – where will the meeting take place?

USING TIME WISELY
• The meeting secretary can then look at the information that
should be prepared beforehand. What do the participants need
to know in order to make the most of the meeting time?
• What role are they expected to perform in the meeting, so that
they can do the right preparation?
• If it's a meeting to solve a problem, ask the participants to come
prepared with a viable solution. If you are discussing an on-going
project, have each participant summarize his or her progress to
date and circulate the reports amongst members.
• Assigning a particular topic of discussion to various people is
another great way to increase involvement and interest. On the
agenda, indicate who will lead the discussion or presentation of
each item.

USING TIME WISELY
• Use your agenda as your time guide. When you notice that
time is running out for a particular item, consider hurrying
the discussion, pushing to a decision, deferring discussion
until another time, or assigning it for discussion by a
subcommittee.
• An important aspect of running effective meetings is insisting
that everyone respects the time allotted. Start the meeting
on time, do not spend time recapping for latecomers, and,
when you can, finish on time.
• Whatever can be done outside the meeting time should be.
This includes circulating reports for people to read
beforehand, and assigning smaller group meetings to discuss
issues relevant to only certain people.

COMMON TYPES
OF STRESS
• Anticipatory stress
• Situational stress
• Encounter stress
• Time stress

MANAGING TIME STRESS
• Learn good time management skills e.g. To-Do Lists and/or Action
Programs
• Make sure that you're devoting enough time to your important
priorities. Your important tasks are usually the ones that will help
you reach your goals and working on these projects is a better use
of your time. Prioritization helps you separate tasks that you need
to focus on from those you can safely put off.
• If you often feel that you don't have enough time to complete all
of your tasks, learn how to create more time in your day e.g.
managing your energy cycles and peak-time management
• Also, make sure that you're polite, but assertive about saying “no”
to tasks that you don't have the capacity to do

OUTCOMES OF STRESS

T - TIME MANAGEMENT
• Good organization gives us significant control
over the amount and degree of stress
we experience, and good time management
helps us accomplish the goals we consider to be the
most important in life.
• Learn how to use S-M-A-R-T goals and a P-D-A-
L (Prioritized Daily Action List) to keep your life and
time on track.

INDIVIDUAL STRESS MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES

LEARNING
ACTIVITY 2
• Group Discussion:
• In your capacity as a
supervisor, identify the
five (5) foremost time
wasters – both self-
generated and
environmental – in the
NWU working
environment.
• Apply appropriate time
management principles to
address these time
wasters.

LEARNING
ACTIVITY 2
• Group Discussion:
• List the benefits of effective
time management that will
accrue as a result of
minimizing these time
wasters, with the appropriate
tools/techniques.
• In your capacity as a
supervisor, describe how you
can counteract and/or
mitigate the consequences of
poor time management, in
particular, the adverse effects
of heightened levels of stress.

TIME MANAGEMENT
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
• Time and activity management log/audit
• Compiling a To-Do list
• Prioritize your time (ABC)
• Applying the delegation process
• Scheduling
• Other practical time management techniques

TIME AND ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT
LOG/AUDIT

LEARNING
ACTIVITY 3
• Video clip exercise:
• View the 4-minute, Wellcast YouTube
video clip. Refer to the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V
Uk6LXRZMMk
• Make notes (for post-viewing
discussion) on the following key points:
• Record:
• Analyze:
• Change:

COMPILING A TO-DO
LIST
• Daily register of intended tasks/activities to be
completed.
• Productivity and time management can be measured at
the end of the day by using the To-Do List as a check-list of
accomplishment.
• This will invariably lead to improved levels of
accountability and productivity.
• If you use To-Do Lists, you will ensure that:
❑ You remember to carry out all necessary tasks
❑ You tackle the most important jobs first, and do not
waste time on trivial tasks.
❑ You do not get stressed by a large number of
unimportant jobs.

URGENCY/IMPORTANCE MATRIX

PRACTICE THE 4 D’s

DEFINITION OF DELEGATION AND
OBJECTIVES THEREOF
• Definition: To delegate means to allocate work i.e. a supervisor passing on
authority to a team member to execute a task on behalf of the former.
Work to be delegated ranges from routine tasks to managerial activities.
• The objectives of delegation are to:
❑ Distribute work
❑ Develop staff
❑ Establish the legality of official action
❑ Save managerial time
• The most obvious reason for delegation is that one person cannot do all the
work i.e. fair and equitable division of labour.
• The overall objective of delegation is to develop efficiency by means of
streamlining work processes and utilizing staff and time more effectively.

RESPONSIBILITY, AUTHORITY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY

DELEGATION PROCESS

DECIDING WHAT JOBS TO DELEGATE?

LEARNING
ACTIVITY 4
• Group Discussion:
• Identify one
supervisory/manage
ment task in the NWU
working environment.
With the objective of
saving time, explain
how you will apply
the 5-step delegation
process.

SCHEDULING
• Scheduling is the process by which you look at the time available
to you, and plan how you will use it to achieve the goals you have
identified.
• Scheduling is a five-step process:
❑Identify the time you have available.
❑Block in the essential tasks you must carry out to succeed in your job.
Schedule in high priority urgent tasks and vital "house-keeping"
activities.
❑Block in appropriate contingency time to handle unpredictable
interruptions.
❑In the time that remains, schedule the activities that address your
priorities and personal goals.
❑If you have little or no discretionary time left by the time you reach step
five, then revisit the assumptions you have made in steps one to four.

OTHER TIME
MANAGEMENT
PRACTICES
• Focus on one thing at a time
• Shift focus
• Goal-setting
• Delegate, outsource and/or utilize support
• Establish routines and stick to them
• Use of time management tools
• Get your systems and processes organized
• Stop procrastinating
• Take at least 24 - 36 hours off each weekend

LEARNING
ACTIVITY 5
• Group Discussion:
• In your capacity as a
supervisor, critically
evaluate the utility value
and functionality of the
various time management
tools and techniques.
Indicate which have the
most value in the NWU
work environment.

PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND PRODUCTIVITY

CORRELATION BETWEEN TIME
MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY
• It is apparent that time (as an input production factor) is an
important determinant of productivity levels i.e. outputs and
results achieved.
• It can be logically deduced that time and productivity are
inversely/negatively proportional i.e. less time = higher
productivity and vice versa.
• It is therefore, important for supervisors to closely monitor and
observe time and manage this resource effectively, as lost time
cannot be regained and the impact on productively can be
adversely affected.
• Refer to the tabulation of the time management performance
indicators.

PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT
STRATEGIES
• Job design
• Intra-preneurial incentives
• Training and education
• Incentives
• Empowerment and participation
• Devising reward systems

PRODUCTIVITY
IMPROVEMENT FOCAL
POINTS
• Processes
• Structures
• Behaviour
• Systems
• Work environment
• Resources

3 E’s OF
RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND WORKFLOW
MANAGEMENT

MEANING OF FENG SHUI
• A Chinese system of laws considered to govern
spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to
the flow of energy (chi), and whose favourable or
unfavourable effects are taken into account when
siting and designing buildings.
• The art of placement – knowing what to put where
and in what colours, shapes and materials, to
create an environment that facilitates happiness,
serenity, tranquility and harmony.

FENG SHUI OFFICE RE-DESIGN

LEARNING
ACTIVITY 6
• Group discussion:
• In your capacity as a
supervisor, develop
productivity
improvement and
workspace and
workflow improvement
strategies for your
team at NWU, by
referring to team
structures, processes,
behaviour, resources,
systems and work
environment.

DEFINING ASSERTIVENESS
• Assertiveness is the ability to express one’s feelings
and assert one’s rights while respecting the feelings
and rights of others.
• Assertive communication is appropriately direct, open
and honest, and clarifies one’s needs to the other
person. People who have mastered the skill of
assertiveness are able to greatly reduce the level of
interpersonal conflict in their lives, thereby reducing a
major source of stress.
• The Assertiveness Continuum

THE ASSERTIVENESS CONTINUUM

MEASURING YOUR ASSERTIVENESS
• Do you have difficulty accepting constructive criticism?
• Do you have trouble voicing a difference of opinion with
others?
• Do people tend to feel alienated by your communication style
when you do disagree with them?
• Do you feel attacked when someone has an opinion different
from your own?
• Do you find yourself saying ‘yes’ to requests that you should
really say ‘no’ to, just to avoid disappointing people?

ASSERTIVENESS STRATEGIES
• Be Firm and Decisive - Say No if You Have To
• Ask for What You Want - Matter of Factly
• Achieve Your Goals
• Constructively Resolve Conflict
• Be Interested In the People Around You
• Believe in Yourself

LEARNING
ACTIVITY 7
• Group discussion:
• Describe how you can apply
Covey’s habits #1, 2 and 3 as
a means of improving your
personal effectiveness, time
management and workplace
productivity.
• As a supervisor, describe how
you can improve your
assertiveness skills in the
NWU working environment.
• How balanced is your Wheel
of Life?

CASE STUDY – “WHO’S
GOT THE MONKEY?”

“WHO’S GOT THE MONKEY?” – 3
KINDS OF MANAGEMENT TIME
• Why is it that managers are
typically running out of time
while their subordinates are
typically running out of work?
❑Boss-imposed time
❑System-imposed time
❑Self-imposed time

5 RULES GOVERNING THE "CARE AND
FEEDING OF MONKEYS."
• Rule 1. Monkeys should be fed or shot.
• Rule 2. The monkey population should be kept below
the maximum number the manager has time to feed.
• Rule 3. Monkeys should be fed by appointment only.
• Rule 4. Monkeys should be fed face-to-face or by
telephone, but never by mail.
• Rule 5. Every monkey should have an assigned next
feeding time and degree of initiative.

LEARNING
ACTIVITY 8
• Group discussion:
• Read through the
case study
carefully. Identify
and discuss the top
ten (10) time
management
lessons, principles
and practice.

CONCLUSION
• Key points
• Summary
• Questions
• Training Administration

CONTACT DETAILS
• Dr. Charles Cotter
• (+27) 84 562 9446
• charlescot@polka.co.za
• LinkedIn
• Twitter: @Charles_Cotter
• https://www.facebook.com/CharlesACotter/
• http://www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter