Time on Progress Work

1
|
MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Time on Progress Work
TIME ON PROGRESS WORK
What will you show for your time on Earth?

2
|
Attribution: All images are from sources where a Creative Commons license exists for commercial use. All icons are on subscription
from thenounproject. All clipart is from free sources. The MTL Professional Development Programme is copyright of Manage Train
Learn.
Time on
Progress
Work
Introduction: Progress work is work that innovates, breaks new ground, and takes us
forward. It creates something new. When we spend time on progress work, we can
actually see results, either bit by bit as we progress, or when the work is completed.
Although big projects are the most obvious examples of progress work, we can also be
creative in lots of small ways when we want to improve on the present. In this topic,
we’ll show you 7 steps in progress work.

3
|
1. YOUR
MISSION
The starting point of any goal-achievement is to
think about your mission or purpose. What is the
point of it all? A mission goes much further than
just a goal. It is about manifesting your own
values, creating something unique, and
becoming all you, and your team if you are
working with one, can become. As Steven Covey
said: “A mission statement focuses on what you
want to be (character), and to do (contributions
and achievements) and on the values and
principles upon which being and doing are
based.”
Man on a mission
Flickr attribution: /reinis/2189028690/

4
|
2. KEY AREAS
AND STEPS
The gap between dreaming a mission and
achieving it is to break the mission down into key
areas that you need to work on. For example, if
your aim is to become fit, the key areas could be:
Exercise; Diet; Sleep; Lifestyle; and Relaxation.
When you have identified your key areas, then
you need to spend time finding out about each
one of these. This research and information-
gathering goes on for the whole length of your
journey towards your goal.
Your mission steps are your mission plan
Flickr attribution: /daran_kandasamy/5335700681/

5
|
Why Successful Missions Need Positivity and Belief
Achieving a purpose in life is no easy undertaking.
Mission or Purpose Statements, like national
constitutions, usually express high and noble
ideals which it is easy to write about but often
hard to achieve.
They also take much longer to reach - if we reach
them at all - than the less worthy aims we
sometimes prefer to substitute. To achieve
purpose requires a long-lens in our viewers and
the self-belief to keep on course when things get
tough.
A belief that you will achieve your purpose is
summed up in the Coda of Julian of Norwich: "All
will be well and all manner of things will be well."
A Mission Is SomethingTangible and Real
Flickr attribution: /vwynx/4938307054/
It also requires blind faith:
"We do not always see the way ahead;
We do not know which way to tread.
This is the point at which to light,
The lamp of Faith to take us through the night."

6
|
3. SMART
GOALS
SMART goals are goals that are defined as:
Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Realistic; and
Time-bounded. For example, if you are planning
to lose weight, you could define your goal as
follows: Specific: I want to lose 10lbs by the
summer; Measurable: I can see how I’m doing
each week on the scales; Achievable: yes, I can
do that; Realistic: yes, I have the determination;
and Time Bounded: I’ll do it by my holidays.
SMART goals are different from Big goals. SMART
goals start from now and go forward with plans
and deadlines. Big goals are goals you dream
about. With big goals, you see the result and
then work backwards.
I know where I want to be, so how do I get there?
Flickr attribution: /lmpicard/6160383036/

7
|
10 Ways to Set Your Goals for SuccessfulAchievement
If you want to achieve a goal, here are 10 essential rules that you must follow.
Your
goals
must
…
Be Clear And
Well-defined
Be Realistic
Be Based On
Your Strengths
Be Owned
Stimulate And
Motivate You
Constantly Be
Thought About
Benefit Others As
Well As You
Lead To A Plan
Inspire You To
Daily Action
Be Based On
Correct
Information

8
|
4. TO-DO
LISTS
If you are working in a number of key areas, with
a range of SMART goals, you could have as many
as 15 ongoing activities at any one time. For
example, in our example of getting fit, you might
be exercising, dieting, changing your lifestyle,
and taking time out to relax. Writing out, and
repeatedly writing out, a to-do list is a way to
review all of these activities and keep them at
the forefront of your mind. Alec McKenzie
recommends writing out to-do lists every
evening and then working through them one at a
time the following day.
Today’s task is to be a superhero
Flickr attribution: /eneas/2522135992/

9
|
How to Give Momentum to Your Daily To-Do List
Plans on our progress work are the ongoing plans
that we make each day and each week. They
should occupy our thoughts in response to each
day's question: "what do I need to do today to
make progress?“ Here are 6 tips from trainer Jen
Ellis.
4. Keep moving
forward by building
on each task.
3. Don't overlook what
you enjoy doing. Fun
jobs motivate us.
6. Keep in your mind
a picture of yourself
succeeding.
5. Whereas routine jobs
should be completed
without loose ends, you
should leave loose ends
on progress work, so that
you can pick them up
again easily next time.
1. Continually
juggle and
prioritise your
plans according to
what is logical to
do next, what is
important to do
next, and what has
to be done next.
2. Be prepared to change your
plans if an opportunity arises to
speed up your work.

10
|
5. PRIORITISE
YOUR TO-DO
LIST
There are two ways to prioritise the activities on
your to-do list: decide whether they are urgent
or important. Urgent tasks are those that have a
deadline. They are also tasks that we want to do
because the time is right or feels right, for
example, we’re in the mood. Important tasks are
those that you believe will bring you quickest to
your goals. Tasks that are both urgent and
important are the ones you should devote time
to. Tasks that are not both of these can be
relegated down your to-do list or delegated to
somebody else.
Set and re-set what comes first, second, and third
Flickr attribution: /jakuza/3578548023/

11
|
Use theABCD System
to DecideYour Day’s
Work
The ABCD system takes a To-Do list of tasks and
prioritises them into what is important and
urgent.
1
Steps in the ABCD System:
2
Step 2: Go
through the B
list and force
yourself to place
each task into
either the A pile
or C pile.
3
Step 3: Put all the
C tasks in a file
for your bottom
drawer. This file
does not need to
come out except
when you can't
do an A.
4
Step 4: Now look
at the A's and
decide on their
order of priority
based on your
work plans: A1,
A2, A3 etc.
5
Step 5: This is the order to
tackle your day's work. Now
decide, (D), which you will do
and which you will delegate.
Step 1: Run
through your
list of tasks
and allocate
an A, B or C
priority
rating to
each task.

12
|
6. SCHEDULE
YOUR TASKS
It is much better to schedule tasks than leave
them to be done when you feel like it. For
example, you are much more likely to exercise
regularly if you do it at a set time each day. A
good scheduling system is the 60-20-20 system.
This means filling up 60% of your diary with your
important tasks and leaving 20% for things that
crop up and 20% for emergencies. Use the
luggage-hold method when planning your diary.
Put the biggest tasks in your diary first and then
fit the smaller ones around them.
Now where in my timetable can I schedule that break?
Flickr attribution: /streetwrk/7999316641/

13
|
Diarising, Or Deciding On the Day’s Tasks
It is important to assess and re-assess your day's tasks in the light of
circumstances and changing needs. One way to do this is to use the
3-star system. This allocates one, two or three stars against each of
your day's activities based on the following scale...
3.
SCHEDULE
IT
2.
DELEGATE
IT
4.
DUMP IT
1.
DO IT
NOW
For a simple way to decide how to deal with your to-do list, use the
following guidelines:
1. if it is very urgent and very important, do it at once
2. if it is very urgent but not important, delegate it
3. if it is very important, but not urgent, schedule it
4. if it is neither important, nor urgent, dump it.
*** = essential to do today
** = desirable to do today
* = nice to do today if we have time

14
|
7. CHECK
YOUR
PROGRESS
A time management system should be one you
enjoy rather than one that’s like a chore. That’s
why you should leave room for surprises, room
for learning, and room for fun. In this way, you’ll
not only like the system, you’ll achieve your goals
more quickly. One way to track your progress is
to use a version of the Daruma doll, an image of
an Indian prince that Asian executives use to
chart their goal progress. When you set your
goals, you colour the prince’s eyes white. When a
goal is achieved you colour them in.
Nothing’s done till the Daruma doll has eyes
Flickr attribution: /58236045@N07/8577099726/

15
|
Use the Pine Tree
as a Symbol of Your
Work in Progress
The pine tree is sometimes used as a
symbolic way to describe the way
different parts of the task planning
process fit together.
Your Mission Statement is the grown
pine.
The principles and values you believe in
are the roots which nourish and feed
the tree.
Your goals are the growing trunk. As
the trunk grows upward so each goal
leads on to the next.
Your key areas are the main branches.
They support the growing trunk.
Your medium-term objectives are the
side branches which make up the key
areas
Your immediate plans are the twigs
Your daily tasks are the pine needles.
Flickr attribution: /brunopix/14316020935/

16
|
This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn
AFinal
Word
All of us carry out progress work, whether it is wallpapering a room of our house or installing a
new computer system at work. By starting with the end result in mind, ie our mission and goals,
we need to plan and organise the many tasks that bit by bit create the final result. Progress work is
one of the most satisfying and productive uses of our time.

Time on Progress Work

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

Similaire à Time on Progress Work

Similaire à Time on Progress Work (20)

Plus de Manage Train Learn

Plus de Manage Train Learn (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Time on Progress Work