Time Management

Geoff Moss

Personal Development Plans

• Last week we looked at PDP• To start• In your groups produce a PDP plan • This is important as you need to do this, IN DETAIL for your submission.

Start

• Look at Moodle www.ne-worcs.ac.uk

Learning outcomes

• By the end of the session learners will be able to:-

2.2 Explain how to manage time to achieve work plan objectives

2.3 Describe the reasons for incorporating flexibility into a work plan

3.2 Explain how to develop and maintain good working relationships with manager, colleagues and team members.

Time Management• There is never enough

time for all the things we need to do. But its not our fault, the phone rings, people drop in, a crisis pops up, someone needs a problems solving. This is what managers do isn’t?

• It may well be but should they be fire fighting all the time?

Time wasters…impair personal development

• In your groups identify time wasters that affect you or that you are aware of.

You may Have

• Emails/Junk mails• Surfing the

internet/facebook• Meetings• Mobile phone• Texts• Interruptions

• Distractions• Losing things

procrastination• Crisis• Reverse delegation• Perfectionism

Some time-wastersPoor communication including not listening

Inability to say No Poor delegation

Excessive telephone time

Lack of planning Meetings- that start late or go on and on.

e-communication Getting drawn into situations you don’t know how to get out of it

A desire to help/please others

Fear of delegating Constant interruptions

Procrastination

Being unsure of policies

Conversations that go round in circles

Mountains of paperwork

Time Management• Stable times call for

stable organisations BUT in a world of constant change organisations wishing to survive must constantly innovate. This means that managers must develop a new approach to time management

•

Managing Resources

In your teams identify those main resources you manage?

At least 6 !!

MoneyPeopleEquipment,machines ,computersFacities-buildings,rooms light and heatSuppliers and sevicesTime

Time Management• Old time management was

designed to operate in a highly structured, industrial, factory assembly-line mode.

• New time management is designed to assist small companies to perform more efficiently. The purpose of new time management is to help workers to keep up their energy levels so that they can tackle priorities with enthusiasm and accomplish more in less time.

Old and New Time Management • Workers treated like robots.• Autocratic decision making• Aloof management style

• Management of time to keep people at a distance

• Working around the clock

• Belief that only work is important

• Workers creating products as teams

• Team decision making• More interaction between

workers.• Building and maintaining

relationships (customers and employees)

• A balance life: workaholism is not healthy and leads to poor decisions

• Belief that family and relationships are also important

Time Balance Analysis

• Work………25/30%

• Support……45/55% (Sleep 30% of total)

• Relaxation…25%

Pareto Principal

80% of time

Produces

20% of results

20% of time

Produces

80% of results

Identifying Priorities

12 Principles of effective time management

• Deal with big rocks first- prioritise. Make lists of TTD

• Keep white spaces in diary

• Develop creative ways of getting and staying organised according to your style of personality

• Delegate

12 Principles of effective time management

• Use productive communication- Tell people what you want and expect before work commences

• Praise when you get what you want and expect

• Develop listening skills• Provide constructive

feedback

12 Principles of effective time management

• Hold short meeting with preplanned agendas

• Just say ‘No’; learn to set limits

• Balance your life• Prevent burnout

The basic steps and objectives in work planning include the following:-

The establishment and effective treatment of priorities (considering tasks in the order of importance for the

objective concerned)Scheduling or time tabling tasks, and allocating them to individuals with

time scales to achieve work deadlines and attain goals.

Co-ordinating individual tasks within the duties of single employees or groups

Establishing checks and controls to ensure that priority deadlines are being met and work is not falling behind and

routine tasks are achieving their objectivesAgreeing the mechanism and means to reschedule work to facilitate and accommodate new, additional or emergency work by drawing up

contingency plans for unscheduled events

Basic categories of work planning

DailyWeeklyMonthlyOne-off

Agreeing times scalesPrinciples of planning

revolve around:• Determining the

length of time covered by the plan

• Planning by departments /groups of individuals

• Planning by individuals

Time ranges

• Long term

• Medium term

• Short term

Time Management Grid

Urgent Not Urgent

Important Must be done soon. Do you need help?

Plan a time for it to be done

Unimportant Can someone else do it?If not do it quickly.

Does it need doing? Can someone else do it?

Activity• Write down a list of at

least 8 – 10 jobs that you must do. Try to categorise them as important or urgent and rank them on a scale of 1 – 10 (with 1 being the least important or urgent). Now plot the jobs on the grid.

10

9

8

7

1 2 3 4 6 5

6 7 8 9 10

5

4

3

2

1

Important but not urgent

Urgent and important

Neither urgent nor important

Urgent but NOT important

Time Management Grid

10987

1 2 3 4 6 5 6 7 8 9 1054321

Urgent but NOT important

Urgent AND important

Not urgent NOR important

Important but not urgent

Activity

• Now write down

three things that you will introduce this week to improve your time management.

STOP you have work to do!!!!!!!!!

What is Delegation?

• Delegation is the passing down of authority ( and sometimes responsibility) to a subordinate member of staff

Why do we need to delegate?• To spread the work

load• To create time for

you to make decisions

• To enrich jobs and motivate staff

• Staff training and development

Delegated responsibility

• There should be sufficient responsibility to match the authority that is delegated

• Subordinates need the feeling of responsibility to help in the performance of their tasks and in their dealings with other staff

• Delegated duties are sometimes delegated further down the line

What should be delegated?• Complete jobs• Routine jobs if a

subordinate can:Do them betterDo them quickerDo them more

cheaply orIt will develop them• The right to be wrong

What cannot be delegated?

• The manager’s accountability for the work done by subordinates

Delegation involves

1. A reduction in control over outcomes

2. Placing a high degree of trust in the person delegated to carry out the task

Barriers to effective delegation by the manager?

Lack of trust/confidence in subordinate

Failing to understand the task you are delegating

Fear of losing job/face Unnecessary high

standards of time or quality

Worrying about become dispensable

Unable to overcome subordinates limitations

Letting crises become a habit

Trying to do everything yourself

Absence of selective controls which give warning of impending difficulties

What are the barriers to effective delegation by the subordinate?

They find it easier to ask the manager to make decisions (fear of making decisions)

Lack of self confidence

Fear of criticism for mistakes

Already have more work than they can handle

Poor trainingPositives

incentives may be inadequate

Fear of the boss

Activity

Make a list of 10 jobs (activities) that you have carried out during the last working week. What could you have delegated and why did you not do so?

When delegating remember that good communication is vital

Give• Reasons for the

job• Quality of work

required objectives• Any times limits• Clear defined

authority

Remember• To ensure everyone

knows who is in charge

• Lay down clear line of communication

• To monitor the position

• To ensure that any safety hazards are known

Delegated authority

• To hold subordinates responsible for delegated tasks without also conferring on them the necessary authority to take action and make decisions within the limits of the delegated responsibility is an abuse of delegation

While the job is in progress• Be patient and

exercise control• Leave them alone• Be available or

ensure that subordinate knows who to contact

• Visit only according to previous agreement

• Encourage and advise as appropriate

After the job is complete• Get them to review their

work - have objectives been met?

• Ask if any problems arose and how they were overcome

• Express appreciation and praise as appropriate

• Any follow up jobs necessary?

• Identity how to improve on the next job

1. What tasks did I manage well?2. What areas of my job am I comfortable with?3. Where did I get positive feedback and from

whom?4. What can I do now that I was not able to do

this time last year?5. What did I struggle with over the past 12

months?

A very good tool that you can use to analyse yourself and your time management skills is to complete a personal SWOT analysis, it is a very powerful way of establishing a picture of where you are and where you need to focus your attention.

My Time management

Personal S W O T Analysis What are my Strengths? What are my Weaknesses?   

   

   

   

   

What are the Threats to my effectiveness ? Where are my Opportunities?   

   

   

   

   

You also need to take account of your Personal and Life Goals to ensure that choices you make are in line with your values and beliefs.

Weaknesses Come Under Two Headings

What Are the Things I Cannot Change?

We all have weaknesses in areas where there is only a little to be gained by investing time and effort e.g. I am not good with numbers (so I find someone who is)

What Are the Things I Can Improve?

You may well have an aptitude in an area that can be improved through focused effort and this should be worked on e.g. I am creative but I don’t have the knowledge or the techniques to use this ability to the full

Seven steps to effective delegation

1. Identify all tasks2. Set the targets and standards3. Choose the right person4. Fully brief your chosen person5. Provide the right resources6. Monitor progress and give feedback7. Trust and let go

Activity

• Write down a list of the main factors which stop you from using your time effectively?