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Prioritizing Your Time Effectively
Steven CataniaOnline Training Coordinator
Learning & Talent DevelopmentOHR
Session Objectives
Define Time Management and where you want to spend your energy.
Assess current time/self management skills.
Identify time robbers and ideas for minimizing and/or eliminating.
Review strategies for planning and prioritizing work.
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Defining Time
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Time Robbers• Events that deflect us from what we
really ought to be doing are very costly
• Time is more expensive than money!
• Examples:• Too much work• Interruptions• Red tape• Lack of authority
• Indecision• Socializing• Perfectionism• Personal disorganization
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Time and Self‐Management Strategies
• Say ‘No’
• Eating a Live Frog
• Biological Prime Time
• Productivity Tools: Task lists and Calendars
• Time Management Matrix
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How to Assertively Say “No”
Consider your OPTIONS
Delay your RESPONSE
Have your SCRIPT• “If you can ask again at a later time (next
week/month/year) I might be able to say yes.”
• “I need to check with my supervisor/coworkers and see where this fits in with the other projects we are currently working on.”
• What are you saying “No” to?
• Stop and think before you commit
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Start each day by eating a live frog.
Time Management
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Personal TriggersI put my running shoes in my hallway at night. FINE, I can’t get around them in the morning so I go running.
There are happy posters by my door so I try to smile as I leave my place. This is one of the best ways to get in a good mood and generate positive thinking.
I don’t bring a power cord with me to coffee shops so I am limited to how much time I can work and goof off less.
At the office I put some of my important items in a side room where I’m more productive so I tend to go work in that room more often.
Placing my scale at the end of my bed so I have to weigh myself each day.
My pull-up bar is on my closet door so I tend to do pull-ups each time I get dressed.
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Biological Prime Time
High
Medium
Low5am 8am 10am Noon 2pm 6pm 8pm 10pm Midnight
Leve
l of
Ene
rgy
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* Source: Dan Ariley, Behavioral Economist and Time Management blogger
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Task Lists, Apps, and Calendars
Make To Do list
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Prioritize: The Time Management Matrix
Important
Urgent
Quadrant I
Important & Urgent
Production
Crises
Pressing problems
Deadline driven projects
Quadrant II
Important, Not Urgent
Personal Leadership
Prevention
Relationship building
Planning, recreation
Quadrant III
Urgent, Not Important
Deception
Interruptions
Some email, some reports
Some meetings
Quadrant IV
Not Important, Not Urgent
Waste
Trivia, busy work
Time Wasters
Some activities
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DelegateWhen:• Could someone use this
as a growth opportunity?• Is there time to delegate?• Is the task critical for long-
term success?
How:• Articulate desired
outcome• Identify constraints and
boundaries• Focus on results• Provide adequate support
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What are your BRIGHT ideas?
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Please be sure to complete the workshop survey and the 3-month follow up!
• Sent via email
Any Final Questions?
THANK YOU for your time!
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Steven Catania Prioritizing Your Time Effectively
Conference for the Office Professional 2017
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How to Assertively Say ‘No’ Learning to Say No
Step 1: Consider Your OPTIONS
We have been taught that it is rude to say NO, that it is impolite. Remember that every time you say YES to someone or something, you are in fact saying NO to something or someone else because you have a finite amount of time and energy. So, before you say YES, spend some time thinking about who/what you will have to say NO to, and when you think about saying NO, realize who will get a better YES!
Step 2: Delay your RESPONSE
Because many of us are optimists, our initial response to being asked to help is to generate the 5 or 10 good reasons why we should agree to help. The truth is, though, that the next day we can think of 20 reasons it might not have been a good idea. That is a sign that we should make it our habit to give ourselves time to think about it BEFORE we commit.
Step 3: Have your SCRIPT
The best thing you can do is have a few responses ready to go so it is easier for you to say NO when you need to! Here are a couple that have worked for others:
1. “If you can ask again at a later time (next week/month/year) I might be able to say yes.”
2. “I need to check with my supervisor/coworkers and see where this fits in with the other projects we are currently working on.”
Saying No to Your Manager or Supervisor
Managers assume you can do everything they hand you unless you speak up. Your aim should be twofold: to align your priorities with your manager’s priorities and to partner with your manager about your work.
Here are some suggested responses when your manager asks you to do extra work. Keep in mind that some requests may have to be honored. That’s when you need to be flexible:
1. “If I took this on right now I couldn’t do it justice because I currently have too much on my plate.”
2. “I appreciate your confidence in me but right now I couldn’t possibly do it justice with all I have to do.”
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Time Management Tips 1) Realize that time management is a myth. No matter how organized we are, there are always only 24 hours in a day. Time doesn't change. All we can actually manage is ourselves and what we do with the time that we have. 2) Find out where you're wasting time. Many of us are prey to time-wasters that steal time we could be using much more productively. What are your time-bandits? Do you spend too much time 'Net surfing, reading email, or making personal calls? Track all of your daily activities for 1 week so you can form an accurate picture of what you actually do. This is the first step to effective time management. 3) Create time management goals and a plan. Remember, the focus of time management is actually changing your behaviors, not changing time. A good place to start is by eliminating your personal time-wasters that you identified from #2. 4) Use time management tools. Whether it's a Day-Timer or a software program, the first step to physically managing your time is to know where it's going now and planning how you're going to spend your time in the future. A software program such as Outlook, for instance, lets you schedule events easily and can be set to remind you of events in advance, making your time management easier. 5) Prioritize ruthlessly. You should start each day with a time management session prioritizing the tasks for that day and setting your performance benchmark. If you have 20 tasks for a given day, how many of them do you truly need to accomplish? 6) Learn to delegate and/or outsource. No matter how small your department is, there's no need for you to be a one-person show. For effective time management, you need to let other people carry some of the load. 7) Establish routines and stick to them as much as possible. While crises will arise, you'll be much more productive if you can follow routines most of the time. 8) Get in the habit of setting time limits for tasks. For instance, reading and answering email can consume your whole day if you let it. Instead, set a limit of one hour a day for this task and stick to it. 9) Learn to say “no.” Such a small word — and so hard to say. Focusing on your goals may help. Remember that whenever you say ‘yes’ to something, you’re also saying ‘no’ to something else. If you say ‘yes’ every time a coworkers asks for help, you’re saying ‘no’ to your own work. Try phrases like, “I’d be happy to help you when I get my tasks complete.” 10) Don't waste time waiting. From client meetings to dentist appointments, it's impossible to avoid waiting for someone or something. But you don't need to just sit there and twiddle your thumbs. Always take something to do with you, such as a report you need to read, a checkbook that needs to be balanced, or just a blank pad of paper that you can use to plan your next marketing campaign. Technology makes it easy to work wherever you are; your cell phone will help you stay connected.
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Delegation Guidelines When to Delegate
Does the task provide an opportunity for another person to grow and develop his/her skills?
Is this a task that will recur – in a similar form – in the future?
Do you have enough time to delegate the job effectively? Time must be available for adequate training, for questions, for opportunities to check progress and for rework if that is necessary.
Is this a task that I should delegate or is it a task that I should do? Tasks that are critical for long-term success need your attention.
How to Delegate
Clearly articulate the desired outcome. Begin with the end in mind, and specify the desired results.
Clearly identify constraints and boundaries. Should the person:
o Wait to be told what to do? o Act and then report results immediately?
o Ask what to do? o Initiate action and report periodically?
Where possible, include people in the delegation process. Empower them to decide what tasks are to be delegated to them and when.
Match the amount of responsibility with the amount of authority. Understand that you can delegate some responsibility; however, you can’t delegate away ultimate accountability.
Delegate to the lowest possible organizational level. The people who are closest to the work are best suited for the task because they have intimate knowledge of the detail of everyday work.
Provide adequate support, and be available to answer questions. Ensure the project’s success through ongoing communication and monitoring as well as providing resources and credit.
Focus on results. Concern yourself with what is to be accomplished, rather than detailing how the work should be done. Allow the person to control his or her own methods and processes.
Discourage “upward delegation”. If there is a problem, don’t allow the person to shift responsibility for the task back to you. Ask for recommended solutions, and don’t simply provide an answer.
Build motivation and commitment. Discuss how success will impact future opportunities, informal recognition and other desirable outcomes.
Establish and maintain control.
o Discuss timelines and deadlines.
o Take time to review all work.
o Make adjustments as necessary.
o Agree on a schedule of checkpoints.
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Practical Ideas for Better Self/Time Management
Planning and Prioritizing
1. Schedule thinking and planning time into your calendar.
2. Set aside time each day to review and prioritize demands on your time – ruthlessly prioritize!
3. Think through your day while making your way to work.
4. Identify a small chunk of a difficult task, and then deal with it right away.
5. Split your day into chunks of 30 minutes.
6. Estimate how much time you think a task will take, and then see how accurate you were.
7. Break down long-term plans into weekly and daily action plans.
8. Identify conflicts of priority between you and your manager.
9. Classify all work engagements in your calendar according to their importance.
10. Alter priorities in line with changes or new information.
11. Suggest working flexible hours to improve company productivity.
12. Set reasonable deadlines. A deadline is meant to be helpful, not a major cause of stress.
Handling Interruptions
1. To keep conversations short, avoid open-ended questions.
2. Do not be afraid to let messages go to voicemail.
3. Plan to check emails 3 times a day instead of responding immediately – if possible.
4. Pick up your phone to indicate the end of a meeting.
5. Do not sit down if you are followed into your office.
6. Position a clock in your office or work area where it is visible to you and to others.
7. Place your chair out of view if your door is open.
8. Set aside special times when your office is open to all.
9. Schedule regular one-on-one meetings with the people who report to you or with whom you are working on a project.
Self-Care
1. Schedule regular time off to pursue your hobbies and leisure interests.
2. Aim to experience something new every day.
3. Time your mental and physical peaks so you know how long they last.
4. Save time for home life and leisure activities after work.
5. Reward yourself when you meet your deadlines.
6. Make sure that you do one thing every day that you enjoy.
7. Read a passage by your favorite author last thing at night.
8. Be aware of your manager’s working patterns and try to adapt to them.
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Meeting Management
1. Call a meeting only after considering other options.
2. Keep meetings short by listening rather than talking.
3. Allocate a specific amount of time to each subject on a meeting agenda.
4. Encourage people to attend only the parts of a meeting that concern them.
5. Ask a colleague to interrupt “urgently” if a routine meeting lasts over an hour.
6. Remind everyone what was agreed upon at a meeting in a follow-up email.
7. Hold meetings in colleague’s offices so you can leave when necessary.
8. Keep all chance meetings short by standing – it will be easier to get away.
Clear Away the Clutter
1. Keep your desk clear of everything but the current job at hand.
2. Beware of post-it notes; they are easily lost.
3. Clean up daily; never leave a mess for the morning.
4. Set up a filing system that will grow with you and your job responsibilities.
5. Go through files regularly and discard documents that you no longer need.
6. File papers with no obvious home in a folder labeled “Miscellaneous”.
7. File only essential documents that will be referenced in the future.
8. Review your filing system at least every few months.
9. Throw away any information that you don’t think you need.
10. Keep only essential reading on your desk.
11. Clear unwanted documents from your computer once a month.
Time Saving Strategies
1. Schedule time on your calendar two or three times a day to respond to voice mail and email – if possible.
2. Handle all emails when you read them. Either delete it, archive it, delegate it or act on it quickly.
3. If you can’t finish the task at the time of reading the email, archive your email and put the action on your to do list.
4. Copy only information to those who need to know.
5. When making a phone call, have another project at hand to work on in case you are kept waiting.
6. Avoid distractions when talking on the phone. Focus on what the caller is saying.
7. Tell people when they can call you and note that time in your calendar.
8. Never delay dealing with any written material – it will just mount up.
9. Think before you interrupt anyone! Their time is as valuable as yours.
