Time Management: Techniques and Tools

Time management

Helen Zhao

December 2007

http://www.northstarontario.com

Outline
• Definition
• Resistors and drivers
• Techniques for setting priorities
• Time management—Techniques
• Tools
• Tips and Pitfalls
• Life-work balance
• Recommended Tools
• Questions?


Definition
•Definition
Management of time on order to make the
most out of it.

What we really manage is our own
activity to make sure that they are
accomplished within the available or
allocated time. So the core term is “tasks”.


Resistors to change time management approach

• Fear of change
• Uncertainty
Not sure when and how to start
• Time pressure
Changing may involve more work at the start, thus in the very
short term, make things worse
• Lack of will

People need to overcome above resistors in order to apply a
new time management approach to gain the benefits for a long
term.


Drivers for time management
• Increased effectiveness
• Performance improvement
• Personal development
• Increased responsibilities
Become necessary as a result of a promotion or
additional responsibilities. Since there is more work
to do, and still the same amount of time available,
the approach must change.


Techniques for setting priorities

•ABC analysis
Categorization tasks into groups (A,B,C, or D)
A: critical and immediate
B: important, but slightly less time-sensitive
C: not time-sensitive-yet
D: optional but nice to do
For multiple tasks in same group, use number to
indicate their priorities like A1, A2 ,…



• Pareto analysis – 80/20 rule
Pareto’s Principle, the 80/20 Rule, should serve as
a daily reminder to focus 80 percent of your time
and energy on the 20 percent of the tasks that are
really important and represent 80% of your value.
Don’t just work smart; work smart on the right
things.


• The Eisenhower Method --used by US President
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Do immediately Delegated
Important Unimportant
Urgent Urgent

Important Unimportant
Not urgent Not urgent X
Planned


Time management --Techniques

• Create a “task List”
• Prioritize the tasks
Use one or more of the discussed method
• Estimate the task durations
• Plan your schedule
Be realistic and always set some time aside for
enjoy and unexpected problems or opportunities
• Work the schedule


• Evaluate the result
1. At the end of report period (day, week), assess results
against schedule
2. Grade the performance as A to F where A for complete
successfully, F for did not do the task, and others for B,
C, and D
• Decide the changes need to make
1. Analyze the reasons for grade lower than A
2. Decide the change in order to get your expected
results
• Revisit the task list, reset priority, and repeat the above
procedures



Three Core!
Establish expectations
Evaluation results
Make improvement


Tools

• PDA
• Organizer
• Task tracking software
• Time tracking software
• Project management
software


Tips
• Set goals (attainable, measurable, written,
accountable, and with deadlines)
• Do them on time
• Be reasonable and realistic
• Delegate effectively
• Just say no (with and honest)
• Anticipate unexpected and make the plan to
handle it
• Keep track of things
• Use tools


Pitfalls

• Too detail on tasks
• List without priority
• Open task list
• No flexible
• No evaluation system


Life-work balance
• Better time management will yield a better life-work
balance.
1. Reduce stress – as we balance the demands and
what we could provide by scheduling tasks
2. Reduce frustration – make the correct expectation
3. Be more confident
4. Feel better
5. Gain more time for personal enjoyment
Achieve better life-work balance


Recommended Tools
• eAssistant from NorthStar Technologies (SaaS)
Link: http://www.northstarontario.com
• A centralized web based time management tool for all people within
a company or group
• It streamlines and automates the routine tasks in management of
on-going operation, projects, and employees
• The managerial personnel could view, save, or print the auto-
generated reports about operational tasks, projects, and
assignments.
• The people could see their new assignments instantly, track the
progress and evaluate the results on their tasks.
• Managerial personnel updates the assignments based on the
analysis on the evaluation results


Recommended Tools
Advantages:
VS. Outlook:
It could be used for a group of people. The groups members’
tasks and their results are visible to the managers
VS. MS project
It is web based and are used for all employees, while the MS
project license is client-based. It eliminates the manual
process in communications. The up-to-date information is
visible to all stakeholders.
VS. other web based time management tools
The routine tasks and the process from information collection
to distribution is automated and thus save the time for its
users.


Recommended Tools
The eAssistant Demo Available
• Request an on-site demo (only for GTA area) or an online
demo at http://www.northstarontario.com/demo


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