Effective time management principles, tools, process, techniques and best practices

1. TIME MANAGEMENT –
PRINCIPLES, TOOLS AND
PRACTICE
CHARLES COTTER
NIPMO, INNOVATION HUB
5-6 MAY 2016
http://www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter

2. TRAINING PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
(DAY 1)
• 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
• Applying time management tools and techniques

3. TRAINING PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
(DAY 2)
• Recap and review of Day 1
• Personal Effectiveness
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Work-Life Balance
Assertiveness
• Case Study: “Who’s got the Monkey”
• Conclusion

5. APPLYING THE PARETO PRINCIPLE
(80/20%)

7. INTRODUCTORY LEARNING ACTIVITY
• Individual activity:
• Complete the following statement by inserting one word
only. In order to effectively manage time in the NIPMO
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.

8. EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF TIME
• Individual Learning Activity 1:
• Complete the personal time management evaluation survey below and
refer to the score interpretation on the following page.
• Time management analysis:
 Goal Setting (Questions 6, 10, 14, 15)
 Prioritization (Questions 1, 4, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15)
 Managing Interruptions (Questions 5, 9, 11, 12)
 Procrastination (Questions 2, 10, 12)
 Scheduling (Questions 3, 7, 12)

13. TIME MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES

15. TIME WASTERS
Self-generated
Environmental

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

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

21. LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
• Group Discussion:
• Identify the five (5) foremost time wasters – both self-
generated and environmental – in the NIPMO working
environment.
• Apply appropriate time management principles to
address these identified time wasters.
• List the benefits of effective time management that will
accrue as a result of minimizing these time wasters,
with the appropriate tools/techniques – personally and
for NIPMO.

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

23. TIME AND ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT
LOG/AUDIT

24. 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.

25. URGENCY/IMPORTANCE MATRIX

26. PRACTICE THE 4 D’s
• Dump
• Do it
• Delegate
• Defer/Diarize

27. 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.

28. 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

29. LEARNING ACTIVITY 3
• Group Discussion:
• Critically evaluate the utility value and
functionality of the various time management
tools and techniques. Indicate which have the
most value in the NIPMO work environment.

31. WORK-LIFE BALANCE - WHEEL OF LIFE

32. 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

33. THE ASSERTIVENESS CONTINUUM

34. 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?

35. 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

36. LEARNING ACTIVITY 4
• Describe how you can improve your
assertiveness skills in the NIPMO working
environment.
• 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.
• Indicate how balanced is your Wheel of Life?

37. CASE STUDY – “WHO’S GOT THE
MONKEY?”

38. “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

39. 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.

40. LEARNING ACTIVITY 5
• Group Discussion:
• Read through the case study carefully.
• Identify and discuss the top ten (10) time
management lessons, principles and practice.

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