Time Management

TIME IS MONEY

 You can make money; you can’t make time.

 An inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time

(Chinese proverb).
WHY TIME MANAGEMENT ?

 Toutilise the available time in

optimum manner to achieve
one’s personal and
professional goals.
 TIME FOR EVERYTHING
1. Take time to work, It is the price of success
2. Take time to think, It is the source of power
3. Take time to play, It is the source of youth
4. Take time to read, It is the source of wisdom
5. Take time to love, It is the privilege of Gods
6. Take time to serve, It is the purpose of life
7. Take time to laugh, It is the music of soul
MANAGERS TIME
 Planning is key managerial function but
research shows that less than 5% of
management time goes on planning.

 Pareto Principle : Twenty percent of your

time will produce 80% of your productive
output. Can you afford not to manage at-
least that 20% ?

 Parkinson’s Law : Work expands to fill

the time available for it. Beware !
TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIX-
CLASSIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES

URGENCY/ URGENT NOT URGENT

IMPORTANCE

IMPORTANT 1 2

NOT 3 4
IMPORTANT
EFFICIENCY vs
EFFECTIVENESS

 Often worst performers are those who

seem to be working hardest and longest.
They are very busy but not necessarily
effective.
Myths about Time Management
 Time management is nothing but
common sense. I do well in school,
so I must be managing my time
effectively.
 It takes all the fun out of life!!!
 Time management? I work better
under pressure.

 No matter what I do, I won’t have

enough time!
The Truth About Time
Management
Increases productivity.
Reduces stress.
Improves self-esteem.
Helps achieve balance in life.
Increases self-confidence
Helps you reach your goals!
There are 168 hours in a Week
Urgent Not Urgent

Important Do Now Plan to Do

Not Important Reject Resist

• ‘Comfort’ activities, computer
• Trivial requests from others
games, net surfing
• Apparent emergencies • Chat, gossip, text, social
• Interruptions and distractions communications
Scrutinize and probe demands. • Daydreaming, doodling over long
Help originators to re-assess. breaks
Wherever possible reject and • Unnecessary adjusting
avoid these tasks. equipment
Habitual ‘comforters’ not true tasks.
Non-productive, de-motivational.
Minimize or cease altogether.
Plan to avoid them.
From Goals…Set priorities
 What’s important and what isn’t?
 What order do things need to be
done in?
 Once you know what your
priorities are, you need to plan out
a schedule for the semester, the
week and the day.
 Acknowledge the realities of
college schedules.
 Planning may seem hard at first,
but the more you do it, the easier
and more natural it gets.
Steps to Managing Your Time

1. Set goals
2. Set reasonable expectations (and
remember that no one’s perfect)

3. Make a schedule

4. Revisit and revise your plan

Make a Schedule
Set Up Your Semester Calendar
 Block all important set time obligations.
 Block all class and lab times.
 Look at the syllabus for the class schedule.
◦ Note the weight of the activities.
◦ Highlight all exams and project due dates.
 Work backwards from exams and papers (PERT).
 Study time.
 Time for your sanity.
 Organizing Your Time
 Set realistic goals, there are
only 24 hours in a day.
 Use spare time to review.
 Study at the same time each
day: make it a habit
 Divide study time into
manageable chunks
 Leave extra time at the end!
 Calendars
 Different Perspectives
 The “to do” List
Monthly Calendar
Weekly Calendar
Try it and evaluate your plan!
 How are you actually using your time?
 Which tasks were you able to do? What didn’t get
done?
 Was your energy level appropriate? Your stress level?
 What changes need to be made to your weekly
schedule?
 What are persistent time wasters?
 Was procrastination an issue?
 Forms of procrastination:

• Ignoring the task, hoping it will go away

• Underestimating how long it will take/overestimating your
abilities and resources
• Telling yourself that poor performance is okay/insisting on
perfection
• Doing something else that isn’t very important
• Believing that repeated “minor” delays won’t hurt you
• Talking about rather than doing it
• Putting all your work on only one part of the task
• Becoming paralyzed when having to make choices
How to Overcome
Procrastination
 Win the mental battle by committing to being on time.
 Set and keep deadlines.
 Organize, schedule & plan.
 Divide a big job into smaller ones.
 Find a way to make a game of your work or make it fun.
 Reward yourself when you’re done.
 Tell your friends and roommates to remind you of
priorities and deadlines.
 Learn to say “no” to time wasters.
Tackle Time Wasters
 Learn to recognize when you’re wasting time.
 Decide what you need to do and can realistically do.
 Learn how to say “NO” when you don’t have time.
 Return calls at your convenience. The phone is a major
time killer.
 Learn to say “I can’t talk right now. I’ll get back to you.”
 Wasting time is often linked to a lack of self-discipline.
 Ask yourself, “Do I really need to do this or not?”
Learn to say “No!”
 Avoid the temptation to socialize when you’ve scheduled
work.
 If friends ask you to join them last minute, decline
outright, but ask if you could get together later in the
week.
 Socializing is important when you don’t have other things
to worry about!
 Study somewhere you won’t be tempted to chat, watch
movies or YouTube, or use social utilities like Facebook.
 Texts are a major distraction.
REVISE and PREVIEW:
Staying on top of things…
 Immediately note all changes.
◦ Meeting additions/cancellations
◦ Work schedule changes
◦ Upcoming visitors, etc., etc…
 Preview
the upcoming week making any
necessary adjustments.
 Preview
each day to see what might
happen…
Review
 Time and energy management can make you more
productive and reduce your stress level.
 The Three Steps
◦ Set goals
◦ Make a schedule
◦ Revisit and revise your plan
 Be tough with your time. Actively avoid procrastination
and time wasters. Learn to say “no” to distractions.
 Employ a variety of time management strategies to
maximize your time.
 Relax and enjoy the extra time that you’ve discovered!
COMMON TIME MANAGEMENT
PROBLEMS OFFICE MIS-MANAGEMENT

 Develop an efficient system of office

working.
 Muddle makes work and wastes time. Strive

for good order in your office.

 Utilise all resources fully.
 Handle telephone properly. Don’t let it

become a nuisance.
 To the extent possible, handle a piece of

paper only once.

TIME EFFECTIVENESS IN OFFICES
 Time can be wasted imperceptibly if your
work area is not organised well. Your
desk should be clear of all paper except
the specific job on hand. It invites you to
think about one thing at a time.
Concentration is a great time saver.
 Paper work : Recommended principle is

“to handle each piece of paper only once.”

 Sort papers under : FOR ACTION/

FOR INFORMATION/FOR READING/ FOR

WASTE PAPER
 BOTTOM DRAWER
EFFECTIVE WRITING
 Clarity, simplicity and conciseness are
essentials of good writing.
 Think, List and then Arrange.
 Do not cover too many subjects in one

letter.
 Strive to write one page letters. These are

more digestible.
MAKE THE TELEPHONE WORK FOR
YOU
 Telephone is a great time-saving tool in
right hands.
 Plan your calls.
 Set aside a period of time for making and if

possible, receiving calls

 Timing for each call.
HOW TO CONTROL INTERRUPTIONS

 Set a time limit and stick to it.

 Set the stage in advance : You are very

busy with a deadline in light.

 With casual droppers-in, remain standing.
 Meet in other person’s office.
 Get visitors to the point.
 Be ruthless with time but gracious with

people.
 Have a clock available .
 Use a call-back system for telephone

calls.
YOUR PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANT
 Transform your PA/Secretary into
Professional Assistant .
 Your PA can help you save time by

◦ Keeping unwanted callers at bay – by diverting

them to appropriate person.
◦ Minimizing interruptions; can arrange interviews
suitably.
◦ Dealing with routine correspondence.
COMMON TIME MANAGEMENT
PROBLEMS : MEETINGS
 Meetings are potential time wasters.
 Meetings are necessary evil; distractions
from one’s regular work.
 Try to say ‘No’ to a meeting where you are
not required.
 Agenda should be definite. Every one
should receive the agenda and relevant
papers well in advance.
 There should be a finishing time for
meeting.
 DOs/ DON’Ts FOR
BOSS/CHAIRPERSON/ADMINISTR
ATOR
 Do not call a meeting unless it is necessary
 Do not call a meeting if the task can be handled by a call
or by a small group through formal/ informal discussion
 Meetings are not required to:

 ‘Boss around’ or give ‘messages’

 Socialise
 Rubber stamp decisions
 Pass on information
 Promote private or hidden agenda
 Continue the habit
DOs/DON’Ts FOR
BOSS/CHAIRPERSON/ADMINISTRATO
R
 Call only those who are involved
 Have a written agenda and circulate to all along

with supporting papers

 Do not over-pack the agenda
 Agenda should not have ‘Any other item’
 Start on time
 Stick to agenda
 Beware of ‘Hijackers’
DOs/DON’Ts FOR PARTICIPANTS
 Come prepared (with facts and figures)
 Come on time
 Talk to the point.Do not try to divert the

discussion
 Do not try to hijack the meeting
BOSS-IMPOSED TIME
 Time spent doing things we would not be
doing if we did not have bosses.
 Keeping bosses satisfied takes time, but

dealing with dissatisfied bosses takes even

more time.
 Failing to invest sufficient time to satisfy

bosses always results in more & more

boss-imposed time. With lesser time for
others.
ROLE OF BOSS:BOSS MUST REALISE THAT-
 The time of the subordinate is also
important for the organisation.
 The tasks monitored by you are only part of

duties of subordinate.
 If subordinate is hard pressed for time the

quality of output is bound to suffer.

 System improvements are essential

responsibilities of bosses-particularly those

which reduce time being spend on
unimportant/ unnecessary activities
 You can do only one persons work.
 Perfection, at times, becomes

counterproductive.
ROLE OF SUBORDINATE
 Realise that Boss has a wider vision
 Devote time as per organisational

objectives and your goals

 Go to Boss after doing your home work
 Manage the problems which can be tackled

at your level
PLANNING THE DAY
 Prepare a list of priorities for the day
based on urgency and importance.
 Get the timing right.
 Morning is the time for hard work.
 Interesting work, meetings and social
events can take place in off-peak time.
 Have work-breaks to over come fatigue.
 Living 100% in the present improves your
work output.
OTHER TIME SAVERS

 Concentration, Avoid interruptions

 Use of committed time
 Good Health
 Do not let your subordinate come to you

with problems unless they bring their

proposed solutions.
PROBLEMS OF OVERWORKED
MANAGER
 Why some managers are typically running
out of time while their staff is running out of
work.
◦ They pick up staff’s job. They enjoy & are good at
it.
◦ They try to do things efficiently which are not
worth doing at first place. Efficiency Vs
Effectiveness.
Enjoy your time