Time MNGT Learner Guide

TIME MANAGEMENT
TRAINING
Learner Guide
Details Please Complete this Section
Name & Surname:
Organisation:
Unit/Dept.:
Facilitator Name:
Date Started:
Date of Completion:
Learner Guide US ID - 242811
COPYRIGHT
This guide is part of a learning programme that assists learners to obtain an understanding on
how to prioritise time and work for self and team - ID 242811 at NQF Level 4.
This material is the property of Fachs Business Consulting and Training (Pty) Ltd (Fachs). Fachs
holds the intellectual property and copyright of this Learning Programme. None of the documents
in this learning programme pack may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, graphic,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, typing or information and retrieval systems,
without permission of Fachs issued by an authorised representative thereof.
© Fachs Business Consulting & Training (Pty) Ltd

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Tel: 011 805 0396; Email: info@fachs.co.za 2
Table of Contents
About this Programme .................................................................................................................. 5
1.1. Specific Outcomes and Unit Standard Alignment ........................................................ 5
1.2. Specific Outcomes of this Programme ......................................................................... 8
1.3. Different Role players in Delivery Process ................................................................... 8
1.4. What Learning Material you should have ..................................................................... 9
1.5. Different Types of Activities you can expect .............................................................. 10
1.6. How will you be assessed ............................................................................................ 12
1.7. Learner Support............................................................................................................ 13
SECTION 1: TIME MANAGEMENT PROFILES ........................................................................... 14
1.1. Time Management Basics .................................................................................................. 15
1.2. Time- A Business Resource ............................................................................................... 16
1.3. Techniques for Time Management ..................................................................................... 18
1.4. Time Thieves ...................................................................................................................... 20
1.5 External forces that affect time utilization ................................................................................. 23
SECTION 2: PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE TIME MANAGEMENT IN THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
..................................................................................................................................................... 25
2.1...................................................................................................................................................... The
80/20 Principle ......................................................................................................................... 26
2.2...................................................................................................................................................... Del
egation Principle ....................................................................................................................... 26
2.2.1................................................................................................................................................... The
Core Principles of Effective Delegation .................................................................................. 26
2.3Prioritization Principle ................................................................................................................ 27
2.3.1................................................................................................................................................... Sim
ple Prioritization ..................................................................................................................... 27
2.4. Prioritization Tools................................................................................................................... 28
2.4The Principle of Balance between Work and One’s Personal Life ............................................. 29
SECTION 3: WORK PLANS FOR EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT........................................ 36
3.1...................................................................................................................................................... Effic
ient Work Plans ........................................................................................................................ 37
3.1.1. Setting Objectives of an Organisation ............................................................................. 37
3.1.2. Long term Objectives .................................................................................................. 37
3.2 Four Generations of Time Management ................................................................................... 40
3.3. Assertiveness ..................................................................................................................... 47
3.3.1. The Four Legs of Assertiveness ................................................................................. 48
3.3.2. Submissive (Unassertive) Behaviour .......................................................................... 49
3.3.3. Aggressive Behaviour ................................................................................................. 50
3.3.4. Assertive Behaviour .................................................................................................... 50
3.4. Problem Solving ................................................................................................................. 55
SECTION 4: APPLICATIONS OF TIME EFFICIENT PLANS ....................................................... 60

4.1 Planning: A Critical Time-Saver................................................................................................ 61
CASE STUDY ................................................................................................................................ 61
4.2. Diary Systems – an Important Planning Tool ...................................................................... 63
4.3. Ending the Day: Evaluation and Planning ........................................................................... 65
4.4. Task Attack Strategies........................................................................................................ 65
4.5. The Telephone ................................................................................................................... 67
4.6. Work Delegation by Top Authorities ................................................................................... 68
4.7. The Time/Meetings Issue ................................................................................................... 73
4.8. Procrastination ................................................................................................................... 73
4.9. Crisis Handling and Prevention .......................................................................................... 76

1. Introduction
Welcome to this part of the Programme, leading to the following qualification unit standard:
Title: Prioritise time and work for self and team

ID: 242811
NQF Level: 4
Unit Standard Type: Regular- Fundamental
Credits 5
About this Programme

1.1. Specific Outcomes and Unit Standard Alignment
This Programme will help you to achieve competence in the following Specific Outcomes as tabulated
below:
Specific Outcome 1 Associated Assessment Criteria
Identify time management ❖ Current time management techniques and processes used by
profiles. the learner to manage him/herself and his/her
division/department/section are identified to aid future time
management of the section. (SO 1), (AC 1).
❖ Weaknesses in current work processes are identified in terms
of poor time management. (SO 1), (AC 2).
❖ The top time wasters that impact on the organisation's
productivity are identified with a view to minimizing their
negative influence. (SO 1), (AC 3).
❖ The external forces that affect time utilization are identified
and an explanation is given of their effect with examples. (SO
1), (AC 4).

Understand the principles ❖ The 80/20 principle in identifying key tasks is explained with
of time management. examples. (SO 2), (AC 1).
❖ Delegation as a means of utilizing time and human resources
correctly is explained with examples of good and bad practice.
(SO 2), (AC 2).
❖ Prioritising as a technique to manage the work of a
team/group/section is explored in relation the work of the
specific group and a decision made as to which tasks are of
greater priority for the group. (SO 2), (AC 3).
❖ The principle of balance between the various aspects of one's
life is understood in terms of creating time for them all so as
to optimize one's life. (SO 2), (AC 4).
Draw up time efficient work ❖ The organisation's objectives are understood and clearly
plans to carry out defined in terms of the work that has to be done by the
department/division work department/division/section. (SO 3), (AC 1).
functions. ❖ The objectives are translated into work plans for the
department/division/section. (SO 3), (AC 2).
❖ The key activities required to complete a specific project are
identified and all tasks and work procedures are analysed and
assigned to a specific time frame. (SO 3), (AC 3).
❖ Persons to whom tasks can be delegated are identified and
included in the plan. (SO 3), (AC 4).
❖ Plans eliminate and/or manage time wasters in the
department/division/ section. (SO 3), (AC 5).
❖ Tasks are prioritised in terms of urgency and importance for
the department/division/section/organisation. (SO 3), (AC 6).

Implement time efficient ❖ Delegation is used correctly as a tool by the manager and
work plans. subordinates when applicable to get the work done. (SO 4),
(AC 1).
❖ Emphasis is placed on proactive measures such as efficient
information flow, efficient meeting planning and management
and administrative procedures in the daily work processes of
the department/division/section to minimize time wasting.
(SO 4), (AC 2).
❖ Plans are implemented once all involved are informed of their
roles, duties and functions. (SO 4), (AC 3).
❖ Progress with work plans is monitored on an on-going basis
and amendments are made where necessary. (SO 4), (AC 4).
Critical Cross Field Outcomes

UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING
❖ Learners are able to identify and solve problems using critical and creative thinking, when
prioritizing tasks and translating strategy into action.
UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING
❖ Learners are able to collect, analyse, organize and critically evaluate information in the
translation of strategic intent into daily action.
UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING
❖ Learners are able to communicate effectively with stakeholders regarding the organisation`s
strategy and with the staff with regard to tasks delegated and deadlines expected.
UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING
❖ Learners are able to work effectively in a team using critical and creative thinking. The ability
to delegate is fundamental to this Critical Cross-Field Outcome.
UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING
❖ Learners are able to organise and manage him/herself and his/her activities. It is critical that
the learner be able to manage him/herself by managing his/her time.
UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING

❖ Learners understands that the world is a set of related systems and that lack of time
management in one area of the organization will impact on the performance of others in the
organization.
1.2. Specific Outcomes of this Programme

Please note
Learning outcomes for each section relates to assessment
criteria, range statements and embedded knowledge related to
this unit standard.
You will also find that some learning outcomes are not directly
linked to this unit standard, but they were included to widen
your knowledge and skills in a particular topic based on
conversation with experts in the Industry.
1.3. Different Role players in Delivery Process
For Moderator use only
For Assessor use
For Learner use
For Facilitator use

1.4. What Learning Material you should have
It is important that you take responsibility for your own learning process; this includes taking care
of your learner material.
You should at all times have the following material with you:
This is your textbook and reference material, which provides you with
all the information you will require to meet the specific outcomes.
During your studying sessions, you may refer to the learner support
guide which will enhance the learning process. Included in the Learner
Guide are a variety of activities to assist you to gain knowledge and
skills.
Learner Guide These activities are referred to as Classroom Activities.
These activities will be clearly visible through the use of icons.
for Learners
Make the most of these Classroom sessions.
Learner Portfolio of Evidence

(POE) The POE supports the Learner Guide and will assist you in applying what
you have learnt.
You are required to complete all activities in the POE.
You will find four different categories of activities:
✓ Classroom Activities
✓ Knowledge Activities
✓ Skills Application Activities
✓ Activities to collect Natural Occurring Evidence
The completed activities will provide evidence of your understanding;

will confirm your knowledge and your ability to apply the information,
as well as showing your ability to apply the skills acquired in the
workplace or any other situation.
It is therefore important that you complete all the activities

in this Guide.
Once you have completed all the activities in this guide you must
submit the POE to your learner support advisor who will review and
provide you with feedback.

The Learner Support Advisor will then hand this guide to a Registered
Assessor to conduct a formal assessment. You will receive a detailed
report from the Assessor and you will have an opportunity to revise
activities and resubmit it for assessment.
Reports
Included in this guide are all the reports that will be used by the
assessor and moderator to evaluate and assess you.
1.5. Different Types of Activities you can expect
To accommodate your learning preferences, a variety of different types of activities are included in the
POE, it will assist you to achieve the outcomes and it should guide you through the learning process,
making learning a positive and pleasant experience.
The table below provides you with more information related to the types of activities.
Types of Description Purpose

Activities
Classroom You are required to complete these These activities ensure that you
Activities activities in the during your study understand the content of the
sessions. learning matter and that you get an
opportunity to test your
understanding.
Knowledge You are required to complete these These activities normally test your
Activities activities on your own. understanding and ability to apply
the information.
Skills You need to complete these activities in These activities require you to apply
Application the workplace the knowledge and skills you have
Activities gained in the workplace

Natural You need to collect information and These activities ensure you get the
Occurring samples of documents from the opportunity to learn from experts in
Evidence workplace. the industry.
Collecting examples demonstrates

to you how to implement
knowledge and skills in a practical
way
Each type of activity is associated with an icon to make it easier. The table below provides you with a
summary of all the types’ activities and related icons.
Types of Methods Used
Summarise Key points

Recall Information Listen & Record Design & Develop
Review Information Observe & Record
Take Notes
Self-Assessment Self Reflection Identify

Plan & Prepare
Project
Analyse & Apply

Debate Negotiate
Problem Solving Case Study Compile a Report
Definition
CCFO
Investigate
Communication
Problem Solving Analyse
SCIENCE
Group Discussion CCFO TECH
CCFO
CCFO CCFO

Important Information
Interview Role-play Brain Storming
on Internet
Research Information
Calculate
Compile Complete Describe Insert Evidence Additional Resources Apply and Process
Explain CCFO
1.6. How will you be assessed

The assessment process is easy to follow. You will be guided all along by the Facilitator. Your
responsibility is to complete all the activities in the POE and submit it for assessment.
The process can be illustrated as follows.

1.7. Learner Support

Please remember that this learning programme is based on outcomes based education principles which implies
the following:
You are responsible for your own learning – make sure you manage your study, research and
workplace time responsibly.
Learning activities are learner driven – make sure you use the Learner Guide and POE in the manner
intended, and are familiar with the workplace requirements.
You are responsible for the safekeeping of your completed POE and Workplace Guide.
If you have any special needs please inform the Learner Support Advisor.
Your attitude and motivation directly will influence the value that you get from this learning
programme.
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to

live forever.”
Mahatma Gandhi

SECTION 1: TIME MANAGEMENT PROFILES

Specific Outcome
On completion of this section you will be able to identify time
management profiles.
Assessment Criteria
On completion of this section you will be able to:

❖ Current time management techniques and processes used by the
learner to manage him/herself and his/her division/department/section
are identified to aid future time management of the section (SO1, AC1).
❖ Weaknesses in current work processes are identified in terms of poor
time management (SO2, AC2).
❖ The top time wasters that impact on the organisation's productivity are
identified with a view to minimizing their negative influence (SO1, AC3).
❖ The external forces that affect time utilization are identified and an
explanation is given of their effect with examples, so as to optimize
one's life (SO1, AC4).

1.1. Time Management Basics

Efficient time management ensures that you have enough time to get through your daily task. Time
management is a science with set out rules that will give you the opportunity to utilize time optimally
if you follow them. Time is most probably our most valuable asset. The effective use of time can
increase our personal productivity and continue to improve general profitability.
Approaches to time management have changed over the years, but in many ways the issues remain
the same:
• Setting objectives
• Prioritising them
• Planning or scheduling when to do the task
• Getting started (in enough time)
• Finishing the task
In the 1930's, a time management expert went to see a company. The Managing Director had no
time. He told the manager to write down, each day, the five things that were most important (not
the most urgent) to do, to mark them 1,2,3,4 & 5 and to do them, in order, and not touch the next
one until the previous one was finished.
The Manager agreed to try it and asked what the expert charged. The expert said: "Send me a
cheque for what you think its worth." Six months later he received a cheque for $100 000.
The Glass Jar

Now experts are more likely to start with a demonstration. In a large glass jar, they put in big stones,
until no more can go into the jar. They ask their audience if the jar is full. Some say yes, some say no.
Next they fill up some of the spaces between the rocks with gravel. They ask their audience if the jar is
full. More say yes, some still say no.
They pour fine sand into the jar, filling up the spaces even more. They ask their audience if the jar is
full. Most say yes, a few still say no.
They take a jug of water and pour it into the jar until it is full to the brim with water. The audience
agrees that the jar is full. They draw the conclusion that you can keep putting more and more into your
life until it is really fully occupied.

This is wrong. The real conclusion is that you can't get the big rocks in unless you put them in first. Then
you can let the rubbish creep into the spaces.
The emphasis in time management work today is on life-wide planning. We train people to think of
their roles in life (manager, mother, community member, woman, wife or partner, physical being,
spiritual being, social and emotional being etc.), to set objectives in these different areas. They then
schedule the "big rocks" of each area of their lives...and fit the rest in within an "80% is good enough"
approach.
We train them to use the skills which make people time-effective - assertiveness, clear communication,
courtesy, adult behaviour. They learn how to prioritise, what is urgent, what is important, they learn
to have effective meetings and telephone conversations. We train them to make sure that they have a
time effective environment, good systems.
All of it works - if the person concerned does the work of setting objectives, scheduling them and
getting on with the tasks involved. People who value the resource of time (theirs and others) and have
a vision of what they could do with time besides waste it, as the best candidates for time management
training.
1.2. Time- A Business Resource

Your organisation, like other businesses, produces goods and/or services, and goes through a “business
process. In this process, you (the human resources of the business) take your time, efforts, creativity
etc., and join those with money (capital) equipment and technology, knowledge and materials, to
produce an output which people will buy. You then sell (market) this output for a bit more that the
total of all your inputs and so you make a profit.
Input Process Output
Resources: -----------------> the business Profit:

men & women (e.g. -----------------> process Your organisation’s ability to
time labour creativity) -----------------> survive

money -----------------> pay wages and costs

machinery -----------------> develop, expand etc
materials pay back interest and/or capital
information to shareholders etc
You are part of the limited Where are you in the business If the company uses its resources
resources of your company process? well, the output will be good.
How does your good/poor The most successful companies
performance affect the process? get the best use of their
resources
and so -> best output
Exercise
1. Time is, however, different from certain other business resources (e.g. capital, materials)
Explain why:
2. Imagine that you are a plumber or some other hourly paid worker, and imagine what it would
be like if you were only paid for the actual hours of effective work that you put into your job.
Would your approach to your job change? How?

1.3. Techniques for Time Management

❖ Diary management:
If you have many job functions and many deadlines to meet, it is imperative that you diarise all
important meetings and deadlines or priorities, so that you have a plan to assist you in managing your
time.
Key Tips in Diary Management:
✓ Maintain a diary
✓ Allow for corrections / amendments
✓ Enter known key events in advance
✓ Enter meetings
✓ Book meetings with yourself
✓ Colour code

❖ Telephone Management:
✓ Are you allowing interruptions?
✓ Divert your calls
✓ When you are busy agree to ring back.
✓ Plan your phone calls in advance
✓ Never wait longer than 3 rings
✓ Only if URGENT hang on.
✓ After the call DECIDE what to do with the information
✓ Note in your diary action points.
✓ Use phone calls to vary your work pattern.
❖ Meetings Management:
✓ Ensure it’s really necessary
✓ Invite only those who need to attend
✓ Check everyone’s time constraints
✓ Set a realistic agenda
✓ Rank the agenda items
✓ Distinguish URGENT, IMPORTANT & NECESSARY items
✓ Appoint a “timekeeper”
✓ Stick to the agenda!
✓ Get agreement on action points.
❖ Create quiet, uninterrupted times
It is possible to ask people to give you “break” to get some work done.
One lawyer circulated this memo to his office:

After considerable thought and a great many unproductive days, I have concluded it is vital to my
work that I establish a “quiet period” during which I can get important jobs done without being
interrupted by telephone calls, visitors, meetings and other distractions. Consequently, I want to
establish an interruption-free period of time from 9:00 to 10:30 in the morning to assist me in better
and more productive use of my time. In this effort, I need all of the help that your skills, intelligence
and co-operation can provide. Thank you.
❖ Arrive at work early to take advantage of the quiet time before employees arrive
Activity
1. What time do you arrive at work? Is it possible to arrive at least fifteen minutes before
official starting time?
2. What are the things you can do when you arrive 15- 30 minutes earlier in the morning?
3. Write a to-do list of the things you have to do when after the end of the programme today
(business and personal)
1.4. Time Thieves

There are many time thieves that will really eat into your time if you allow them to. To free up your
time you need to identify those time wasters, decide what you want to do about them and then take
action. Below is a list of time wasters. Just consider in what way these are relevant to you, rather than
just assume they're not. This will open you up to seeing how you can make improvements in the use
of your time.

1. Poor Planning: Failure to see the value of planning and getting impatient to get something
done are the causes of poor planning. Absence of a plan of action is likely to trigger off a false
start, resulting in unproductive time utilization on the critical path of the task being
undertaken. Consequently, the managers might not find enough time for completing the task.
2. Crisis Management: Most often, crisis management is an offspring of lack of prioritization of

tasks. As a result of the inability to distinguish between the urgent, the important and the
unnecessary tasks, unimportant tasks are likely to get done first at the cost of important tasks.
Consequently, the managers are not likely to find enough time to get around to the important
things.
3. Procrastination: It is easy to put off tasks if they are not due right away. The trouble is, tasks
pile up and can force managers to run into a time crunch later. Procrastination is generally
triggered off by the fear of failure / success, perfectionism, wanting to do it all or incorrect
priorities. It is a virtue to want to do a good job. But some people become so anxious about
getting a job done perfectly that they never complete it. Managers should examine whether
their efforts to get the job done perfectly are really improving things or preventing them from
getting the job done.
4. Interruptions: Interruptions and distractions arise due to lack of planning, poor concentration
and lack of control over environment. They are unnecessary thieves of a manager’s time and
come in many forms – drop-in visitors, telephones, e-mails unscheduled meetings, poor
communications and confused chain of authority etc. Managers should be less willing to
automatically give away their time just because they demand it. They should learn to avoid
distractions if they are to get work done. They should work in areas where they are less likely
to be disturbed and tell people when they are busy and cannot be disturbed. Handbook on
Time Management Skills
5. Not Delegating: Wanting-to-do-all by oneself is yet another thief that could let the managers
lose control. They feel that employees can never do anything as well as they can. They fear
that something will go wrong if someone else takes over a job. They lack time for long-range
planning because they are bogged down in day-to-day operations.

6. Unnecessary Meetings: If a meeting is held without a specific agenda and nothing productive
comes out of it, clearly that meeting was unnecessary. Obviously, such meetings are thieves
as the time is wasted and things just do not get started.
7. The “shuffling blues”: Managers often waste much time because of disorganization. Keeping
things that they need in a specific place, eliminating clutter, making sure that they have all the
materials or information that they need before starting on the task and following a day-planner
or schedule will help keep the ‘shuffling blues’ away at the work place.
8. Poor Physical Setup: Not having the things that the managers need frequently within easy
reach and having a lot of the things that they seldom require close-by results in wastage of a
lot of time, wearing out the carpet, retrieving what they frequently need. And of course, as
they pass others they will often pull them aside to steal some of their time.
9. Poor Networking: Quality relationships with employees and others can be a substantial time-
saver as they open doors for the managers with all kinds of opportunities. Failing to develop a
good network base will cause them to waste time creating what they might have had through
their network.
10. Bad Attitude: Nothing sinks a day more effectively than having a poor attitude. It causes the
managers to dwell on the problems and not the solutions and makes it possible to throw the
day away. When they are burdening others with their problems and complaints they are
forfeiting their valuable time.
11. Negative People: Being surrounded by negative people could mean the managers are
spending a lot of their time listening to them but getting nothing much or purposeful from
them. Obviously, avoiding such people will help the managers to minimize wasted hours and
get some of their productive time back.
Activity
1. State and explain main time wasters found in an organisation

2. List those time wasters which apply to your own work environment
1.5 External forces that affect time utilization

▪ Telephone Interruptions: Delegation of authority and responsibility is an ideal way of
controlling telephone interruptions. Also fixing specific time slots for socializing and business
will help the managers effectively reduce the telephone interruptions. Implementation of the
screening procedures also lessens the burden of unwanted telephone intrusions.
▪ Drop-in Visitors: Taking time-log of visits and implementing a plan to arrange and screen
appointments is an effective way of dealing with drop-in visitors. Managers can also have ‘Open
Door’ and ‘Quiet Hour” timings fixed so that they are not distracted when certain of their tasks
demand undivided personal attention.
▪ Meetings: Setting a clear agenda before will provide the right direction to the meetings and
elicit positive outcomes from them. Selecting an appropriate location and assessing the needs
of participation, information and coordination are also important prerequisites in conducting
meetings. Concise minutes summarizing decisions, assignments and deadlines followed by
effective follow-up on decisions make meetings purposeful.

▪ Unclear Communication: Managers must assess the legitimate needs for information and check
for interference, noise or activity in the flow of information. They should also assess potential
impact of unclear communication, take preventive steps and minimize organizational levels. If
it is difficult to minimize organizational levels, they should facilitate easy flow of information
across the organization.
▪ Confused Authority / Responsibility: Managers must lay emphasis on accountability for results;
through recognition and reward for exercise of initiative; through citation, consideration in
performance and salary review, promotion, etc.
Activity
List and discuss external factors that affect time utilisation

SECTION 2: PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE TIME MANAGEMENT

IN THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Specific Outcome
On completion of this section you will be able to understand the
principles of time management
Assessment Criteria

❖ The 80/20 principle in identifying key tasks is explained with examples
(SO2, AC1).
❖ Delegation as a means of utilizing time and human resources correctly is
explained with examples of good and bad practice (SO2, AC2).
❖ Prioritising as a technique to manage the work of a team/group/section
is explored in relation the work of the specific group and a decision made
as to which tasks are of greater priority for the group (SO2, AC3).
❖ The principle of balance between the various aspects of one's life is
understood in terms of creating time for them all so as to optimize one's
life (SO2, AC4).
2.1. The 80/20 Principle

The Pareto Law (80/20 Principle) is a hypothesis - out of 100% of the work that we do, 20% of that
work will produce 80% of our income. Conversely, we spend 80% of our time earning 20% of our
pay. While the ratio is not always 80:20, this broad pattern of a small proportion of activity
generating non-scalar returns recurs so frequently as to be the norm in many areas.
By applying the time management tips and skills in this section you can optimize your effort to
ensure that you concentrate as much of your time and energy as possible on the high payoff tasks.
This ensures that you achieve the greatest benefit possible with the limited amount of time
available to you.
2.2. Delegation Principle

Being productive is not a lone sport. To be truly productive in a work setting, you must rely on your
team to help you. That's why work teams are the preferred way to reach goals – together, you can
achieve much more than with the single efforts of individuals.
To use the power of teamwork, you must know how to delegate effectively. Delegating isn't simply
having others do your work – successful delegation ensures that the right person performs the task,
regardless of who is ultimately responsible for getting it done. When people are able to work on
their high-priority tasks, then everybody – and your organization – wins. If you spend too much time
doing work that other people could do, and you have no time to make progress on your own key
objectives, then you need to re-evaluate who should be doing what on a regular basis.
Delegating effectively means providing sufficient support and resources so that another person can
complete the job well. It doesn't mean micromanaging the process and checking every 10 minutes
that things are being done right (in other words, "your way"). To delegate successfully, learn how
to let go and trust people to do what must be done. When you do this on a regular basis and build
a team of people who all help one another as needed, your productivity levels will increase radically.
2.2.1. The Core Principles of Effective Delegation

To empower is to create and foster relationships in which people understand their significance,
possibilities and strengths. People who are empowered have a clear understanding of their

Tel: 011 805 0396; Email: info@fachs.co.za
26
authority, responsibility, accountability and valued role in the team, and they have autonomy that
is symbiotic with others. You get power by giving power. Delegation is about giving pieces of power
to team members thus empowering them to take responsibility.
• Empowerment Requirements
When delegating, it is important to delegate a task with both authority and responsibility. Giving a
staff member a job is only one side of the organising coin: the other side is giving him/her worker
the authority and responsibility to do the job properly.
• Responsibility
Responsibility is the obligation to carry out the assigned task to completion. In other words, once
a person accepts responsibility, he/she become obliged to complete the job he/she has been given.
• Authority
Authority is the power to make decisions and use resources without getting permission from
someone else. The amount of authority varies from situation to situation.
Authority and responsibility are part of a chain. The process of handling down tasks with authority
and responsibility is delegation.
2.3 Prioritization Principle

Prioritization is the essential skill you need to make the very best use of your own efforts and
those of your team. It's also a skill that you need to create calmness and space in your life so
that you can focus your energy and attention on the things that really matter.
It is particularly important when time is limited and demands are seemingly unlimited. It helps you
to allocate your time where it is most-needed and most wisely spent, freeing you and your team up
from less important tasks that can be attended to later, or quietly dropped.
With good prioritization (and careful management of deprioritized tasks) you can bring order to
chaos, massively reduce stress, and move towards a successful conclusion. Without it, you'll
flounder around, drowning in competing demands.
2.3.1. Simple Prioritization
At a simple level, you can prioritize based on time constraints, on the potential profitability or
benefit of the task you're facing, or on the pressure you're under to complete a job:

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• Prioritization based on project value or profitability is probably the most commonly-used and
rational basis for prioritization. Whether this is based on a subjective guess at value or a
sophisticated financial evaluation, it often gives the most efficient results.
• Time constraints are important where other people are depending on you to complete a task,
and particularly where this task is on the critical path of an important project. Here, a small amount
of your own effort can go a very long way.
• And it's a brave (and maybe foolish) person who resists his or her boss's pressure to complete a
task, when that pressure is reasonable and legitimate.
2.4. Prioritization Tools

While these simple approaches to prioritization suit many situations, there are plenty of special
cases where you'll need other tools if you're going to be truly effective. We look at some of these
below:
Paired Comparison Analysis

Paired Comparison Analysis is most useful where decision criteria are vague, subjective or
inconsistent. It helps you prioritize options by asking you to compare each item on a list with all
other items on the list individually. By deciding in each case which of the two is most important,
you can consolidate results to get a prioritized list.
Grid Analysis
Grid Analysis helps you prioritize a list of tasks where you need to take many different factors into
consideration.
The Action Priority Matrix

This quick and simple diagramming technique asks you to plot the value of the task against the
effort it will consume. By doing this you can quickly spot the "quick wins" which will give you the
greatest rewards in the shortest possible time, and avoid the "hard slogs" which soak up time for
little eventual reward. This is an ingenious approach for making highly efficient prioritization
decisions.
The Urgent/Important Matrix

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Similar to the Action Priority Matrix, this technique asks you to think about whether tasks are
urgent or important.
Frequently, seemingly urgent tasks actually aren't that important. And often, really important
activities (like working towards your life goals) just aren't that urgent. This approach helps you cut
through this.
The Ansoff Matrix and the Boston Matrices

These give you quick "rules of thumb" for prioritizing the opportunities open to you.
The Ansoff Matrix helps you evaluate and prioritize opportunities by risk. The Boston Matrix does a
similar job, helping you prioritize opportunities based on the attractiveness of a market and your
ability to take advantage of it.
Pareto Analysis
Where you're facing a flurry of problems needing to be solved, Pareto Analysis helps you identify
the most important changes to make.
It firstly asks you to group together the different types of problem you face, and then asks you to
count the number of cases of each type of problem. By prioritizing the most common type of
problem, you can focus your efforts on resolving it. This clears time to focus on the next set of
problems, and so on.
Nominal Group Technique

Nominal Group Technique is a useful technique for prioritizing issues and projects within a group,
giving everyone fair input into the prioritization process. This is particularly useful where consensus
is important, and where a robust group decision needs to be made.
Using this tool, each group participant "nominates" his or her priority issues, and then ranks them
on a scale, of say 1 to 10. The score for each issue is then added up, with issues then prioritized
based on scores. The obvious fairness of this approach makes it particularly useful where
prioritization is based on subjective criteria, and where people's "buy in" to the prioritization
decision is needed.
2.4 The Principle of Balance between Work and One’s Personal Life
To begin to understand how we can manage our time and ourselves better, it helps to look at our
attitudes and behaviour toward time – how we perceive it, and how we use it. Cardiologists Meyer

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Friedman and Ray Rosenman explored the connections between work patterns and heart disease,
and discover the two distinct styles which they called type A and type B. Our individual style has a
powerful effect on how we behave at work, and on our whole approach to time management. Our
style is often the result deeply felt needs and motivation, and will naturally affect how we view and
use time.
Type A Behaviour
Type A behaviour tends to be:
• Competitive
• Ambitious
• Action-orientated
• Do more in less time
• Concerned with performance
• Productivity
They can also be:

• Aggressive
• Impatient
• Intolerant
• Hurried
• Strong need to dominate others
• Hidden insecurities
• Strong drive to succeed
• Hard to relax
• Prone to heart disease
A type A person rushes around at great speed, trying to pack more and more into an already hectic
day. Person A likes to achieve – and prefers to measure progress in figures – less interested in
qualitative measures. Type A will frequently do several things at once – completing a report whilst
on the telephone, thinking about something else when someone asks for help.

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Type A is confident and self-assured on the surface, but underneath he is often given to self-doubt.
These doubts curb some of his wilder decisions and schemes, but can also make him insecure.
Type A is very competitive and likes to challenge others’ decisions and views. He is sometimes
aggressive towards others, and can be very impatient towards anyone he considers to be wasting
his time.
Type A is rarely satisfied with his achievements, and tends to work harder to make life better in the
future. This makes it difficult to enjoy the present, and to relax. If A ever does allow himself to
relax and switch off, it rarely lasts for long. He feels guilty about it, and works harder to make up
for lost time.
Personal relationships and home life often take second place. He has been known to cancel his
holiday due to work pressure. He often feels as if he doesn’t devote enough time to his private life
or to new interests, and feels similar time pressures at work – constantly striving to do more in less
time.
Type A finds it difficult to say “NO” and willingly overloads himself with work. This leaves him little
time to plan or control his work, and everything seems top priority. He thinks, eats, walks and talks
quickly.
Type A Behaviour Action Points

Type A people tend to take on more work than what they really can cope with. This results in a
focus on quantity rather than quality. Bad habits, fire-fighting etc. become acceptable as long as
the deadline can be met.
A lack of sensitivity and appreciation of the contributions of other people is another development
area. You could be too independent to have good interpersonal skills. The sense of achievement
is often short-lived and fleeting.
Some strategies to improve type A behaviour

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• Work hard at creating performance goals, activities and priorities. Decide on what you are going
to achieve and stick to this and no more. Learn to say no!
• Begin to plan your work and time more effectively. Take active control over your workload and
plan to do less and delegate more. Learn to stop doing too much!
• Begin to set higher quality goals and be prepared to measure yourself qualitatively.
• Learn to relax with yourself! Take pleasure from your achievements!
• Keep your sense of independence and drive. Be active and positive.
• Don’t dampen the contributions of others – give people more space and flexibility and you will
achieve far higher teamwork and output.
• Concentrate on one thing at a time
➢ Remember that your time is precious and need to be protected – delegate or refuse some
activities
“Recognise that life is unfinished business – it is unrealistic to believe you will finish everything
needing to be done without something else needing to be done presenting itself”
Type B Behaviour
Type B’s are:
• Calmer
• Relaxed
• Easy-going
• Less time to think
• Reflect
• Obsessed with time
• Less prone to heart attacks
Type B can be so relaxed and laid-back that at times he can infuriate others. There are many more
important things to do to him than achieving goals. He abhors deadlines and strives not to have to
abide by them. He is more interested in the quality of his work rather than the quantity. He likes
to think abstractly, but tends to be too vague.

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Type B is not always self-confident or self-assured, and tends to depend on being accepted by others
and affiliating with them. He is a willing listener to the views and ideas of others and is often ready
to subjugate his own opinions without feeling aggressive or challenged. He is well liked by others,
is rarely aggressive and impatient and seldom interrupts.
Type B takes a relaxed view on life – and often his life can just drift by. People nag him for being
too laid back – complacent even.
Type B people tend to under achieve. Other people may view them as complacent and too self-
satisfied
Type A is not better than type B – or vice-versa – they are merely different patterns – they both
have strengths and weaknesses. Most people tend to have a mixture of the two types, which
is ideal.
Type B Behaviour Action Points

Work hard at stretching performance goals, activities and priorities. Decide on what you want to
do and drive harder to achieve these goals. Don’t procrastinate. Do it now!
Begin to plan your work and time more effectively. As your workload increases, you will need to
plan and organise yourself. Actively seek more work and organise it well.
Begin to set higher quantity goals and be prepared to measure yourself by numbers and output.
Learn to bring your ideas down to concrete reality and concentrate on the job at hand. Translate
your thoughts into measurable action!
Review your strengths and weaknesses as a manager of people. Are you allowing too much
freedom and discussion in your team and is the team under-achieving?
Work Behaviour Assessment

Consider the factors below and circle a number that best represents your work behaviour. Marking
1 or 2 means that you feel strongly about the statement on the left, whereas marking 4 or 5 means

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that you feel strongly about the statement on the right. Marking a three means that both
statements are equally important to you.
For me success depends upon driving 1234 5 For me, success depends upon many
hard for results. I set my goals and I factors, apart from my goals
drive hard to achieve on time
I often do many things at the same 1234 5 I always do one thing at a time
time
I prefer that my work is measurable 1234 5 I don’t mind if my work is measurable,

and I prefer numbers as the measure but I prefer qualitative measures
I am seen as very confident and self- 12345 Although I am confident and self-
assured. I believe this is an important assured, I don’t think I am necessarily
part of my personality seen in this way
I get most satisfaction from 1234 5 I get most satisfaction from achieving
achieving things that will give me a things that will give me a better
better future present
I am very competitive and I often 1234 5 I don’t feel particularly competitive

challenge people, ideas and and I rarely challenge people, ideas or
decisions decisions
I often feel aggressive and I have to 1234 5 I very rarely feel aggressive and I have
control any hostile feelings no submerged hostile feelings
I often become impatient with 1234 5 I very rarely become impatient with
people and I am prone to interrupt people, and I always allow a person
them plenty of time to finish their speaking
I have difficulty in relaxing and even 1234 5 I have no difficulty at all in relaxing
when I do I sometimes feel guilty and I never feel guilty about it

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I often feel the pressure of time and 1234 5 I very rarely feel the pressure of time
deadlines and deadlines
Add up the numbers you have encircled and divide by 10.

Score:
If you have a number between 1.0 and 1.4, then you are clearly type A
A number between 1.5 and 2.4 shows you have a strong tendency to type A behaviour
If your number is between 2.5 and 3.5 then you have a balanced style
A number between 3.6 and 4.5 means that you have a strong tendency towards type B behaviour
A number between 4.6 and 5,0 means that you are clearly type b in work behaviour
Activity - Interpretation
1. Based on your interpretation, what are your key areas for improvement?
2. What are your strongest factors?

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SECTION 3: WORK PLANS FOR EFFECTIVE TIME

MANAGEMENT
Specific Outcome
On completion of this section you will be able to draw up time efficient
work plans to carry out department/division work functions.
Assessment Criteria

❖ The organisation's objectives are understood and clearly defined in
terms of the work that has to be done by the
department/division/section. (SO3, AC1).
❖ The objectives are translated into work plans for the
department/division/section (SO3, AC2).
❖ The key activities required to complete a specific project are
identified and all tasks and work procedures are analysed and
assigned to a specific time frame (SO3, AC3).
❖ Persons to whom tasks can be delegated are identified and included
in the plan (SO3, AC4).
❖ Plans eliminate and/or manage time wasters in the
department/division/ section (SO3, AC5).
❖ Tasks are prioritised in terms of urgency and importance for the
department/division/section/organisation. (SO3, AC6).

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3.1. Efficient Work Plans

How often do you find yourself running out of time? Weekly, daily, hourly? For many, it seems that
there's just never enough time in the day to get everything done. When you know how to manage
your time you gain control. Rather than busily working here, there, and everywhere (and not getting
much done anywhere), effective time management helps you to choose what to work on and when.
This is essential if you're to achieve anything of any real worth.
We've put together an interactive Time Management Quiz to help you identify the aspects of time
management that you need most help with. The results will point you to the specific tools you need
to use to gain control of your time, and start working efficiently.
3.1.1. Setting Objectives of an Organisation

Setting objectives can be described as the work you do in order to create a plan of action to achieve
future goals and to assign a completion date for the activity. You should set objectives at any stage
of your life. One should never have the attitude of “I have arrived and therefore have nowhere else
to go”.
3.1.2. Long term Objectives

There are many long-term objectives which the good manager must achieve, particularly with
regard to the development, support and motivation of his/her work-team. Long term objectives
have the problem of being important but not urgent; they do not have deadlines, they are distant
and remote. For this reason, it is all too easy to ignore them in favour of the urgent and
immediate. Clearly a balance must be struck.
The beauty of Time Management is that the balance can be decided objectively (without influence
from immediate deadlines) and self-imposed through the use of the diary. Simply, a manager might
decide that one hour a week should be devoted to personnel issues and would then allocate a
regular block of time to that activity. Of course if the factory is on fire, or World War III is declared,
the manager may have to re-allocate this time in a particular week - but barring such crises, this
time should then become sacrosanct and always applied to the same, designated purpose.

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Similarly, time may be allocated to staff development and training. So if one afternoon a month is
deemed to be a suitable allocation, then simply designate the second Thursday (say) of each month
and delegate the choice of speakers. The actual time spent in managing this sort of long term
objective is small, but without that deliberate planning it will not be achieved.
Guidelines for Establishing Objectives:

Objectives should be:
• Clearly stated and concise
• Realistic and achievable
• Be measurable (in terms of time etc.)
• Guidelines to action
• Ambitious enough to offer a challenge
• Be worthwhile if chosen
One of the guidelines states that an objective should be measurable.

Objectives can be measured in terms of:
• Time: e.g. by December 2000, at three month intervals
• Quantity: increase by 5%, one kilogram per month
• Quality: to meet ISO 9002 standards
• Cost/value: reduce overheads by R10 000
Quiz
Are these objectives clear?
Objective Yes/No
To maintain good staff relations
To ensure that John Smith understands the rules
To conform to the Labour Relations requirements of the Act
To ensure that employees comply with the “no smoking in the training room” rule
To exploit potential sales opportunities

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To improve absenteeism
To ensure that staff park in the correct parking bays
To improve quality control
To increase the number of clients by 10% by the end of 2001
To maintain the building
Ultimately every job, every task, every decision, every act is done for the customer. And if it
isn’t? As far as the organisation is concerned, it’s wasted
Possible obstacles and problems include:

• Being let down by other people
• Availability of resources
• Personal insecurity
• Non-co-operation of others (from inefficiency to sabotage)
• Real or perceived lack of skills, knowledge or information
• Fear (of commitment, success, failure, change etc.)
• Self-consciousness
• Lack of confidence etc.
• You need to look at your personal objectives from time to time.
Objectives/goals are:
• Short term – more predictable and concrete (e.g. six months)
• Medium term – longer time period attached (e.g. one year)
• Long term – longer time period attached, less predictable (e.g. five years)
Activity
1. Think of a situation (at work, in your personal life) that you need to address.
2. State the objective, keeping the above guidelines in mind.

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3. When setting objectives, one has to be realistic. Things can go wrong. Before any plan is
therefore put into action, it is important to look at possible obstacles and problem
What can go wrong with implementing your objective?
3.2 Four Generations of Time Management

Stephen R Covey is of the opinion that effective time management revolves around a single
phrase: organise and execute around priorities. He identified four generations of time
management as:

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1. Notes and checklists – an effort to give some semblance of recognition and inclusiveness to
the many demands placed on our time and energy.
2. Calendars and appointment books – this is an attempt to look ahead and schedule activities
in the future.
3. Prioritisation, of clarifying values- the current time management field. It adds to the above
fields the idea of comparing the relative worth of the activities based on their relationship
to those values. In addition it focuses on setting goals toward which time and energy would
be directed in harmony with values. It also includes the concept of daily planning – making
a specific plan to accomplish goals.
4. The fourth was born after people feeling too restricted by schedules and being too
“efficient”. Being too efficient often clashed with human needs and the need to enjoy
spontaneous moments on a daily basis. The fourth generation therefore suggests that we
not only manage our time, but that we manage ourselves.
Not only should we focus on the thins and time, but also on preserving and enhancing
relationships and on accomplishing results
Two factors that determine an activity.

Urgent means it requires immediate attention. We react to urgent matters. A ringing phone is
urgent. Urgent matters are usually visible. They press on us, they insist on action. Often they are
pleasant, easy, and fun to do. But so often they are unimportant!
Important has to do with results. If something is important it contributes to your mission, your
values, and your high priority goals. Important matters require pro-active thoughts and initiative.
The results of spending too much time on the task

Tasks relating to these four quadrants need to be managed properly. People who spend too much
time on crises tasks are literally beaten up by problems all day every day. The results of spending
too much time on these tasks are:
• Stress
• Burnout

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• Crisis management
• Always putting out fires
Other people spend too much time doing the urgent but not important things. They spend most of
their time reacting to things that are urgent, assuming that they are also important. The reality is
that the urgency is often based on the priorities and expectations of others.
This behaviour may lead to:

• Short-term focus
• Crisis management
• Reputation – chameleon character
• See goals and plans as worthless
• Feel victimised, out of control
• Shallow or broken relationships
People who spend time almost exclusively doing trivia and interruptions basically lead irresponsible
lives. Results of living in these quadrants are:
• Total irresponsibility
• Fired from jobs
• Dependent on others for basics
Effective time users try not to get involved with trivia and interruptions because, urgent or not, they
are not important. They also shrink crises down to size by spending more time on relationship
building. Spending time on important but not urgent tasks is the heart of effective time and
personal management. It deals with things that are not urgent, but are important. It deals with
things like building relationships, long-range planning, exercising, preventive maintenance,
preparations – all those things we know we need to do but somehow never get round to doing.
Spending time on building relationships results in:

• Vision, perspective
• Balance
• Discipline

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• Control
• Few crises
Activity
1. Can you cut down on some of your urgent and important tasks (e.g. delegate, refuse)? Write
these down.
2. Think of your spending time on the not important tasks.
List these tasks that you should try to avoid
3. Think of an important but not urgent activity that you should do (building relationships, planning
etc.)

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How Business People Waste each Other’s Time

Make a list of how people in your organisation waste each other’s time
You will probably have noticed that your list includes: Poor communication, unclear, incomplete,
ambiguous communication... a whole range of problems from-not-explaining-properly (or at all) to
playing psychological games
• Indecision and procrastination
• Laziness, idleness, chatting, socialising
• Mistaken priorities - maybe doing things right, but not doing the right things
• Not getting work outputs, or making decisions or delaying decision on the critical path of a project
(this may be tied to inefficient systems, or ineffective performance)

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• Stubbornness & resistance to innovations, refusal to use new systems or technology, sabotaging
such systems by passive or aggressive means
• Dealing with anxieties or “butt-covering” by "sticking to the system" "going by the book" and red
tape
• Trying to do too much
• Perfectionism, nit-picking at trivia
• Refusing to delegate (especially small decisions) - this may be tied to lack of trust in others
• Territorial behaviour - hoarding decisions, papers and files, projects
• Not saying no - usually saying yes and then not delivering or getting onto the "trying to do too
much" mistake. This is usually because people refuse to recognise that saying “yes” to anything
also means saying “no” to something else
• Poor time keeping affecting others
• Bringing personal problems into the office
How and Where Managers Waste Subordinates’ Time

Quiz
You are a manager in your organisation. With those people who report to me:
• Give yourself a 1 if the statement is nearly always true of you.
• Give yourself a 2 if the statement is usually true of you.
• Give yourself a 3 if the statement is only sometimes true of you.
• Give yourself a 4 if the statement is usually NOT true of you.
1. I let them deal with routine matters and make small decisions rather than wait for me for everything
- and I give them the authority to do so. I CAN delegate!
1 2 3 4
2. I don't keep all the interesting jobs for myself and dump all the boring, unpleasant or unwanted jobs
on my people. I share some of the challenging, exciting work with them and do some of the “donkey”
work myself.
1 2 3 4
What interesting, challenging or growth generating tasks have you given someone who reports to
you in the last month?
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3. I train my people to make decisions - and I watch out for where they need more training to
become even more independent, creative and responsible.
1 2 3 4
4. When I entrust a project to a subordinate, I give him/her an overview on the objectives to be met
(rather than telling him/her how to do the job). I give him/her scope to do it his/her way, and I give
him/her enough authority to make any necessary decisions.
1 2 3 4
5. I always communicate the nature of the work I want people to do - clearly. I have some sort
of deadline, follow-up or control system so that I can get early warning if they are not managing or
are falling behind.
1 2 3 4
6. When my people have a problem, I ask that they bring me 1) an analysis of the problem, 2) a list of
options and 3) their recommendations as to what we should do. Then I discuss it with them.
1 2 3 4
Wasting Co-Workers’ and Managers’ Time

Quiz
With those people I report to:

1. I have made a slot in my day to communicate with my manager, and I explain clearly and listen
carefully while we plan whatever work must be done. I ask questions if I am not sure, and take notes
of any instructions or guidelines s/he gives me.
1 2 3 4

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2. My manager knows that I am interested in getting jobs done, effectively. I often ask why we are
doing something, and how we can do it better, rather than worrying about covering myself by doing
things “by the book”.
1 2 3 4
3. I respect my manager's time and don't go to him/her with half thought-out problems which s/he
then has to sort out.
1 2 3 4
4. If I do take an unfinished job to my manager, it is not just a "dumping" exercise but a "two heads are
better than one" tactic: I go to him/her with the facts, I've thought about the options and (if I am asked)
I am ready to give my opinion of what should be done.
1 2 3 4
5. I do check back with my manager on large projects if I am not sure that I am on track or doing things
correctly. However, this is efficient and results-orientated, not a matter of long reports and red tape.
1 2 3 4
6. I have thought about how my manager wastes my time and analysed where the problem areas lie. I
have plans to do something effective about it.
1 2 3 4
3.3. Assertiveness
Saying no is a very effective way to save your and other’s time and saying “NO” to one thing
means saying yes to something else
Questions to ask when saying "NO" to someone:

• How does the request fit in with my priorities?
• What is the cost in time and energy of the request?
• What would you put in place of this if you said "NO"?
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• What is the cost to my self-esteem when I weakly agree to things I'd rather not do?
• Are there alternatives, or ways in which the task can get done while other objectives are still
achieved?
Activity
What things in your life do you need to say NO to, in order to have the time for the things you
want to do?
Social? Office? Home? Family? Relatives? Volunteer or community activities?
3.3.1. The Four Legs of Assertiveness

Assertiveness, like a powerful animal, stands on 4 legs. Each leg must be in place: e.g.:
1. You cannot be assertive if you have no self-esteem or confidence
2. You need to be courteous when you want to be assertive
3. You cannot communicate assertively (honestly, openly, appropriately and directly) if your
communication skills themselves are poor
4. Assertiveness is a technique based on treating others as having equal worth and dignity. It is
therefore an adult-adult communication, so you cannot be assertive if you are behaving like a
child or a parent.

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Assertiveness - One of the Most Effective Behaviour Strategies for Business

Whenever human beings live or work together, different people will want different things, or have
different opinions.
All of us had to:
• Deal with a difficult manager, an uncooperative subordinate, an awkward co-worker
• Say “NO”
• Get co-operation from others
• Clarify your feelings, or find out exactly what you are responsible for
• State your case or deal with opposition or criticism
• Lead or manage a meeting, a project or a section of work
• Resolve a conflict situation
• Agree on goals, procedures or standards
• Guide, support or train another person
3.3.2. Submissive (Unassertive) Behaviour

Submissive behaviour centres on giving up some of your rights or choices, or suppressing your
opinions to avoid conflict or a negative reaction from people around you.
You may accommodate - adjust the way you express yourself so that you don't disagree with, or
threaten others in any way.
Accommodation often involves not saying what you think, hoping that you'll get what you want,
without actually asking for it clearly, and giving in if you don't get it, even when you feel unhappy and
angry about it.
You may decide to keep quiet and do whatever other people want because you don't want to fight or
don't know how to get what you want, or ask for what you need, any other way. People who
accommodate often feel as if they have lost out and as if other people are winning, and therefore feel
cheated or resentful.
You many avoid - ignore violations of your rights or remove yourself from situations you can't handle.
This means that you run away from a problem and hope it will go away if you duck the situation long
enough. You avoid the other person, don't answer the 'phone, or avoid or change the subject if it is
mentioned.

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Avoiders often feel a mixture of anger and tension/anxiety about unresolved conflicts or problems.
Even if no one wins and no one loses in a conflict, avoiders often find that their self-confidence is
damaged because they know that they do not stand up for what they feel, think or want.
3.3.3. Aggressive Behaviour

Aggressive behaviour is based on ignoring the rights of others to get your own way or protect you own
rights. It often involves attacking other people and bullying them into accepting what you want. You
win they lose.
When you are aggressive, you may feel uncomfortable with your victory, and the other person usually
feels angry and resentful towards you. Fighting, manipulating, gossiping, putting people down,
sarcasm, threats and punishing remarks are all aggressive.
3.3.4. Assertive Behaviour
Assertive behaviour is based on respect for both your rights and the rights of others. It usually
means that you express calmly, in an adult to adult way, what you want, what you would prefer, or
how you see a problem and what you are going to do about it. You state YOUR OWN POSITION
without threatening or punishing the other person, putting him/her down, telling the other person
what s/he must do.
Assertive behaviour often includes a willingness to explain your position, and a willingness to negotiate
and compromise - i.e. to talk about what different people want, discuss the problem and work towards
a solution which everyone can accept.
You can only be truly assertive if you are honest and clear (not playing games) and prepared to take
responsibility for doing what you say you are going to do. The action(s) you choose to take must not
encroach on the other person's rights.
Assertiveness with a superior and with a co-worker:

Mrs Lekabe, the Office Manager and Thembi:
Mrs L: Thembi, the stationery order has just arrived and the supplier's prices have gone
through the roof. I'd like you to get on to them right away and find out why, and also
'phone around and get some quotes from other stationers on the stuff we usually need.

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Thembi: Mrs Lekabe, I've got back about 30 questionnaires on the filing system and I planned to
spend the whole morning going through them and drafting an outline of the filing
problem. I've read the book we bought and you said that the report was urgent.
Mrs L: Oh... yes I need it before the Admin meeting on Friday... but we must do something
about this stationery before that meeting too ... and I'm interviewing all morning...
Thembi: The filing report will take a lot longer than the stationery. Which is the most important?
Mrs L: The filing report. They are moaning loudly on that.
Thembi: If I can work undisturbed for most of today, I could give you the filing draft tomorrow...
and while you're editing it I can ring round the stationers, get them to fax price lists and
we can compare them.
Mrs L: Great. And if Jane comes and starts moaning to you about her mother-in-law, just tell
her we have work to do and deadlines to meet.
Thembi: That will be a pleasure!
An hour later:
Jane: Hi Thembs, how's life.
Thembi: Fine thanks - just busy. I've got to get this report ready before the end of today.
Jane: Is it? (she sits down) I don't know. Things aren't so good with me. You know what
happened last night? That husband of mine, and his damned mother...
Thembi: Jane, I know you are having problems, and I wish I could listen, but I have a deadline on
this report. I have to get on with it. Please don't be offended.
Jane: No, I know you're busy. That Lekabe woman is always on your back. You know she's
just like my mother-in-law. That woman! Nag, nag, nag. Last night...
Thembi: Jane, I have to do this report. It's a priority and Mrs Lekabe must edit it by tomorrow.
Please understand that I must work on it undisturbed.
Jane: (Standing up) Well, if I'm not welcome...

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Thembi: Come on Jane, don't get huffy. I'm under pressure and we can have a chat some other
time. Just think how much we'd all see of our mothers-in-law if we didn't work? Now
let's get on with it, OK?
Do you use assertive behaviour?
1. I ask for what I want - directly and openly.

1 2 3 4
2. I know when it is appropriate to express my opinions, wants and needs I do so confidently and
without feeling anxious about it.
1 2 3 4
3. I can insist on my rights when it is appropriate. I know what my rights are and fell quite comfortable
defending them if I need to.
1 2 3 4
4. I don't expect others to read my mind, or know or do, by magic, what I want them to know or do.
1 2 3 4
5. I mix easily with co-workers, managers and subordinates - at work or on a social occasion.
1 2 3 4
6. I try to see, or at least acknowledge, other people's points of view, in a discussion, or even in an
argument.
1 2 3 4
7. I find it helpful to bring problems out into the open and discuss ways of solving them, rather than
ignoring the problem or imposing my own solutions.
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1 2 3 4
8. I can make a complaint, get mistakes corrected or ask for money owing. I do so calmly and politely
and usually get good results without making a fuss.
1 2 3 4
9. Although I am concerned about my rights, I am also concerned about the rights of others and I
encourage and promote assertiveness in other people.
1 2 3 4
10. Give yourself a rating of never/seldom/sometimes/often on the following positive and negative
assertive skills:
I can:
Express affection Give a compliment
Receive a compliment Ask for help
Make a request Start a conversation
Express thanks or appreciation Express anger or annoyance
Express hurt Complain when it is justified
Refuse a request Express an opinion
Object to a "put-down"
Interpretation
If you have marked 3’s and 4’s it means that you assertive and value your own rights and those of other
people
Where you have marked 3’sand 4’s it means that you have some work to do in that particular area.
You need to start applying your assertiveness rights!
Some Assertiveness Principles

1. Know what you want to say and plan how to communicate it. Be clear in your own mind about
your objectives. Choose a suitable time and place to communicate them.

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2. State your case:

• With "I" statements
• Clearly and non-defensively
• Not "naming, shaming and blaming" (attacking, putting down)
• Be specific - focus only on one problem issue at a time
3. Act appropriately: look at the person/people you are talking to: eye contact is important. Work on
a relaxed posture - don't hunch your body, wave your arms or hop from foot to foot.
Don't undermine you message with apologies, nervous giggles, whining, pleading, sarcasm or
manipulation.
4. Stick to your point: If you take an assertive position, you may be willing to discuss it, in which case
be careful not to get mixed up in other issues, or side-tracked by the person you are talking to.
If however you feel that you have reached a final position, it may be necessary for you to repeat
your position several times before the other person really "hears" you.
When using a "broken record" technique, you repeat your point over and over again, often in
almost the same words, until the other person finally "hears" what you are saying. You are polite,
you never raise your voice, and you simply make your point over and over again.
5. When others attack you, try “fogging” (rolling with the punches) simply accept that there may be
some truth in what the other person is saying - without being anxious or defensive. Offer no
resistance, but maintain the position that you will be the judge of the matter in as far as it concerns
you.
Another type of negative assertion is agreeing with your critic. This can be done sympathetically,
without denying errors that you have made or faults you have - yet without feeling anxious or
becoming defensive.
e.g. “Yes, Mother, my kitchen floor is dirty. I quite agree with you” (Implies: I freely acknowledge
this reality. At the moment I do not intend to do anything about it - I will deal with the situation
when I want to, in whatever way I want to.)
6. Say No when you mean No, and Yes when you mean Yes
7. You can rarely be victimised unless you allow it to happen. Don’t allow it to happen.
8. Don’t take away the rights of others. You can only speak for yourself, you can only act for yourself.
You can’t change other people’s behaviour. You can only change your reaction to it. You are
responsible for one person – you.

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9. Live in the present, not the past. Learn from past experiences. Worrying about the past can’t
change it. However, learning from the past can change the present and the future.
10. Decide what is the worst that can happen. Take the consequences into account. If there isn’t
much to lose, you may as well try it.
Exercise
Why is it important to be assertive when you want to manage your time better?
3.4. Problem Solving

Every person faces situations daily in which problems must be solved and decisions must be made.
Some decisions are easy. Some are not. Some are as simple as “should I get up now or lie in bed
half an hour longer”? Decisions that are easy for one person may be difficult for another. During a
normal working day, team leaders have to cope with many types of different problems, and have
to make decisions on how to solve these problems.
For example, a team leader may have a problem such as:

1. Problems with staff (absenteeism, arriving late, grievances, low production etc)
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2. Problems with work (insufficient equipment, breakdown of equipment, impatient clients)
Making decisions on how to solve problems is an important part of the team leader’s job. It is often
possible to distinguish between good and poor managers by examining the way they handle
problems on the job. Managers have a responsibility for looking out for problem situations or
ideally possible problem situations before they occur.
Problem Solving Process

Whenever you have a problem to solve, you begin with the assumption that what you have
identified is the apparent problem; that is, what the problem seems to be on first assessment. You
follow the steps of the problem solving technique to make sure you have identified the real problem
and to develop a solution that has a good probability of success.
There are three stages in the problem solving process.
They are:
1. Analytical stage to determine causes of the problem and find real problem
2. Creative stage to find alternative approaches to a fresh, original solution
3. Evaluative stage to examine all possible options and make the best decision
Analytical Stage
• State the apparent problem
It is important that you write the problem down. This give you time to think about the problem and
to formulate it properly.
• State desired objective and vital factors
• State the real problem
Sometimes you will find, after analysing the facts, that the problem you thought you had, is not the
real one. Once you have carefully examined the available facts, you are more likely to understand
your real problem. To identify your real problem, you must understand both the objective you
desire and the obstacle that prevents you from achieving that objective. State your real problem in
the following format:
Creative Stage

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What is creative thinking?

To be creative is to use the ability to bring into existence, to originate or to build. Creative thinking
is the ability to put the mind to a problem that hasn’t been solved by a routine method and come
up with a brand-new solution or group of solutions.
Brainstorming is a process where people think of ideas to solve problems together. Honesty, open
communication and a positive attitude will help participants to offer creative ideas to solve
problems. Some rules for the brainstorming process:
1. Don’t let anyone judge other people’s ideas

2. Don’t make comments, either good or bad, about other people’s ideas
3. Think of as many ideas as possible - even if you think they are absurd
4. Build on the ideas of other people (piggy-backing)
5. Let the ideas flow fast and quickly
6. Have one person act as a scribe and write down all the ideas
7. No idea may be judged at this stage
Analytical Stage
Once problems have been approached creatively, several alternative solutions found, and all the
information relative to the problem collected, the challenge is to examine the options and make
the best decisions.\
Decide the best approach
In the preceding step you stretched your thinking by developing a number of alternative
approaches. Now scan your list of alternatives. You may be able to quickly eliminate many of them.
Sometimes the best approach stands out.
Activity
Test your judgement with the following questions:
1. How effective will this approach be in solving the real problem (overcoming the obstacle
that prevents me from achieving my objective?)
2. Are there any possible undesirable side effects?
3. What could go wrong?
The best approach is:

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Determine and implement a course of action

Once a solution is found, it is important that action steps are formulated to ensure implementation.
Three factors are important; action needed, time frames and resources required.
Action Time allowed Resources needed

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Evaluate progress and results

How will you make sure that you have carried out your plan and achieved the results you want?
You need to compare progress and eventually your end result with your original objective.
Deviations need to be attended to immediately. This is a controlling function.

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SECTION 4: APPLICATIONS OF TIME EFFICIENT PLANS
Specific Outcome
On completion of this section you will be able to implement time efficient
work plans.
Assessment Criteria
❖ Delegation is used correctly as a tool by the manager and subordinates
when applicable to get the work done (SO4, AC1).
❖ Emphasis is placed on proactive measures such as efficient information
flow, efficient meeting planning and management and administrative
procedures in the daily work processes of the
department/division/section to minimize time wasting (SO4, AC2).
❖ Plans are implemented once all involved are informed of their roles,
duties and functions (SO4, AC3).
❖ Progress with work plans is monitored on an on-going basis and
amendments are made where necessary. (SO4, AC4).

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4.1 Planning: A Critical Time-Saver

Time planning is essential for good time management. Planning is about bridging the gap of where
we are now and where we want to be in the future. Some people reject planning for a variety of
reasons. ‘I haven’t enough time to plan” is a commonly heard excuse. ‘My job is always changing
so there is no point in planning ahead” is another excuse. In both cases, the need to plan is even
more vital in order to achieve the things we want to.
There are five planning styles:

1. Avoider – the person who never plans and tends to avoid doing as much as might be desirable
2. Generaliser – you planning is too general – not specific enough to serve as a guide to achieving
your goals
3. Realistic planner – this is the ideal style. You are able to plan and your plans usually work out
well
4. One-shot planner - you only plan when really necessary in as little detail as possible. You plan
too seldom.
5. Fanatic planner – you plan too often in too many details that may even result in a lack of time
to execute the plans.
CASE STUDY
A busy secretary, Jenny, services three managers. She is always running around to meet their needs
and those of their clients. One of her responsibilities is to prepare presentations for the managers.
She has been too busy to attend a Power Point course and therefore struggles somewhat with the
more complicated slides. However, Jenny is not a person who complains and somehow manages
to cope. Her presentations are always ready on time, but then some of her less urgent work is
neglected. For instance, one shouldn’t mention the word “filing” to her as she wants to faint when
she thinks about the amount of filing that is hidden somewhere in her office.
❖ Time spent planning is not a waste of time
Group Activity
How could planning change her life at the office? What should Jenny do to solve this problem?

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Rules of planning
❖ You cannot plan and work at the same time
❖ Separate planning and doing with a time gap (e.g. plan before you begin a project, plan
tomorrow's work before you leave today, next week on Friday)
❖ Plan (at least the major outline) in writing: You can add the details in later
❖ Plan WHEN you are going to do a task
❖ Mark your time estimates on your plan- and make the estimate realistic. Remember that you
run out of time - you don’t run out of work.
❖ When you are under pressure - planning must be the LAST THING TO GO
Planning is about doing the right things-otherwise you could spend all your time “doing things
right”.

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1. What are the tools you have to help you plan better?
2. Write down two actions that you can take to improve your planning
4.2. Diary Systems – an Important Planning Tool

Exercise
Read the statements below and rate yourself on them.
1. Give yourself a 1 if the statement is nearly always true of you.
2. Give yourself a 2 if the statement is usually true of you.
3. Give yourself a 3 if the statement is only sometimes true of you.
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4. Give yourself a 4 if the statement is usually NOT true of you.
1. I keep a diary: I keep it where I can see it at any time and refer to it frequently.
1 2 3 4
2. I look at my diary first thing EVERY DAY and use it in planning my day.
1 2 3 4
3. If there is more than one diary involved (e.g. manager’s diary, secretarial diary and electronic diary,
pocket diary) we have a system for keeping the diaries together and it works.
1 2 3 4
4 My diary is always up to date - I seldom intend to enter things and then forget.
1 2 3 4
5. I record all the details of appointments which I (or my manager or others who use my diary system)
might need - name, position, company name, telephone numbers, venue or place of meeting,
issues to be discussed and files/documents/items which must be taken to meetings. My diary is a
reliable resource to me (and anyone else using it).
1 2 3 4
6. Besides dates and appointments, I diarise important reminders and follow-ups, and I block out "busy
times" well ahead to prevent crises and double bookings.
1 2 3 4
7. I set aside periods to do important (non-urgent) work and large tasks by planning (scheduling) them
in my diary and doing them at the scheduled time.
1 2 3 4
Interpretation:
Is you have marked 1’ and 2’s it means that your approach to managing time using a diary is working.
If you have marked 3’s and 4’s it means that your diary system needs some attention.

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4.3. Ending the Day: Evaluation and Planning

Every day needs some time build into the routine to end in an orderly manner - so that you can
come in the next day and be organised, prepared, and effective.
Do you:
Tidy up - clear desk if possible
Evaluate the day -
• Were you pro-active or reactive?
• Did you establish, and reach goals?
• What prevented you from or supported/helped you in doing this?
• Did you use your time well, or waste it with visitors, interruptions, etc?
• What did you learn? What would you differently next time?
❖ Plan for the next day - IN WRITING. Make your list of tasks for tomorrow, and prioritise, so that
you can come in and attack them the next day, or use techniques like doing the worst or the
most important first.
4.4. Task Attack Strategies

Desk Organisation
Most people resent having anyone interfere with the way they organise their desk. It is their
personal space and a level of self-expression must be tolerated.
What is also without doubt true is that the way you organise yourself at your desk can have a
profound effect on how productive you are.
Position of your desk
If you can, ensure that your desk is not directly facing a door or people walking toward you in a
passage. In modern open plan offices it is sometimes difficult to ensure that your office is
distraction-free, but it helps if you are not facing people every time you look up.
Your desk should also not be close to the fax machine, photocopy machine or the canteen. If this
is indeed the case in your office, one needs to be self-disciplined and the distractions must simply
be recognised and blocked out.
Paper-processing systems

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The more paperwork you have on your desk, the more inefficient you are likely to be. You will
waste time searching for information, or you may be distracted from the task at hand.
If your desk is covered with paper, people have no qualms about adding to it – or removing
information that interests them. In either case, there is a chance of crises occurring when that
information gets lost.
Do you have?
• Unnecessary copies, duplicate records?
• Over-elaborate, over-detailed reports?
• Excessive written communications?
• Red tape, forms, memos, and questionnaires you don't really need?
1. How could you simplify these?

2. How many times do you handle each piece of paper that crosses your desk?
A route for paperwork

Empty the ‘in-tray” twice or three times a day. Do not deal with every individual piece of work as it
comes in. Plan a time in your diary for each activity.
Do not simply shuffle through paperwork; make decisions as to what you wish to do with each piece.
Your possible options are:
Action – anything you can and should do is actioned immediately or as soon during the day as possible.
Delegate - ask yourself with every piece of paper whether it can be delegated. Delegate immediately
to give others the maximum amount of time for the task. (Secretaries can sometimes delegate too!)

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File – many people are worried that if they file information they will forget it. To overcome this fear,
you should use a simple general reference system.
Bring-forward – it is a way of organising your work you must do, but are unable to do immediately.
Bin – very often the major cause of clutter on a desk is out of date and irrelevant paperwork. Get rid
of the rubbish!
4.5. The Telephone

The telephone is probably the most useful of all office appliances. It is unusual if there is not a
telephone on every desk in the office. Well used, it proves a quicker and more powerful means of
communication than letters, memos and e-mail as it allows immediate feedback and reaction.
However, uncontrolled use of the telephone wastes time and can have a detrimental effect on
business.
Calls you make

Because you prepare for any call you make before picking up the phone, you have a greater chance
of being effective during that call. To be more efficient you can do the following
Batch calls – by making all your calls in a block, if one or more of your customers are not available,
you can always phone elsewhere before returning to these later in the block. There is no need to
change focus to other forms of work before returning to the telephone.
Plan your calls – by jotting down what you want to say before you pick up the phone, you are more
likely to sound professional.
Keep control of the call – if someone is unavailable, leave a message and try again later at a time
that suits you
Be specific on call-back time – especially if you need more detailed information. An accurate
call0back time will allow the subject of your call to be prepared when they pick up the phone.
Keep an eye on the time – It is easy to waste time socialising on the phone. By placing your watch
somewhere prominent, it will remind you to stick to the point.
Calls you take

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Screening – it is often difficult for a secretary to have her calls screened, but when you are dealing
with a crisis, ask a colleague to do this for you. That way you can create “interruption-free” time
Prioritise – whenever you receive a call you should try and identify what the priority the call is for
you. Write the objective down on the note-pad next to you. Try to make the call as short as possible
Defer - If of a similar or lower priority than what you are working on at that moment, a polite request
that the call should be deferred rarely causes offence as long as you return the call as soon as
possible.
Delegate - You can transfer the call to someone else if you feel that you are not the right person to
deal with this call.
4.6. Work Delegation by Top Authorities

Accountability
Accountability is the obligation to perform a responsibility and to exercise the authority of a position
in conformance with understood and accepted standards.
When you accept that you will do the work (responsibility) and make the necessary decisions
(authority), the obligation to perform (accountability) is created.
You can entrust (delegate) parts of your responsibility and authority to others. You cannot entrust
to others your obligation (accountability) to see that the work is done to standard and that the
necessary decisions are made.
Any manager, who has accountability for certain results, may delegate parts of his/her own
responsibilities and authority to others. These are normally subordinates, contractors or
consultants.
The key rule: the delegate must specifically or by implication, ACCEPT the responsibility which is
delegated. If this acceptance is not at least implied, then the delegator has "passed the buck".
Some delegated responsibilities come with a particular position, but these should still be explicit.
The job description or performance agreement should lay these out in writing.
If this is not done, a manager cannot come back later and complain when work is not done.

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What is delegated?
Delegate:
• All work of a routine nature.
• All work which can be done as, or more, effectively by someone than by you
• All work which you cannot do yourself.
Do not delegate:
• Work which involves the interests of two or more of your own team member units.
• Work which belongs to your own position (e.g. Don’t dump your own “donkey work” on others
• Work which involves your own unit and any others within the organisation.
• Work which calls for confidential handling of information about your own unit.
• Management work which goes with your position (e.g. Do not ask someone to control others in
the same position as him/her)
When do you Delegate?

Whenever possible, especially when:
• It will help one of your people develop and learn or give him/her a chance to shine
• One of your team members is more skilled or suited to the work than you are
• You don’t have time and someone else does
• You want to motivate someone by challenging them and by showing confidence in them
No manager or Leader has completed his/her task of managing until he has, amongst other
things, trained his own successor
Why do Managers Fail to Delegate?

When you are reluctant to delegate, listen for the following words, whispered quietly in the back of
your mind
“I would do it better myself”
“It will take longer to explain than to do it myself”
“I don’t like asking people to do work (or they will think I am exploiting them)”
“I want the credit myself”
“S/he will make a mess and I will have to sort it out afterwards”

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“S/he will fail and lose confidence”

“S/he will succeed and show me up or even take my job”
When a person becomes a leader, s/he needs to learn to take his/her hands off the operating
work. The work to be relinquished first should be work s/he loves most and does best
How to Delegate
• Explain why you are delegating (and whether there are any unusual conditions or
circumstances)
• Explain why you are delegating to the person concerned (if there are other people who might
also be suitable)
• Explain the objectives of the task and how you and delegate will know that the objectives have
been achieved
• Explain any constraints – time, financial limits etc.
• Explain what resources are available (particularly if these not resources which are not normally
used by the delegate
• Explain that you are available to help, but that you have confidence in the delegate’s ability to
do the job
• Explain what check-in or reporting you want (particularly if the task has a longish time span or
if it is made up of several stages). Diarise the check-ins and ensure that the delegate does the
same
• Ensure that the delegate specifically accepts the task, the standards and time frames agreed. If
s/he does not “own” it, you will have problems
• If something goes wrong, your check-in early warning systems will tell you. Help put it right
without being nasty, punishing or destructively critical, coach the delegate on the problem
area(s) and let him/her try again if possible
• If you are delegating a long-term task, add it (in writing) to all copies of the delegate’s job
description
• If you have made a mistake and delegated too much or too complex a task, calmly recall all or
part of it and rethink the delegation
❖ Set Deadlines for yourself and your Subordinates

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Activity
1. Think of a task that needs to be done on your work plan
2. Break the task up into smaller tasks and allocate deadlines to them
❖ Develop good time habits

It is necessary to claim time for your goals. Carve out time for the things that you want. What do you
need to carve time out for at work? Outside work? If you don't claim that time actively, you're not
going to get it.
• Listen carefully the first time
• Watch for time killers
Decide whether the following time killers are applicable to you.
Daily
Telephone Interruptions

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Drop-in visitors
Meetings
Crisis Management
Lack objectives, priorities, daily plan
Cluttered desk /personal disorganisation
Ineffective delegation
Attempting too much at once
Lack of / unclear communication
Inadequate, inaccurate, delayed information
Indecision and procrastination
Confused responsibility and authority

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Inability to say “No”
Leaving tasks unfinished
Lack of self-discipline
• Sort all important mail items and telephone messages and do the important ones, not the
easiest ones, first.
• Know why you put things off
• Break unpleasant tasks into smaller ones
4.7. The Time/Meetings Issue

Meeting are a great time waster in most businesses.
Quiz:
1. When I get an agenda for a meeting, I read it carefully and prepare all points I want to raise,
questions I want to ask IN WRITING well before the meeting. I actually THINK about it. I diarise the
meeting immediately and schedule in time to prepare anything I must take to the meeting or
present at the meeting.
1 2 3 4
2. I rewrite agendas in such a way that it will get people thinking BEFORE the meeting, so that they
come prepared with answers and clearly thought out, relevant points.
1 2 3 4
4.8. Procrastination
• Do you procrastinate? Does the following sometimes happen to you?
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• A task gets transferred from list to list each day... You look at it and do something else.
• You work and work at a task but in never gets finished .... You worry about it but don't do it.
• You keep forgetting a task even though you KNOW it's important .... You know the task is important
but you always seem to have something more urgent to do.
• You have the task NEARLY finished, nearly right .... but you keep finding that you need to do a bit
more or go over it one more time.
…. The diagnosis – Procrastination!

Activity
Why do we procrastinate?
Reasons for procrastination often include

❖ Perfectionism - perfect tomorrow rather than good enough today
• Lack of information - inability to formulate an action plan to get the information. You never have
ALL the information and actually 80% sure is usually enough to make a decision.
• Ambiguity/uncertainty - lack of recognition of problem and action to solve it
• Prudence, caution - I'm-a-low-risk-person: indecisiveness and fear
• Fear of failure? Success? Responsibility? Attention? Criticism, putting yourself forward? (Usually
shows as fussing, forgetting, panic, passivity, and loss of interest and frantic busyness.)
• Lack of a deadline
• Lack of support? This may be tied to resentment or anger
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• Lethargy, laziness, tiredness, personal problems, heavy lunches, alcohol, poor diet, health
problems? (Studies show that women workers productivity goes up 6% - 10% when they are given
iron supplements it makes you think, doesn’t it?)
• Solutions to the procrastination problem
Do the following process with one of your tasks that you are procrastinating about:
1. What task are you putting off at the moment, or have you procrastinated on recently?
2. Write down the steps that you need to take to do this - in detail
Some tips to solve procrastination

Do the most unpleasant part of the task first or do the most unpleasant task on your "to do" list first
thing in the morning.
Self-talk strategies: tell yourself:
• All decisions will in fact have to be made
• Which option would you rather have?
• An error of judgement can be corrected but time lost is time gone forever.
• What is the worst that can happen? Spell it out.
• Visualise yourself tackling the job - link this to the one-step-at-a-time exercise.
• Work out how much you are paid an hour and give your organisation their money's worth.
• Challenge yourself to go outside your comfort zone. You do not grow f everything is easy and
effortless.
Set a deadline: Remember some pressure produces action:
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• Someday is not a day of the week

• Give yourself AND others deadlines
• Don't leave assignments open-ended
• Give intermediate deadlines for complex tasks
• Respect your deadlines - if you stretch them, they lose effectiveness
Do tasks a piece at a time - plan each piece, schedule it and then do it!
Where the problem is lack of information, formulate an action plan to find out. Clarify ambiguities,
confirm instructions, write down, or ask for a written outline, and read it back. Make a list of questions
- don't waste people's time going back ten times every time you think of something else to ask!
Where the problem is lack of clear objectives, go to the person who can help you discuss it, schedule
time for the discussion and PREPARE for the discussion. This in itself will probably get you going without
the meeting!
If you need support, go out and get it, ask for it: it's nobody else's job to read your mind!
If you come up against non-delivery, procrastination etc.

• Nag, remind, hint, plead, be a nuisance
• Nag, remind etc. in writing
• Get advance permissions to nag..."if I don't hear from you by can I contact you to remind
you?"
• If you're always waiting for authorisation, bypass the bureaucracy - just do it and apologise later
• Write a "unless I hear from you to the contrary" type memo (to protect yourself) and then act on
the deadline date
• Nail them - "can I have your word on that" (honour) or confirm in writing (memo etc.)
• When people do co-operate, deliver on time, keep to arrangements, praise them profusely - leave
them to live up to their reputation for reliability, efficiency etc.
4.9. Crisis Handling and Prevention

What is a crisis?
In project management, tasks are planned by allocating resources (people. money, equipment, time
etc.) to them. Allocating time means that projects are scheduled to be completed on a certain date.

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Some tasks make up the “critical path” of a project, because they take the longest and so they
determine how quickly the whole project can be done. Other tasks can be slotted into the schedule
around the critical path, and they have some flexibility. This is called “float”.
A crisis occurs when you run out of “float” on a task - i.e. there is no more flexibility and the job has
to be completed by a target time. There is now only just enough (or too little time) to complete the
task by the time it needs to be done. The task “goes critical”.
(Reasons almost always include allocating too few resources and/or not getting started in time,
because the “float” gave you a false sense of security.)
Once a task goes critical, you have to get down and do it. If it is now too late to do it the way you had
planned to, you have to
• do a sloppy job
• reduce the scope of the task
• add extra resources
• change the process by which the task is being done
In some cases, you may be able to re-negotiate the due date/target time for the task. This will then
hold up other people and delay the whole project. If is does not, then the situation was not really a
crisis, as there was still float somewhere.
In a crisis:
• Stop
• Think
• Clarify your objectives
• Take stock of your resources - and get extra resources if possible
• Delegate what you can
• Make a priority list
• Block interruptions
• Get down and do it - in the order on your priority list
The best ways to prevent crises include

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❖ Schedule tasks realistically (but remember that a lot of float will tempt you to procrastinate - think
of a tender which has to be submitted in 3 months A task should never be scheduled over more
than 6 weeks - rather break it up into sub-tasks and create deadlines for them)
❖ Estimate properly - and change your estimates if necessary (e.g. you have agreed to get person X
to do part of a task, but s/he is suddenly not available and person Y must do it. If person Y is less
competent than person X, you have fewer resources, so you must re-estimate the time it will take
to complete the task (e.g. your fastest typist will be on leave in the two weeks before the tender is
due)
❖ Be aware of other tasks when you are estimating - there may be other tenders due at roughly the
same time - so you cannot schedule one person on several tasks without the risk of overloading
him/her
❖ Stay on schedule - it is harder to catch up that to stay on target
❖ Keep float in reserve - in case you have problems or you underestimated the time which the task
needed
❖ Give all the effort required to the critical path tasks - they have to be done on schedule, or the
whole project will fall behind
❖ Don’t get perfectionistic as you run out of float - sloppy work is not acceptable, but panic may make
you fuss about things more than is necessary

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Exercise
1. Write down a crisis that you recently experienced
2. Why did the task go critical?
3. How did you handle the crisis?
4. How could you have handled the crisis better?

79

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TIME MANAGEMENT

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SECTION 4: APPLICATIONS OF TIME EFFICIENT PLANS ....................................................... 60

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Title: Prioritise time and work for self and team

About this Programme

Specific Outcome 1 Associated Assessment Criteria

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Specific Outcome 3 Associated Assessment Criteria

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Specific Outcome 4 Associated Assessment Criteria

Critical Cross Field Outcomes

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1.2. Specific Outcomes of this Programme

1.3. Different Role players in Delivery Process

For Moderator use only

For Assessor use

For Learner use

For Facilitator use

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1.4. What Learning Material you should have

Learner Portfolio of Evidence

✓ Skills Application Activities

✓ Activities to collect Natural Occurring Evidence

The completed activities will provide evidence of your understanding;

It is therefore important that you complete all the activities

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1.5. Different Types of Activities you can expect

Types of Description Purpose

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Collecting examples demonstrates

Types of Methods Used

Summarise Key points

Self-Assessment Self Reflection Identify

Analyse & Apply

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1.6. How will you be assessed

The process can be illustrated as follows.

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1.7. Learner Support

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to

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SECTION 1: TIME MANAGEMENT PROFILES

On completion of this section you will be able to:

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1.1. Time Management Basics

The Glass Jar

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1.2. Time- A Business Resource

Input Process Output

Resources: -----------------> the business Profit:

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money -----------------> pay wages and costs

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1.3. Techniques for Time Management

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One lawyer circulated this memo to his office:

1.4. Time Thieves

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2. Crisis Management: Most often, crisis management is an offspring of lack of prioritization of

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1.5 External forces that affect time utilization