Time Management

Skills for Employees

 Session Objectives
You will be able to:
• Identify and eliminate time wasters
• Plan and prioritize effectively
• Define goals and make time-wise decisions
• Capitalize on prime and commuting time
• Avoid procrastination
• Handle emergencies effectively

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Session Outline
• Common time wasters
• Planning and prioritizing
• Goals and decision making
• Prime and commuting time
• Procrastination
• Communications, interruptions, emergencies

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Benefits of Managing Time
• More productivity
• Fewer mistakes
• Less stress
• More time to do a good job
• More success

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Common Time Wasters
• Reacting instead of
acting
• Not thinking far enough
ahead
• Inadequate preparation
• Procrastination

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Common Time Wasters (cont.)
• Excessive attention to
unimportant details
• Reluctance to ask for
help
• Failure to understand
what needs to be done
• Uncertainty about
expectations

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Common Time Wasters (cont.)
• Overcommitment
• Indecision
• Poor organization
• Rushing

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Plan Your Time
• Make a daily list
• Make a weekly list
• Make a monthly list

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Plan Your Time (cont.)
• Make a quarterly or annual list
• Update your lists as necessary

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Prioritize Your Tasks
• Rank tasks in order of
importance
• Build in time for the
unexpected
• Allow time for thinking
and planning

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Prioritize Your Tasks (cont.)
• Remain flexible
• Realize you won’t finish everything
• Roll over uncompleted items and reprioritize

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Time Management Basics
• Questions?

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Define Your Goals
• Determine the desired end result
• Set short-term objectives for reaching goals
• Adjust objectives as conditions change

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Make Time-Wise Decisions
• Gather all the facts
• Consider the consequences
• Talk it over with someone you trust
• Choose the best available option
• Remember that you can revise your decision
if things don’t work out

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Capitalize on Prime Time
• When do you have the most energy?
• When are there fewest interruptions?
• Do you know your prime time?

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Avoid Procrastination
• Break a large job into
smaller parts
• Do the easy parts first
• Face unpleasant tasks
squarely

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Avoid Procrastination (cont.)
• Time yourself
• Reward yourself
• Learn from experience

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Manage Interruptions
• Set limits
• Get to the point
• Deal with the issue on the spot
• Stand up
• Conclude the conversation firmly

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Control Communications
• Incoming calls
• Voice mail
• Picking up
• Outgoing calls
• E-mail and instant
messaging

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Handle Emergencies
• Don’t drop everything
• Spend only as much time as necessary
• Return to your established schedule
• Think about why the emergency occurred

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Use Commuting Time
Wisely
• Plan
• Review

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609

 Key Points to Remember
• Time is one of your most valuable assets
• To make the best use of your time:
• Plan, prioritize, and define goals
• Make time-wise decisions
• Avoid procrastination
• Capitalize on your prime time
• Handle emergencies effectively

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0609