Verily in the creation of the heavens

and the earth, and the alternation of

night and day - there are indeed
signs for men of understanding –
Holy Quran

8/22/2005 1
 Time, time, time, …
• We have many sayings about time and they make
good points:
– Time is money - it is a valuable resource
– There is never enough time to do a job right, but always
time to do it over - we should not rush through our
work at the risk of error
– If you want time, you must make time - we need to
allocate time according to our priorities
– A job will fill all of the time allocated for it - poor
planning and procrastination are time wasters
– Have the time of your life - good time management will
allow you to fulfill your personal/ professional goals

8/22/2005 2
 What is Time?
• A Moment or Interval During which an
opportunity exists to act or an event
occurs

Characteristics
- Irreversible- uncontrollable
- Irreplaceable - non-substitutable
- Unstorable - Unelastic

Relative
8/22/2005 3
 Use of Time
• Dependent upon individual’s :
– Personality
– Perception about life
– Social attitudes
– Personal interests / hobbies / habits
– Motives & Goals
– Environment
– Ability to manage stress

8/22/2005 4
 Choices Regarding Time
1. Lose it passively passing away your time

2. Misuse it giving away your time to others cheaply

3. Abuse it spending time for short term gain, but

which leads to eventual pain

4. Use it actively pursuring goals for long term

gain and growth while withstanding
pain
Remember. 80 / 20 rule of time utilization
8/22/2005 5
 Formal theories of time management

• Pareto’s principle:

A small number of causes (20%)

is responsible for a large part of
the effect (80%)

“the vital few and the trivial

many”
8/22/2005 6
 Ten Common Time Wasters
Distractions &
Interruptions
Excessive Failure to
paperwork set priorities

Poor
delegation
Procrastination

Personal
disorganization Nonessential
phone conversations
Drop-in visitors Ineffective
meetings
Indecision
8/22/2005 7
 What is time management anyway?
• Workplace:
time management
refers to the
development of
processes and tools
that increase
– efficiency and
– productivity.

Things which matter most must never be at

the mercy of things which matter least
8/22/2005 Goethe 8
 Barriers to Effective
Time Management
There are many barriers to effective
time management, but they can be
overcome.
• Distractions
• Disorganization
• Perfectionism
• Procrastination
• Rigidity

8/22/2005 9
 Time-Use Improvement Program (TIP)
A. BECOME AWARE OF TIME
1. Keep time logs
* Register time spent on different activities
2. Identify time wasters

B. SET PLANS
1. Set goals
2. Set priorities
3. Set deadlines
4. Set schedules
8/22/2005 * Set aside prime time for important 10
 Myths of Time Management
• With better time management, you can find
new time during the day. Everyone is
limited to only 24 hours each day.

• Effective time management is the same for

everyone. Time management is unique for
each person because each person has
different priorities and goals.

• Activity is good in itself. Being busy is not

the same as being effective, if time is spend
on low priorities.

8/22/2005 11
 Myths of Time Management
• Time management is a complex subject. The
basic process has only five major steps.

• Once you learn the basics of time management

you automatically make better use of your time.
You have to actually use time management
techniques consistently.

• Good time managers are born not made. Some

people seem to be more naturally organized, but
everyone can learn to manage his/her time.

8/22/2005 12
 Time Management Process
1. Set your own priorities
1. Personal
2. professional
2. Determine your goals for each priority
3. Plan the steps for goal attainment
4. Allocate time appropriately for each step
5. Use time management tools/techniques

8/22/2005 13
 Step 1: Set priorities
• Are you unsure what is important to
you? Think about what you would do if
you only had one more year to live

• You can’t do everything:

– Think about what you would like to

accomplish

– Think about what regrets you might

have for not accomplishing something
8/22/2005 14
 Priorities
Many people work hard without achieving
the things that they want. This comes from
focusing on tasks that do not lead to goals.

People who manage their time well

have identified tasks that lead to their
goals. They focus their energy on
these tasks.

8/22/2005 15
 Priorities
Mark the priority level for each item on the list
of activities that you create.

A = High Priority
B = Medium Priority
C = Low Priority

Remember that priorities can change. You

need to re-visit your priority ratings often.

8/22/2005 16
 Why Set Priorities?

Prevents or reduces Increases…

• Reactive behavior • Awareness of
• Crisis situations issues
• Wasted resources • Efficient use of
• Missed opportunities time
• Stress and anxiety • Development of
strategies
• Sense of control

8/22/2005 17
 Implications of Pareto Principle
• The relationship between input and output is
not balanced:
20% of a person's effort generates 80% of the
person's results; 80% of your success comes
from 20% of your efforts

• It is vital to focus 80% of your time on the

20% of your work that REALLY counts

8/22/2005 18
 Other Examples of Pareto in the
workplace
• 80% of a manager's interruptions come from the
same 20% of the people
• 80% of customer complaints are about the same
20% of your projects, products, services
• 80% of your staff headaches come from 20% of
our employees
• 80% of a problem can be solved by identifying
the correct 20% of the issues
• 80% of the decisions made in meetings come
from 20% of the meeting time

8/22/2005 19
 Essence in the area of time
management

Organize and execute around

priorities
Stephen Covey

8/22/2005 20
 Step 2: Set goals for each priority
Personal priority: spend more time with family
– Goal: Spend additional ½ hour with family
at dinner
– Goal: Spend one afternoon every three
months with parents
Professional priority: achieve promotion
– Goal: Learn to use MS Project Management
software
– Goal: Take one course each semester
toward certificate in Conflict Management

8/22/2005 21
 Setting Goals
• By setting goals, people know exactly
what is to be accomplished and where
they want to be
• In order to be effective goals must:
1. Be in writing
2. Be specific and relate to results
3. Be realistic
4. Have a time schedule and a target date for
finishing each step as well as each goal

8/22/2005 22
 Tips on Prioritizing
• Know your goals.
• Identify activities that help you achieve
your goals.
• Decide whether activities need to be
done in a particular order.
• Give the highest priority to tasks that are
most necessary (important) in achieving
your goals and need to be done first.

8/22/2005 23
 Step 3: Plan for goal attainment

Planning is bringing the future

into the present so you can do
something about it now.

Alan Lakein, time management “guru”

8/22/2005 24
 Obstacles to planning work
• Unfortunately we often encounter a
number of obstacles in planning our work:
– Others’ plans and priorities
– Lack of solid planning skills
– Time required for good planning
– Pressure of other work
– Absences of examples, if the project is new
– Time wasters such as procrastination
– Interruptions

Anticipate obstacles, so you can work around

them before they become problems.
8/22/2005 25
 Poor planning consequences
• Despite obstacles we should make
planning a priority to avoid:
– Decreased productivity
– Dissatisfaction among coworkers
– Misunderstandings and confusion
– Pressure from others
– Poor work quality, accidents, errors
– Wasted time/resources

Remember: Failure to PLAN is Planning to

fail
8/22/2005 26
 Planning - the starting point
• For all major tasks you should consider:

– Why is the job necessary? What’s its purpose?

– What goals do you want to achieve?
– When is best time of day or schedule to do it?
– Where is the best location to do it?
– Who would produce best results? Is training needed?
– How should it be done (traditional/innovative)?

8/22/2005 27
 Step 4: Plan to allocate time
• Begin with the end in mind: Visualize the
end result: your goal
• Put first things first (Focus on important)
• Estimate the time required
• Break the whole into pieces
• Develop a schedule
• Check your progress against your time
estimate
• Refine the schedule if needed
• Anticipate/allow for possible problems
8/22/2005 28
 Step 5: Time management tools and
techniques

• Use “to do” lists for planning

• Create a time diary to track where
your time actually goes
• Become aware of your external
and internal timewasters and avoid
them
• Pulverize paperwork

8/22/2005 29
 The “to do” list: a power tool
• Use it as a master planning
tool
• Use annual, monthly, weekly
versions
• Statistics prove you’ll be more
productive
– It’s a visual schedule
– It acts as reminder
– It gives direction
– You get satisfaction when items
are crossed off

8/22/2005 30
 Annual “to do” list
• Your annual list should include:
– Major recurring events/projects
• Example: Annual awards luncheon
– Major new projects – major/minor subtasks
• Example: New safety web site
– Minor new projects – major/minor subtasks
• Example: New safety committee, new safety newsletter

8/22/2005 31
 Monthly “to do” list
• Your monthly list should include:
– Regular reporting deadlines
• Example: monthly budget report
– Publication due dates
• Example: quarterly tabloid printing
– Important standing meetings
• Example: monthly safety meeting
– Project task deadlines
• Example: home page of web site done by 4/30
– Long-term follow-up ticklers
• Example: check PDP calendar for web writing
class
8/22/2005 32
 Daily “to do” list
• Your daily list should include:
– Meetings
• Example: 9:30 a.m. staff meeting
– Appointments
• Example: 5:30 p.m. Printer
– Follow-up phone/email
• Example: Return call from Pervez 10:30 a.m.
– Short-term follow-up ticklers
• Example: Check with Azra about paper
delivery

8/22/2005 33
 Sample Scheduling Grid
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

9:00

10:00

11:00

12:00

1:00

2:00

3:00

4:00

5:00

6:00

7:00

8:00

9:00

8/22/2005 34
 Get things done
• Allow for emergencies, don’t overbook

• Schedule the most challenging tasks for when you

are most alert

• Keep your goals in mind

• Evaluate your priorities continuously during the day

and always work on the most important task first

8/22/2005 35
 Keep a diary
Still can’t figure out where
the times goes? Keep a diary
for about two weeks:
– Include personal time
– List time that was needed to
do each task
– Prioritize what should have
been done; compare it to the
actual work accomplished
– Analyze what can be
cut/compressed
– Note time wasters

8/22/2005 36
 External time wasters
• Be aware of ways others or the
environment waste your time:
– Interruptions, especially email
– Office socializing
– Too many meetings
– Unscheduled visitors
– Poor work environment
– Unclear goals
– Trying to get other’s cooperation
– Bureaucratic “red tape”
– Others you can think of ____________________

8/22/2005 37
 Internal time wasters
• Be aware of ways in which you waste
your own time:
– Procrastination
– Lack of planning
– Lack of priorities
– Indecision
– Slow reading skills
– Physical or mental exhaustion
– Not being able to say “no”
– Messy work areas
– Low motivation
– Others you can think of ____________________

8/22/2005 38
 Procrastination
• A little pressure helps –
too much leads to poor
work
• Fear of failure
• Habit of doing the easy
or trivial stuff first
• Lack of clear deadlines

8/22/2005 39
 How to Avoid Procrastination
• Divide project into small,
schedulable stages

• Do collaborative work

• Don’t be a perfectionist

• Take a break at the end

8/22/2005 40
 Managing interruptions
• For crucial deadlines, make
yourself inaccessible
• Schedule formal “check-in”
meetings
• Schedule social time
• Be polite but direct
• Offer an alternate time
• Manage self-interruptions

8/22/2005 41
 TOSS paperwork / email
• Trim – remove yourself from excess email, mail,
memo, newsletter, and magazine routings
• Outsource immediately – throw it away, pass it on,
put it in a tickler file
• Save – file things you must save immediately.
Regularly compress and purge paper and electronic
files. 80% of what you keep, you’ll never use again!
• Start – Do it now. Set aside time daily to handle email
and paperwork, then junk it, handle it, answer it, file it
as you work through the pile

8/22/2005 42
 Quadrant II Time
Management
Urgent Not Urgent
I Crises Planning, PreventionII
Not Important Important
 
 Pressing problems  PC activities
 Deadline-driven  Recognizing new
opportunities
projects, meetings,  Relationship
preparations Building
 Renewal, Recreation

 Needless interruptions
 Trivia, busywork
 Unnecessary reports
 Some phone calls
 Unimportant
 Time wasters
meetings,
 “Escape” activities
phone calls, mail
 Irrelevant mail
 Other people’s minor
 Excessive TV
issues
III IV
8/22/2005 43
 Deadlines & Crises
If Yes: If No:

Newness Was the “emergency” Crisis A routine matter

new to you or your for which you can
department? decide on in
advance

Predictability Was there anything Deadline Crisis

predictable about the
situation?
Prevention Is there anything you Deadline Crisis
can do to prevent a
similar situation from
occurring in the future?

8/22/2005 44
 Deming Prize-Winning
Organizations vs. Other
Organizations
Urgent Not Urgent
I II
ot Important Important

20-25% 65-80%
(D)
25-30% (D)
15%
Habits 1-7

15% (D) less than

1% (D)
50-60%

8/22/2005 III IV 45
 Growth and Relationships
• Between stimulus and response,
there is a time space.

• In that space lies our freedom and

power to choose our response

• In those choices lie our growth and

level of relationships

8/22/2005 46
 The important task rarely must be
done today, or even this week. . .
The urgent task calls for instant
action. . . The momentary appeal of
these tasks seems irresistible and
important, and they devour our
energy.
But in the light of time’s perspective,
their deceptive prominence fades; with
a sense of loss we recall the vital task
we pushed aside.
We realize we’ve become slaves to the
tyranny of the urgent. Charles Hummel 47
8/22/2005
 “People become addicted to the urgent.
They simply define important as urgent.
They neglect preventive thinking, they
neglect long-term strategic thinking, they
neglect the building of high trust
relationships, and they are consumed by
an addiction called urgency”
Stephen Covey
8/22/2005 48
 Time Demands

Two Dimensions

Importance Urgency

Important tasks Urgent tasks require

support operational immediate attention
goals

8/22/2005 49
 ≠

8/22/2005 50
 Success Is a Race Against Time
• Advanced technology has
accelerated the pace of work life
• Time is part of the agile
professional’s inventory
• Agile professionals adjust their work
habits to meet the changing
demands on their time

8/22/2005 51
 Self-Discipline
• Learning to manage oneself and
one’s time requires self-discipline,
which requires determination
• Determination begins with a
purpose or a “calling,” the creation
of passion, which drives one toward
reaching specific goals

8/22/2005 52
 Becoming Self-Disciplined

• Self-discipline is defined as making a

“disciple” of one’s self
– Becoming one’s own teacher,
trainer, coach, disciplinarian
• Becoming disciplined helps
salespeople develop and manage their
personal and professional goals (their
purpose)

8/22/2005 53
 Summary Aspects for Managing Time

• Set goals • Manage appointments

• Manage disruptions
• Set priorities
• Manage distractions
• Organize work • Manage interruptions
• Clear the clutter • Manage self
• Focus on • Increase personal
efficiency
important
• Use TM tools like planners,
• Divide large tasks diaries, scheduler grids….
in small chunks
• Learn to say no
8/22/2005 54
 Sharpen the Saw

Effectiveness and Efficiency

• Successful people are accountable
for how they manage both
themselves and their time
– Managing oneself is largely concerned
with learning how to make oneself
more effective
– Managing time is largely concerned
with making oneself more efficient
8/22/2005 55
 “Learning is not compulsory -
neither is survival!”
W Edward Deming

Questions?

8/22/2005 56