Time Management for Managers

Characteristics Of Time
There s a finite amount of time. It s the same for everyone. Nobody has more than anyone else.

Non-renewable resource Cannot be replaced, saved, made up or overspent

Time is either used or wasted. Time is your toughest competition.

The Value Of Time

How much is your time worth?

Time is money, right? Wrong! Money is time. You can always get more money valuable.

time is more

Exercise - How much is an hour worth to you?

Time Management
Time management helps you work smarter, not harder.

Smart people get the right things done. People who work smart make more money and get promoted faster or get to do the jobs they want.

Time management requires self-management and self-discipline.

Four Steps In Time Management

Planning Organizing Controlling (Keeping track of it) Evaluating

Planning
Set Goals (Always time framed - deadlined).

Yearly: Income, projects/tasks, improvement areas Monthly updates Weekly Planners Daily Schedules

Prioritize everything: 1s, 2s, 3s.

Planning
Remember the 80/20 rule: 80% of your results come from 20% of your activities. Plan for the full range of your job functions and activities to get the results you re expected to get.

Results are politically defined.

Self-Management
If you re unsure about priorities, ask your boss.

I don t have enough time, blames time, not yourself.

You probably didn t check your priorities with your boss.

Don t be a victim, take responsibility for managing and controlling your time.
According to boss s priorities, not yours.

Take responsibility for results as the boss defines them.

Self-Management
People who are habitually late or constantly procrastinate:
1 2

3 4

Arrogant: Try to establish power consciously Poor self-image: Try to establish power subconsciously Unhealthy fear of failure Are you in denial about any of the above problems?

Self-Management
Overcome these problems with self-discipline:

Time management and priority setting Professional help ( yes, a shrink) Don t procrastinate on getting started or getting help in planning your time.

Planning
Yearly Goals Monthly Updates Weekly Planners Daily Schedules

The keystone of an effective system

Planning Tools
To-Do List Action Folder Management Folders Project Folders Calendar Weekly Planners Daily Schedule

To-Do List Problems

The Longer, the worse depressing. Unconscious, stupid tricks we play on ourselves:

Do lots of little things first to give ourselves achievement feedback. Do the easiest things first. Do the most fun things first.

To-Do List Solutions

Scrub it every week to keep it short.

Reward accomplishments candy.

give yourself a piece of

Deadline all items. Prioritize all items (boss s priorities).

Listen to boss carefully.

Listen for stuff you don t want to hear. Don t listen defensively it s not personal criticism, it s improvement advice

Weekly Planner
Assign priorities in an Action Folder and on a ToDo list. Look at last week s Weekly Planner.

Weekly Planner
Look at Calendar for scheduled appointments and meetings. Synthesize into a new Weekly Planner. Keep Weekly Planners for later analysis.

Daily Planning
1

Set a time for your daily planning (first thing in the a.m. is usually best). Look at your email - DRAS (delete, refer, act, or save) it
 

Refer means to refer it to someone else to do. Act if it takes less than two minutes.

Snail-mail

TRAS (toss, refer, act, or save) it

Keep briefcase or backpack open and toss reading in it.

Daily Planning

Refer - Delegate, forward, or print out and put in an appropriate folder. Act - Do it immediately if it takes less than two minutes. Save- Don t save what others save.

Daily Scheduling Tips

Be tough on yourself do the hardest, nastiest things first. Save the easiest, most fun for last in the day look forward to them. On every activity, ask how is this helping me achieve my goals? Prioritize 1, 2, 3. You shouldn t be doing 4s and 5s

You distract yourself.

Daily Scheduling Tips

Break big jobs into smaller chunks.

Turn off your computer no email, Ims, Facebook, or Twitter during chunking. Each chunk completed builds momentum.

Don t attempt too much. Make yourself feel like a winner. Allow for interruptions leave one-quarter unscheduled.

If you re not a manager, leave one-eighth unscheduled.

Daily Scheduling Tips

Set a time limit on each appointment or meeting. If you add something during the day, drop something. Make time for call-backs.

Best time for call-backs is when assistants aren t around before 9:00 A.M. or after 5:30 P.M. (NoScreening Time).

Working Your Plan

The number-one time management rule:

Do one task until it s finished.

We interrupt ourselves (email notifications, IMs, texting, Facebook).
Focus intensely

Champion athletes know the value of focused concentration.

Follow-Up
Conduct a desk check at the end of the day.

Nothing open No random piles of stuff have organized piles No Post-Its all over the place What color is your desktop?
If you don t know or can t see your desktop, you re not well organized.

Organize Your Desk and Computer

Phone on the left (if you re right-handed)

Use a headset if you re on the phone a lot so you can write stuff down.

Handy Calendar (Only One-Portable, such as a synched smartphone) Work space neat and clean Write everything down. Put often-used information in Favorite Places.

Organize Your Desk and Computer

Vital information handy Action folder (red if not on computer) Management folder (yellow if not on your computer) Project folders (blue if not on your computer)

Organize Written Communications

Analyze repetition: use forms, templates. Analyze correspondence.

Have separate files and templates for letters and paragraphs.

Organize Support Staff

Have no-interrupt hours for support people. Utilize quiet hours for the entire office or department .

Organize Support Staff

Have the support staff keep time logs occasionally. Meet regularly with the support staff to discuss problems, solutions. Make the support staff part of the team.

Organize Your Associates

Use liaisons. Consolidate meetings (bring management and project folders). Compress meetings (set time limits, use and follow agendas).

Manage Your Boss

Get specific instructions. Get agreement on priorities. Expand autonomy parameters: gain trust.

Controlling Time
Proper use of time separates winners from losers. Winners take credit, losers blame time and others. View time management as an edge opportunity.

Evaluating
Time logs (every six months)

We misjudge time. What we like to do goes fast. What we dislike to do goes slowly. Time logs must be accurate. Analyze logs carefully and identify the biggest time wasters:
Overextended lunch and coffee breaks Extended, unproductive phone conversations Inconsequential personal discussions, IMs, Facebook

Evaluating
Look at your time log and ask these questions:

Am I doing the right things? Could I have done things in less detail? What kind of interruptions? How long did it take me to recover? How long were my conversations? Did I say no often enough?
Set up no systems

Summary
Time isn t money, it can t be saved. It s more precious . Know how you use your time (time logs). Know your boss s priorities. Set deadlines for everything.

Next Steps
Remember, you re the one who makes yourself unhappy with unreasonable expectations and disorganization.

Create a plan.

Get organized and smell the flowers.