1 2 3 4 Failing to manage your time effectively can have some very undesirable consequences: Missed deadlines. Inefficient work flow. Poor work quality. A poor professional reputation and a stalled career. Higher stress levels 5 1 Are the tasks you work on during the day the ones with the highest priority? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often very Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) ( 5) 2 Do you find yourself completing tasks at the last minute, or asking for extensions? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often very Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) ( 5) 3 Do you set aside time for planning and scheduling? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often very Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) ( 5) 4 Do you know how much time you are spending on the various jobs you do? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often very Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) ( 5) 5 How often do you find yourself dealing with interruptions? to start.) Not at All Rarely sometimes Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) very Often ( 5) 6 6 Do you use goal setting to decide what tasks and activities you should work on? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often very Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) ( 5) 7 Do you leave contingency time in your schedule to deal with "the unexpected"? Not at All (1 ) Rarely (2) sometimes ( 3) Often (4 ) very Often ( 5) 8 Do you know whether the tasks you are working on are high, medium, or low value? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often very Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) ( 5) 9 When you are given a new assignment, do you analyze it for importance and prioritize it accordingly? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often very Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) ( 5) 10 Are you stressed about deadlines and commitments? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) very Often ( 5) 7 11 Do distractions often keep you from working on critical tasks? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) very Often ( 5) 12 Do you find you have to take work home, in order to get it done? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often very Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) ( 5) 13 Do you prioritize your "To Do" list or Action Program? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) very Often ( 5) 14 Do you regularly confirm your priorities with your boss? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) very Often ( 5) 15 Before you take on a task, do you check that the results will be worth the time put in? Not at All Rarely sometimes Often very Often (1 ) (2) ( 3) (4 ) ( 5) 8 Comment 46-75 You're managing your time very effectively! Still, check the sections below to see if there's anything you can tweak to make this even better. 31-45 You're good at some things, but there's room for improvement elsewhere. Focus on the serious issues below, and you'll most likely find that work becomes much less stressful. 15-30 Ouch. The good news is that you've got a great opportunity to improve your effectiveness at work, and your long term success! However, to realize this, you've got to fundamentally improve your time management skills. (Read below to start.) 9 10 Common Time Management Mistakes Mistake #1. Failing to Keep a To-Do List Mistake #2. Not Setting Personal Goals Mistake #3. Not Prioritizing Mistake #4. Failing to Manage Distractions Mistake #5. Procrastination Mistake #6. Taking on too Much Mistake #7. Thriving on "Busy\" Mistake #8. Multitasking Mistake #9. Not Taking Breaks Mistake #10. Ineffectively Scheduling Tasks 10 Time Management 0501292 Dr. Salem Al Jundi 11 Chapter 1 Introduction to Time Management Page 12 of 20 Chapter 1 Introduction to Time Management Learning objectives - - - - - - - Time importance What is magic about time management? Relationship between time and money What good time management about. Deciding what to do with your time Principles of goal setting Ideas for personal goals Page 13 of 20 Understanding Time Time Importance No matter who you are (clever, wealthy) you cannot change the fact there is 24 hours per day. You cannot: - Control time - Increase/ decrease time - Speed up/ slow down time Page 14 of 20 What is magic about time management? Time is like any room it has a specific space in it. You start a day with 24 hours space. You cannot swap what is left in yesterday's time with today's. You also cannot use someone's else time. When talking about time management, we talk about how to use time. The main problem with time management for all of us is that we do not always start from the scratch. You do things today that left behind from the days before. You will leave something to do it tomorrow. All what you need to do is to manage time you got by putting it to the best use possible. Page 15 of 20 UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME MANAGEMENT Before you start saving time, you need to invest (give something in the hope that you will get something back in return) time on time management time. You need to invest time on things such as: - - - - - - Planning Organizing Reviewing Rearranging Sorting (to put things in an order or separate them into groups) Thinking 16 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME AND MONEY We usually use the phrase spending time rather investing more time. However, many of the words used about time are money oriented: - - - - - - Buying time Losing time Making time Saving time Spending time Wasting time Unlike money, we cannot make or save time. Time is more important than money since you use time to make money, but no amount of money can be used to add extra one hour a day. 17 GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT Good time management can: - - - - - - - - - - Give more time to do what you want Improve your availability Improve your decision making Improve your health Improve your productivity, efficiency and effectiveness. Make you easier to live with Make you easier to work with Make you feel more relaxed Minimize the risk you take Reduce stress 18 WHAT GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT IS ABOUT? It is about setting limits. Limits should be set for: - Availability: how you are willing to be disturbed (interrupted) by making yourself available to others (telephone calls or someone walks in the doorCan I get back to you?). - Duration: how long you spend doing things (there is little point of spending a lot of time on something that is not really worth it). - Importance: how you prioritize things (you cannot do everything. Limit your time to the most important work). - Involvement: how much you do yourself as opposed to delegate to others (delegation is a very important time management skill). - Standards: how well you do things (do things well enough/ appropriately rather than working to ideal/ perfectionist). - Urgency: how quickly you do things (things do not have to be done right nowUrgency determines when to do things). 19 SETTING LIMITS Wrong Thinking Limiting Availability Correct Thinking I have to stop my work Is this interruption more important to answer the phone/ than what I am doing right now? If yes, fair enough. Otherwise it can speak to. wait. Limiting Duration I've started so I might If you started something you do not have to finish it specially if as well finish. something else more important or more urgent comes up. Limiting Importance No it's not. Sort out your priorities and plan your time accordingly It's all important. You cannot do everything. Only do it things that need you to do them and let other to take care of the rest. Limiting Involvement If you want a job doing, you'd better yourself. do Limiting Standards If a job worth doing, it's A job worth doing well enough- it does not have to be perfect. worth doing very well. Limiting Urgency This is cannot wait. What will happen if I wasn't here to do it? Is it the most urgent thing you need to do? Is it really the best use 20 of time right now? DECIDING WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR TIME Spend time doing the right things- you can be busy, but you need to be busy on the right things. Otherwise you'll find yourself spending time on minor, irrelevant things as you do on important tasks. Planning and prioritizing can help you focus your effort appropriately. Spend time doing what you like doing- improve the amount of time you spend on things you enjoy and limit the time you spend on things you don't enjoy. When you feel happier, you get more things done- you achieve more. Spend time doing what you're good at- you can do it easily in difficult time. Difficult tasks need concentration and effort, plan them so that they aren't rushed or handled when you're not at your best. Spend time on results, not effort- It is not good just to be busy. You have to achieve things. The 80/20 rule, Pareto's Principle, states that 80% of effort achieves only 20% results. Thus, 80% of the results are achieved by 20% of the working effort. Spend time at the right time- we work better at certain times than at others. Plan your day around the most productive time. 21 SETTING GOALS Very few of us set goals. Hence, we do not achieve what we want. Setting goals are important because: - - - - - - - - Goals increase motivation Goals raise your self-confidence when you achieve them Goals help you to achieve more Goals help you to decide what to do with your time Goals improve your performance Goals increase your satisfaction when you achieve them Goals tend to improve your concentration People who set goals tend to suffer less from stress/anxiety 22 PRINCIPLES OF GOAL SETTING To set goals correctly, take the following into account: - - - - Set positive goals Set specific goals Set realistic goals Set goals at the right level - - - - Set goals for performance not outcome Keep goals small Write goals down Give goals priorities 23 PRINCIPLES OF GOAL SETTING - Set positive goals- Phrase your goals positively. Deal with Ali more effectively instead of don't give up to Ali. (If you give up a friend you stop being friendly with them). - Set specific goals: you cannot tell whether you achieve anything unless you can measure your success. Be precise- give date, time, numbers, amounts Reduce cigarette smoking to 10 per day- instead of cut down on smoking. - Set realistic goals: optimistic set goals on what you can achieve without being too Study one hour a day until the exams time then increase it to two hours instead of study of a minimum of two hours a day. - Set goals at the right level: do not make your goals too easy. People do this in order not to take risk and fail. 24 PRINCIPLES OF GOAL SETTING - Set goals for performance not outcome: setting goals based on outcomes may result in losing your ability to achieve them. Outcome goals are dependent on others. Increase the number of students by 20% instead of increase students' number more than any other university). - Keep goals small: at manageable level. Break large goals into small ones so you can achieve them. If you want to buy a car, (1) pay off existing car loan (2) save Dhm 2,000 deposit (3) Get the old car repaired and polished to increase its selling price (4) buy a new car instead of buy a new car. - Write goals down: Once you decided on your goals write them down. This gives you a sense of accomplishment and motivation to do them. - Give goals priorities: Once you write down your goals give them priorities. This enables you to focus time and attention appropriately. 25 PERSONAL GOAL SETTING People can be successful at work but not in their personal life. Personal goals: do not neglect (ignore) setting up your goals. List things you want to do with your life. List them as goals. This will give you a means of prioritizing and achievement outside work, as well as your job. 26 IDEAS FOR PERSONAL GOALS Creative goals - Decorate the house - Landscape the garden - Write an article in the newspaper Education Goals - - - - Do evening classes Get extra qualifications Learn a language Learn to use the Internet Career goals - Become a manager - Get pay rise - Move to a new job with more travel - Get early retirement - Find a part time job. Family goals - Get married - Spend more time with the children - Visit your parents 27 IDEAS FOR PERSONAL GOALS Financial Goals - Build up pension fund - Save at least Dhs 2000 per month - Pay part of your credit - Invest in property Physical Goals - - - - Cut down on junk (fast) food Do more exercises Lose weight Reduce/ stop smoking Mental goals - Accept your faults and work on your good points - Control your temper - Be more sociable - Stop criticizing Social/ Pleasure goals - - - - Watch a movie once a month Spend time with friends Read more Attend parties 28 Assignment # 1 Read chapter # 1, then set the most important five goals in your life in the coming two years. Reprioritize them and justify your answer. Did you consider the principles of goal setting that you studied? How? Page 29 of 20