Time Management Welcome and introductions Housekeeping

We are covering… What is time management Why it is important Time bandits - what gets in the way How you can help yourself to manage your own time We will bring all of this together with a couple of practical exercises

Your thoughts at this stage On the flip charts … Why is time management important? What gets in the way? What is the impact of getting it wrong? How can we manage time better? Split into groups. Nominate someone to scribe and feedback

Why is it so important? Unlike Dr Who we don't have a TARDIS... We cannot REPLACE time (it is irreplaceable). We cannot GO BACK in time (it is irreversible). We can’t save it, borrow it, lend it, leave it, take it with us Time is a VALUABLE commodity. We all have time to either spend or waste. It is our decision what to do with it. But once passed, it is gone forever. “Time management” refers to the way that you organize and plan how long you spend on specific activities. It seems that there is never enough time in the day. But, since we all get the same 24 hours, why is it that some people achieve so much more with their time than others? The answer lies in good time management. The highest achievers manage their time exceptionally well. By using the time-management techniques in this section, you can improve your ability to function more effectively – even when time is tight and pressures are high. Good time management requires an important shift in focus from activities to results: being busy isn’t the same as being effective. (Ironically, the opposite is often closer to the truth.) Spending your day in a frenzy of activity often achieves less, because you’re dividing your attention between so many different tasks. Good time management lets you work smarter – not harder – so you get more done in less time.

What gets in the way? The inability to say no Taking on too much Poor delegation Attention to detail Open door policy Distractions A negative attitude Stress and fatigue Procrastination Poor planning Interruptions Phone and email Travel Clutter and mess Time wasters Lack of clear goals or direction Poor systems Poor delegation Meetings People – waiting for them, chatting Ask the group for ideas: What stops us managing our time? Then display the list and run through.

Activity Arrange the playing cards as follows… A 5 J 9 2 Q 10 7 3 8 K 4 6 A 5 J 9 2 Q 10 7 3 8 K 4 6 A 5 J 9 2 Q 10 7 3 8 K 4 6 Split into groups with 4 in each group. Each group will need a set of playing cards- no jokers Purpose: To work as effectively as possible in your teams to complete the following task. Each team is competing with other teams and the winning team is the one that can finish the task in the shortest possible time. Rules: You need to lay out the cards exactly as outlined in the picture.  All cards must be in neat tidy rows with no cards touching.  The aim is to complete this task in the fastest possible time – you are directly in competition with the other team(s) in the room! Round 1 - You have 4 minutes – Go! Round 2 - You have 4 minutes to plan – Now you have 4 minutes again – Go! The idea is that each team improves their time throughout the successive rounds of the game. Discussion & Debrief : Don't usually come up with a good strategy during the first practice runs so don’t complete When plan can make a good strategy and divide the work among themselves, each group's timing significantly improves on the next run and the more they improve their strategy and their plan the better time they make on each of the following runs. A 5 J 9 2 Q 10 7 3 8 K 4 6

Where does time go? I don’t have time… I’m too busy… I get too much work… I feel stressed out… My work is always late… How many minutes in a day? 1,440 minutes How many minutes in the working day? 450 minutes (31.25%) How much time do you actually have available to get things done ? How often do you hear people say these things?

How do you spend your time? How much time do you actually have available to get things done? Activity Hand out activity sheet and ask the group to complete. This will show them how they can spend their time better.

Where does time go? Some interesting figures…

Xx Where does time go? Every week you have 30 hours free time…

How can we organise our time? Only you are responsible for your own time…

Group activity You have 20 minutes Complete the challenges to gain points The team with the most points win 20 minutes – table groups. Hand out team activity sheet and provide materials. The tasks can be altered to suit resources. Objective is to gather as many points as possible in 15 minutes Purpose? Symbolised coming in to work to face a list of potential tasks. Have to decide which to do in what order. How do you decide? Most people do the easy things first, leave the hard ‘til last (but it might be the most valuable and therefore worth spending all the time on). Lessons from that exercise? Time Management The role of a manger Planning and Problem Solving Prioritising Analyse and Organising Solving problems Making decisions Delegation Communication Teamwork Leadership

Managing priorities Ask what makes something urgent? Demands immediate attention Often associated with the achievement of someone else's goals Ask what makes something important? The results impact on what you want, either personally or at work High value, high impact Who decides?

Helping yourself… Be realistic – don’t over-commit Prioritise your responsibilities Focus on what’s ‘important’ Be time conscious - not time pressured Don’t procrastinate Take control of interruptions Learn to say no – be assertive Manage meetings Keep a log / calendar / use an app Take time to relax How can you help yourself. Ask the group for feedback then show the slide.

Finally… Time is valuable – use it wisely… Thank you. Any questions?