Managing Time Soft Skills Training for Women in Construction

Learning objectives The concept of time and it’s common misconceptions The relationship between yourselves, your objectives and your time management How to boost your overall effective time management applications and strategies Ideas, practical tips and tools to use everyday

A precious resource… Watches have been around since year 1500 You have 60sec, 60min, 24 hours You’ve got it, then it’s gone… It’s a vital to achieving any plan/goal in the time you have You never have time to do it right, but you always find time to do it again

Time management - some key benefits Increased output Cost reductions Fewer crisis to face Lower stress levels Fewer mistakes Improved: Quality of work Work satisfaction Work life balance Working relationships

So where does time go? Seven years in the bathroom Six years eating Five years queuing Three years in meetings Eight months opening junk mail You’ll get interrupted 73 times a day!

The concept of time management… Not so much about managing time, as managing yourselves You will gain satisfaction as well as getting things done It is more about doing the right things than it is to do things right!

Priorities… or putting first things first Where is your focus? Urgent but not important Important but not urgent Urgent and important!!!!! Busy work

Objectives and time management… What you are required to do? Why you are required to do it? How your success will be measured? Do you have SMART objectives?

Benefits of using objectives… Helps to identify priorities Helps to assess what is achievable Helps identify the resources required Gives you clarity, focus and direction Can monitor your own performance Completion of objectives provides a sense of achievement

It’s all about understanding… Understand your objectives in relation to the organisation Understand your objectives in relation to your colleagues Ensure your team understand their objectives in relation to your objectives

Beware of Time Stealers… Poorly organised/run meetings/unnecessary meetings Losing things Junk paper/ s Perfectionism Equipment broken/missing Waiting for things/others Avoidable crises Being unable to say “no” Procrastination

Procrastination…why do you put things off? Because you: Haven’t really committed to doing the task Are afraid of the task Don’t know enough to do the task Don’t place a high enough priority on it Don’t know where to start Don’t like the task Have run out of energy Work to the “deadline high” You procrastinate

Reasons for delegation… Empowers the team Extends and develops team knowledge and skill Expresses your faith and appreciation in the team Contributes to positive relations Motivates Allocates workloads Achieves more tasks at a higher level of efficiency

Stages for effective delegation 1.Identify suitable tasks 2.Match needs of the task to the person 3.Discuss and explain the task, get buy-in 4. Agree objectives, monitoring/support, evaluation 5.Coach if necessary 6.Hold regular performance feedback meetings

Where delegation fails… Quality of the tasks Quantity of the tasks Mismatching task and capabilities Lack of support and follow-up Withdrawal of the delegated task

Helping others to help you when dealing with a number of tasks… Find out the deadlines for each task Work out how long it will take each task Look at the needs of the external/internal customer Decide what “type” of task it is i.e. urgent, important….

Having an effective relationship with your time… Spend time planning and organizing Use tools that work for you Be flexible Consider your body clock Minimize the URGENT

Some more tips and ideas…. Avoid being a perfectionist Don’t over commit Learn to say NO Set aside uninterrupted time Use bits of time Be a clutter buster Think effective communication

And finally… “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives” Annie Dillard

HIGH HEELS PROJECT Leonardo da Vinci – Transfer of Innovation BG1-LEO C OPYRIGHT © Copyright 2013 High Heels Consortium Consisting of: BULGARIAN CONSTRUCTION CHAMBER (BG) CONSTRUCTION TRAINING CENTER (BG) AR CI PROFESSIONAL CENTRE Ltd (BG) MILITOS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES &SERVICES (GR) KNOWL (GR) RNDO Ltd (CY) STEJAR CENTER OF RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & EXCELLENCE (RO) This document may not be copied, reproduced, or modified in whole or in part for any purpose without written permission from the High Heels Consortium. In addition an acknowledgement of the authors of the document and all applicable portions of the copyright notice must be clearly referenced. All rights reserved. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Transferring the University of Salford’s award winning training programme: “‘Women and Work: Sector Pathways Initiative” (2010)