TIME MANAGEMENT

WHERE DO WE NEED TO SPEND OUR TIME?  Reading Books/Magazines  Physical Exercise  Active Hobbies  Children/Family  Writing Letters to Relatives/Friends  Socialising & Social Work

SETTING GOALS & PRIORITIES  Career  Status / respect  Material possessions  Relationships  Leisure  Learning  Spiritual Growth

THE REQUIREMENTS 1. Decide on Importance 2. Check Attainment 3. Minimise Conflict 4. Review Priority 5. Ensure ‘S M A R T’ Criteria 6. Enlist Support from Others 7. Plenty of Self-Confidence

WRITING “SMART” GOALS S S pecific M M easurable A A ttainable R R ealistic T T ime bound

THE PROCESS 1. Formulate Vision 2. Identify Strengths & Weaknesses 3. Research Opportunities & Threats 4. Select Key Goals 5. Make Action Plans 6. Have Contingency Plan 7. Determination to Implement

HOW EXECUTIVES SPEND TIME  Reading, Writing, Dictating  Discussions with boss, subordinates, colleagues  Customers/Visitors with or without appointment  Incoming/Outgoing telephone calls  Meetings  Travel & movement time  Waiting time  Searching for papers

HANDLING TELEPHONES  Educate callers  Plan / Consolidate Calls  May I help you?  Take notes while talking  Avoid ping-pong  Use or call-back  Screen appointments  Have phone discussion meets  Learn to terminate calls

HANDLING VISITORS  Quiet Hour  Schedule Appointments  Go to Them/Stand up  Change environment (ODP)  Be candid with “gottaminits”  Say ‘no’ tactfully and firmly  Use verbal/non-verbal cues  Meet at reception/special room  Make office optionally comfortable

HANDLING PAPERWORK/MAIL  Action, Information, Reading  Do, delegate, delay, dump  Read - Swap, Speed, Selective  Write - Think, Condense, Summary  Standardise Letters & Reports  Manage by Exception  Use Technology & Trust  Telephone, Personal Contact  Stop Irrelevant Mail/Subscriptions

MANAGING MEETINGS  Decide Objectives  Circulate Agenda  Select Participants  Be on Time  Conducive Environment  Prepare Thoroughly  Professional Chairmanship  Action every Item  Distribute “Minutes”

IMPORTANT Vs URGENT MATRIX I. URGENT & IMPORTANT II. NOT URGENT BUT IMPORTANT III. URGENT BUT NOT IMPORTANT IV. NOT URGENT NOT IMPORTANT

Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least Goethe

Put First Things First Put first things first!!!

Organizing Yourself Start with a Yearly Calendar Don’t forget to schedule in time to satisfy all roles Consistently Develop Weekly and Daily Plans

ORGANISE YOURSELF  Have a daily ‘To-do’ List  Focus on ‘A’ not ‘C’ priorities  Understand boss’s/organisation’s priorities  Consult goals for allocation for time/energy  Schedule for week/month – advance planning  Look for “Do” instead of “Due” date  Prepare ‘PERT’ for large assignments  Manage relationships/network for support  Decide priority based on need, not sycophancy

MANAGING BOTTLE-NECKS  Be a squeaking wheel  Bypass the system  Announce that you will take action  Make it a matter of honour  Use positive reinforcement

AVOIDING CRISES  Start early enough  Clear communication – no misunderstandings  Periodic status reports for early warning  Follow-through after delegating  Make a contingency plan

ENDING YOUR WORK-DAY  Tidy up  Evaluate your day Was I proactive or reactive? Did I establish & accomplish my major goal? Did others intrude unduly on my time? Was I guilty of wheel spinning activities? If I were to live this day over, what would I do?  Plan the next day’s activities

ASSERTIVENESS  Assertiveness is the ability to communicate your needs, feelings, opinions, and beliefs in an open and honest manner without violating the rights of others

ASSERTIVENESS 1. Is not the same as aggressive behaviour 2. Aggressive behaviour enhances self at the expense of others 3. Assertiveness produces positive outcomes for all; Aggressive acts result in negative outcomes

WHAT WILL IT DO 1. Increases self-confidence 2. Elevates self-esteem 3. Gain respect of others 4. Improves communication 5. Enhances decision- making ability

Examples of Passive Behaviour  Avoiding eye contact  Quiet, strained voice  Sentences not finished  Nervous movements - fiddling with objects  Physically backing away  Apologising a lot  Agreeing without questioning

Examples of Aggressive behaviours  Glaring/staring  Loud voice  Lots of interruptions  Finger wagging  Hands on hips  Physically moving towards the other person  Blaming  Stating opinions as facts

HOW TO BE ASSERTIVE 1. Be honest & direct about your needs & feelings 2. Express yourself firmly & directly 3. Be reasonable in your requests 4. State your viewpoint without being apologetic 5. Be honest when giving or receiving feedback 6. Learn to say “no” to unreasonable expectations 7. Paraphrase what others have stated to you

HOW TO BE ASSERTIVE 8. Recognise & respect the rights of those around you 9. Use appropriate tome of voice 10. Be aware of body posture and body language 11. Maintain eye contact 12. Use “I” statements to express self 13. Don’t let others impose their values/ideas on you 14. Encourage others to be clear and direct 15. Take ownership

What Is Stress?  Stress  Psychological, Emotional, Physiological Response  Stressors  Threatening Environmental Conditions

Why Is Stress Management Important?  Organizational Costs  Individual Costs  Health Impairment  Job Burnout  Performance Decline

Exhibit 6.1: Relationship Between Stress and Job Performance

Experiencing stress STRESSORS Anticipatory, Encounter,Time, Situational REACTIONS Physiological, Psychological RESILIENCY Physical Psychological Social

Exhibit 6.2: Model of the Stress Management Process Potential Stressors Personal Factors Family problems Financial problems Health problems Organizational Factors High stress occupation Job role Overload Under-utilization Role ambiguity Role conflict Responsibility for others Job Environment Poor working conditions Organizational politics Poor work relationships Environmental Factors Economic Uncertainty Technological Change Politics Consequences Psychological Heart Disease Ulcers Headaches Emotional Anxiety Depression Burnout Behavioral Aggression Productivity Avoidance Successful Coping High self esteem Goal accomplishment Feeling of well being Stress Management Individual Seek help Time management Change jobs Build resiliency Personality Companionship Experience Health (Exercise, diet) Relaxation Recreation Organizational Job Design Selection & Placement Training & Mentoring Team Building Employee Assistance Communicating Wellness Promotion Experienced Stress (SYMPTOM AWARENESS)

Managing Stress: Objectives  Becoming Aware of Negative Stress Symptoms  Determining the Sources  Determining the Cause  And then…  Cope temporarily with the stress  Eliminate stressors  Develop resiliency

How Can Awareness of Stress Symptoms Be Enhanced?  Physical Symptoms  Psychological Substitutes Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always Constant fatigue[][] [] [] [] Low energy level[][] [] [] [] Recurring headaches[][] [] [] [] Gastrointestinal disorders[][] [] [] [] Bad breath[][] [] [] [] Sweaty hands or feet[][] [] [] [] Dizziness[][] [] [] [] High blood pressure[][] [] [] [] Pounding heart [][] [] [] []

Types of Stressors: Causes  Time  Encounter  Situational  Anticipatory

Managing Stress Eliminate Stressors Develop Resiliency Temporary coping mechanisms Permanent effects Long termShort term Enactive approach Proactive approach Reactive approach Long time required Moderate time required Immediate

Resiliency:  Physiological  Cardiovascular conditioning  Proper diet  Social  Supportive relations  Mentors  teamwork Psychological – Balanced lifestyle – Hardy personality – Small wins strategy – Relaxation techniques

Short term strategies  Reframing  Imagery

Types of stressors and what we can do about them  Time Stressors  Work overload  Lack of control  Elimination Strategies  Principles of time management  Delegation

Eliminating time stressors: Time management  “Effective time management can enable managers to gain control over their time and organize their fragmented, chaotic environment.”

Effective time management means…  Spending time on important, not just urgent matters  Distinguishing clearly between importance and urgency  Focusing on results not methods  Not feeling guilty when saying no

Effective time management URGENCY HighLow IMPORTANCE Low High

80/20 Rule ActivitiesTime SpentResults Trivial 80% 20% Vital 20% 80%

Efficient time management  Too little time; too much to do  How do I get more done?

Schedule  Schedule Activities Horizontal Scheduling Vertical Scheduling Directing and Controlling

Rules  Read selectively  Make lists  Everything in its place  Prioritize  Multitask the routine  Discretionary task jar  Divide up the big jobs  Critical 20%  Best time for important jobs  Arrange non- interrupted time Don’t procrastinate Keep track of time Set deadlines Use waiting time Designate time for busy work Closure on one thing a day Schedule personal time Limit worry time Long term objectives Continuous improvement

Tips for managers  Hold routine meetings at end of day  Set time limit  Hold meetings only if needed  Agendas, minutes  Start on time  Paper work decisions  Organize  Limit interruptions

 Delegate  Empowerment: allow for initiative  Give credit to those who deserve it

Types of stressors and what we can do about them  Encounter Stressors:  Role Conflicts  Issue  Interaction  Elimination Strategies:  Delegation  Interpersonal skills  Conflict resolution  Resilience  Social support; Collaboration  Self awareness  EQ

Types of stressors and what we can do about them  Situational Stressors:  Unfavourable working conditions  Rapid change  Elimination Strategies:  Work redesign  Changing jobs  Short term Strategies  resiliency

Work redesign  Level of task demand  Level of autonomy (individual control & discretion)  Level of interest  Feedback

Types of stressors and what we can do about them  Anticipatory Stressors:  Unpleasant expectations  Fear  Elimination Strategies:  Time management  Priorities; planning  Short term strategies  Resiliency

Stress and Self awareness  Values  Attitude towards change  Cognitive style  Interpersonal orientation

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Mahatma Gandhi

TIME MANAGEMENT