1. Managing Time – Removing the Barriers

2. Managing Time - Removing the Barriers
Tools to Manage Time
This lesson will provide you with personal time management skills. These are simple, practical techniques that will help you become highly effective by showing you how to identify and focus on the activities that give you the greatest returns.
Investing in these time management activities will actually save you time, helping you work smarter, not harder.
Communicating effectively to save time
Pareto Principle in action
Assertive time management
Managing s & Paper work
Using Standard Tools for Scheduling & Recording
Handling interruptions & distractions
Time Matrix - Covey's
A-B-C Rule of Prioritizing
Delegation as a Time management Tool

3. Managing Time - Removing the Barriers
Time Saving Communication .
Clear
Concise
Correct
Complete
Courteous
Consistent
Communicating effectively can go a long way in avoiding wastage of time and therefore is an essential component of time management.
All Verbal and Written Communication will be effective if it is:

4. Managing Time - Removing the Barriers
Empathetic Listening
Empathetic listening is a very essential part of the communication process. Active listening can help you avoid miscommunication and hence prevent wastage of time that may result due to it.
Active listening involves a simple 3-step process:
Empathize/Establish Rapport
To establish rapport with the speaker, you need to empathize with him and relate to his feelings about the issue. Make sure you give the speaker your full attention.
Verify/Check for Understanding
It Is vital that you have a clear understanding of what the speaker Is saying. You need to check anything that might be ambiguous or unclear and look for any contradictions, either in the instructions or in the way they are given.
Summarize Points
At the end of the discussion, repeat to the speaker what you think you've heard. This may involve a simple summary or something more, such as a follow up to confirm the details of a complex issue.

5. Managing Time - Removing the Barriers
Empathetic Listening
The Pareto Principle or the 8Q/20 Rule means that in anything- a few (20 percent) are vital and many (80 percent) are trivial.
The principle also says that 20 percent of something always is responsible for 80 percent of the results.
In context of time management, 20 percent of the work (the first 10 percent and the last 10 percent) consumes 80 percent of the time and resources.
Examples:
80 percent of the sales will come from 20 percent of sales staff
20 percent of the staff will cause 80 percent of problems
20 percent of the staff will provide 80 percent of production
Of the total tasks In a day. only 20 percent really matter
Those 20 percent produce 80 percent of the results
Pareto's Principle, the 80/20 Rule, should serve as a dally reminder to focus 80 percent of your time and energy on the 20 percent of you work that is really important, Don't just 'work smart", work smart on the right things.

6. Check your Knowledge
Press to Start

7. Of the examples given below, identify the one that is not a good example of the Pareto Principle
It took me 8 hours to write the report, but only a couple of hours to add the finishing touches
You know, I signed up 10 new contracts last week; the first 8 on Monday
I supervise a large team, but all my interruptions come from same small number of people
There are 5 members on my team, but most of the errors are made by one of them

8. The Results

9. Managing Time - Removing the Barriers
Being Assertive
It's always awkward refusing requests. Ifs particularly hard if you need to refuse the request of a colleague or your boss. But sometimes, you just have to do It. If you give In to every demand that Is made of you, you'll find that you don't have enough time to get anything done.
To manage your time effectively, you will have to say 'No' when people try to take up your time. By applying a few simple rules, you'll find that saying 'No' isn't as difficult as it sounds.
It Is possible to soften the blow of denying requests without giving In. But you must know why you need to say 'No' to help you maintain the right mindset. The three essential tactics for giving a positive refusal are:
Explaining your reasons
Concentrating on the positive
Offering an alternative

10. Check your Knowledge Learning to say no
Ravi gets a call from Sneha, one of his colleagues, She wants him to help her with a presentation about one of the company’s new products. Ravi can't help her today because he has to prepare his own presentation and he has a brainstorming meeting this afternoon.
How should Ravi manage this situation and say 'NO'?
Press to Start

11. Ravi should explain his reasons by
Suggesting Sneha to send the draft of her presentation to their boss for review
Telling Sneha about the brainstorming meeting and his own presentation
Reminding Sneha that she has herself made successful presentations before

12. Ravi should concentrate on the positive by
Suggesting Sneha to send the draft of her presentation to their boss for review
Telling Sneha about the brainstorming meeting and his own presentation
Reminding Sneha that she has herself made successful presentations before

13. Ravi should offer alternatives by
Suggesting Sneha to send the draft of her presentation to their boss for review
Telling Sneha about the brainstorming meeting and his own presentation
Reminding Sneha that she has herself made successful presentations before

14. The Results

15. File Act Toss Managing Time - Removing the Barriers
Managing s & Paper Work
File
Act
Toss
File the s and Items at properly designated places if you need to refer to them later.
Take Immediate action on the communication received.
Do away with items not required. Delegate or Delete.

16. Managing Time - Removing the Barriers
Recording & Scheduling Tools
Scheduling is the process by which you plan your use of time. By scheduling effectively, you can reduce stress and maximize your effectiveness. This makes it one of the most important time management tools you can use.
By proper recording and scheduling, you can look at the time available to you and plan how you will use It to achieve the goals you have identified.
Time Logs are used to record the amount of time spent on each activity
Use a time log If you work on one or several projects but are only Interested In the amount of time you spend
For the purposes of recording internal costs or charging clients, you may use a simple time sheet to log the date, the activity and the time spent
This method will not help you plan ahead.
Time Logs

17. Managing Time - Removing the Barriers
Recording & Scheduling Tools
Calendars are used to coordinate the various activities of an individual over a period of time.
A calendar is useful for planning ahead and keeping track of all your appointments. However, unless you also use it retrospectively to log time spent on each activity, it may not be so useful for helping you identify how you spend the majority of your time.
Calendar

18. Managing Time - Removing the Barriers
Recording & Scheduling Tools
Project Planners are used to coordinate the activities of a number of people who are all working on the same project for a period of time.
A project planner Is a good control and monitoring tool and it helps you to ensure that people deliver their parts of the project at the right time, But this method may not be needed if all you need is a simple reminder of tasks that need to be completed during the day.
Project Planners

19. Managing Time - Removing the Barriers
Recording & Scheduling Tools
To-Do lists can be used as an immediate record of what needs to be done. When each activity is complete, it can be removed from the list,
It Is a simple time management and time logging method, It is useful as a basic way to record all of your tasks and it can act as a useful prompt. However its value is limited because there are no timings or time frames attached.
To-Do List

20. Check your Knowledge
For the tasks given below, identify the most suitable tool for scheduling.
Press to Start

21. I keep track of how much time I spend on each of my activities during each day.
To-Do List
Time Logs
Calendars
Project Planners

22. I schedule my meetings and tasks over a long time period.
To-Do List
Time Logs
Calendars
Project Planners

23. We all have to manage our time because we're all working on the same project.
To-Do List
Time Logs
Calendars
Project Planners

24. I like to write down all of my tasks and then check off the ones I finish.
To-Do List
Time Logs
Calendars
Project Planners

25. The Results

26. Determine the Nature of the Interruption
Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
Handling Interruptions & Distractions
Interruptions have a great impact on every professional's life. In some job capacities interruptions occur, on an average, once every two to three minutes!
While eliminating interruptions from our days is not a reasonable or even a desirable goal, it is possible to minimize the impact interruptions have on our days by implementing a few simple techniques.
Determine the Nature of the Interruption
The first thing you must do in order to manage interruptions effectively is to get in the habit of identifying the type, importance and urgency of the interruption as quickly as
Your primary goal should be to find out enough information about the interruption to decide the best way to handle it
Keep asking questions until you have enough information to decide

27. Establish Regular Visiting Hours
Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
Handling Interruptions & Distractions
Establish Regular Visiting Hours
A good strategy to balance the need for uninterrupted time to get your own work done while remaining available to your teammates and colleagues is to set aside a regular 30 to 60 minute blocks for visits.
Inform your staff that these visiting hours are the best time to get in touch with you for non-emergency questions, discussions or problem that are not preventing them from doing productive work.
It is better to setup two or three small visiting hour blocks each day rather than a single large one since It reduces the amount of time people have to wait to get in touch with you.

28. Extend Visiting Hours to the Whole Team
Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
Handling Interruptions & Distractions
Extend Visiting Hours to the Whole Team
You are not the only one affected by Interruptions. The productivity of you staff and colleagues are equally affected by excessive interruptions.
If you have the ability to establish policies for your team or project, a useful practice Is to extend the concept of visiting hours to the whole team. You'll find that most people will gladly postpone non-urgent interruptions and respect the visiting hours concept if It means that they too will get uninterrupted time to complete their own work.

29. Re-organize your Workspace
Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
Handling Interruptions & Distractions
Re-organize your Workspace
Re-organize your table, chair, computer and phone In a manner that discourages people from taking up too much of your time. This way you will be available, but not too available.
If re-arranging your space Is not possible due to pre-formed modules, consider buying a few plants, tail If necessary, to shield you from passersby.
For example: If you have a chair for visitors, put a stack of books, papers or other materials on the chair to discourage visitors from sitting down to chat.
If you are working on a very important project, finding an unoccupied conference room to work in for scheduled periods of time.

30. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
Handling Interruptions & Distractions
Be Assertive
Use clear yet polite statements like these to make the other person aware of your schedule:
I’m In the middle of something now... Can we speak later?'
“Let me finish my current task. I'll come back to you In 15 minutes..."
Start with “I only have 5 minutes' - you can always extend this
“Can we address your query tomorrow morning? I'm In the midst of...”

31. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
Prioritizing Techniques: Stephen Covey’s Time Matrix
Stephen Covey developed the Time Matrix technique. This representation shows four categories of demand which may be made on your time.
Time Matrix - Activities
Urgent
Not Urgent
Important
Pressing Matters
Crises/ Panics
Fire- Fighting
Deadline- Driven Projects
Prevention
Relationship Building
Planning/ Preparation
Implementing Systems
Professional Knowledge
Not Important
Interruption
Some Calls/ mail
Some Reports/ Meetings
Unprepared Meetings
Popular Activities
Trivia
Busy Work
Time Wasters Unproductive Activity Everything Else 1 2 3 4

32. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
Prioritizing Techniques: Stephen Covey’s Time Matrix
Urgent
Not Urgent
Important
Stress
Burnout
Crisis Management
Long Term Vision
Balances the life
Better Planning
Not Important
Short term focus
See goals and
plans as worthless
Total Irresponsibility
Fired from jobs
Dependent on others Q1 Q2
Now let us see the results of focusing on each quadrant. Q3 Q4
Some Deductions:
More time spent on Q2 = less time on Q1
Less time on Q3 & Q4 = More time on Q2
More time on Q2 = Better life quality
Neglect Q2 activities = Become Q1 activities

33. C It wouldn't matter if I did it or not
Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
The A-B-C Rule of Prioritizing
The A-B-C Rule of Prioritizing is a simple technique to prioritize your tasks.
A Most Important
B Needs to be done
C It wouldn't matter if I did it or not

34. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
Dealing with Delegation
Have you ever heard the saying. " Everything I ever gave away had claw marks all over it? "
When you delegate responsibilities to your team, you’re not only utilizing your time wisely but also building trust within. It may not be easy at first, but here are the payoffs for the manager:
You'll spend less time putting out fires, because your team can handle situations
You'll spend less time managing crisis or at least have a member who can help you
You'll have more time for purposeful tasks, focusing on the important parts of your job
You'll have less stress
Delegation
Delegation is useful for the following reasons:
Once people have learned how to work with you, they can take responsibility for jobs you do not have time to do
You can develop people to look after routine tasks that are not cost-effective for you to carry out
It transfers work to people whose skills in a particular area are better than yours, thus saving time
Transfer of responsibility develops your staff and can increase their enjoyment of their jobs

35. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
How to Delegate 1
Deciding what to delegate 2
Select capable, willing people to carry out jobs 3
Delegate complete jobs 4
Explain why the job is done, and what results are expected 5
Then let go! 6
Give help and coach when requested 7
Accept only finished work 8
Give credit when a job has been successfully completed

36. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
How to Delegate 1
Deciding what to delegate
One way of deciding what to delegate is simply to list the things that you do which could be more effectively done by someone either more skilled in a particular area or less expensive.
Alternatively you may decide to use your activity log as the basis of your decision to delegate: this will show you where you are spending large amounts of time on low yield jobs.

37. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
How to Delegate 2
Select capable, willing people to carry out jobs
How far you can delegate jobs will depend on the ability, experience and reliability of your assistants. Good people will be able to carry out large jobs with no intervention from you. Inexperienced or unreliable people will need close supervision to get a job done to the correct standard. However if you coach, encourage and give practice to them you may improve their ability to carry out larger and larger tasks unsupervised.

38. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
How to Delegate 3
Delegate complete jobs
It is much more satisfying to work on a single task than on many fragments of the task. If you delegate a complete task to a capable assistant, you are also more likely to receive a more elegant, tightly Integrated solution.

39. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
How to Delegate 4
Explain why the job is done, and what results are expected
When you delegate a job, explain how it fits Into the overall picture of what you are trying to achieve. Ensure that you communicate effectively:
the results that are needed
the importance of the Job
the constraints within which it should be carried out
the deadlines for completion
internal reporting dates when you want information on the progress of the project

40. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
How to Delegate 5
Then let go!
Once you have decided to delegate a task, let your assistant get on with it. Review the project on the agreed reporting dates, but do not constantly look over their shoulders. Recognize that your assistants may know a better way of doing something than you do.
Accept that there may be different ways of achieving a particular task and also that one of the best ways of really learning something is through making mistakes. Always accept mistakes that are not caused by idleness and that are learned from.

41. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
How to Delegate 6
Give help and coach when requested
It is important to support your subordinates when they are having difficulties, but do not do the Job for them. If you do, then they will not develop the confidence to do the job themselves. 7
Accept only finished work
You have delegated a task to take a work load off you. If you accept only partially completed jobs back, then you will have to invest time in completing them, and your assistant will not get the experience he or she needs in completing projects.

42. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
How to Delegate 8
Give credit when a job has been successfully completed
Public recognition both reinforces the enjoyment of success with the assistant who carried out the task and sets a standard for other employees.

43. Managing Time-Removing the Barriers:
Benefits of Control over Time
A & B both had difficulty managing their schedule. But there is a big difference between the two of them. B has taken control of his time and is now reaping the rewards. A however is suffering as a result of not Investing time to save time.
A: “I can't cope. I'm always trying to sort out misunderstandings and someone is always asking me to do a favor, or to take on more work. I try to do everything that I'm asked to do, but there just aren't enough hours in a day!"
B: “Taking control of my time has made a difference. I listen more carefully to instructions and now I make fewer mistakes. I've learned to say ’No'. I also looked at how I dealt with the demands on me and I've changes my approach.”

44. Check your Knowledge
Pooja follows the advice given by Ajay on managing time and reviews how she spends her time. As a result, she finds ways to manage her schedule in a better way. Few months later, it is her turn to advise a colleague.
Press to Start

45. What pointer can’t she give to convince her colleague of the value of assessing how one currently spends his/her time?
You look more efficient to others
You spend time on the right tasks
You can see how and where time and efforts are spent
You can see whether time is being balanced between commitments

46. The Results