Time Management
Student Manual
Time Management
Student Manual
Time Management
President & Chief Executive Officer: Jon Winder
Vice President, Product Development: Charles G. Blum
Vice President, Operations: Josh Pincus
Director of Publishing Systems Development: Dan Quackenbush
COPYRIGHT © 2010 Axzo Press. All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced, transcribed, or used in any form or by any means⎯graphic, electronic, or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution, or information storage and retrieval
systems⎯without the prior written permission of the publisher.
For more information, go to www.axzopress.com.
Trademarks
Crisp and ILT Series are trademarks of Axzo Press.
Some of the product names and company names used in this book have been used for identification purposes only and
may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers and sellers.
Disclaimer
We reserve the right to revise this publication and make changes from time to time in its content without notice.
Contents
Introduction ii
Topic A: About the manual............................................................................... iii
Topic B: Setting your expectations...................................................................vii
Topic C: Reviewing the course........................................................................ viii
Time management overview 1-1
Topic A: Principles of time management ........................................................ 1-2
Topic B: Productivity cycles........................................................................... 1-10
Topic C: Goals and priorities.......................................................................... 1-14
Unit summary: Time management overview .................................................. 1-23
Time management plans 2-1
Topic A: Time management plan..................................................................... 2-2
Topic B: Daily plan ......................................................................................... 2-7
Unit summary: Time management plans......................................................... 2-15
Technology and time management 3-1
Topic A: Technology saves time ..................................................................... 3-2
Topic B: Say “No”.......................................................................................... 3-11
Unit summary: Technology and time management......................................... 3-19
Productivity 4-1
Topic A: Interruptions and meetings ............................................................... 4-2
Topic B: Factors affecting productivity.......................................................... 4-10
Unit summary: Productivity ............................................................................ 4-13
Information overload 5-1
Topic A: Causes of information overload........................................................ 5-2
Topic B: Organize your office ......................................................................... 5-8
Topic C: Communication ............................................................................... 5-12
Unit summary: Information overload.............................................................. 5-16
Course summary S-1
Topic A: Course summary ............................................................................... S-2
Topic B: Continued learning after class .......................................................... S-3
Glossary G-1
Index I-1
ii Time Management
Introduction iii
After reading this introduction, you will know
how to:
A Use ILT Series manuals in general.
B Use course objectives to properly set your
expectations for the course.
C Re-key this course after class.
iv Time Management
Topic A: About the manual
ILT Series philosophy
We believe strongly in the instructor-led class. During class, focus on your instructor.
Our manuals are designed and written to facilitate your interaction with your instructor,
and not to call attention to manuals themselves.
We believe in the basic approach of setting expectations, delivering instruction, and
providing summary and review afterwards. For this reason, lessons begin with
objectives and end with summaries. We also provide overall course objectives and a
course summary to provide both an introduction to and closure on the entire course.
Manual components
Custom ILT manuals can contain these components:
• Table of contents (optional)
• Introduction (optional)
• Units
• Appendices (optional)
• Course summary (optional)
• Glossary (optional)
• Index (optional)
Each element is described below.
Table of contents
The table of contents acts as a learning roadmap.
Introduction
The introduction contains information about our training philosophy and our manual
components, features, and conventions. It also contains learning objectives for the
specific course.
Units
Units are the largest structural component of the course content. A unit begins with a
title page that lists objectives for each major subdivision, or topic, within the unit.
Within each topic, conceptual and explanatory information alternates with activities,
which can be hands-on, question-and-answer, or a combination of both. Units conclude
with a summary comprising one paragraph for each topic, and an independent practice
activity or review questions section to help you reinforce the concepts and skills that
you’ve learned.
The conceptual information takes the form of text paragraphs, exhibits, lists, and tables.
The activities are structured in one or two columns. In two-column activities, the left
column tells you what to do, while the right column provides explanations, descriptions,
and graphics.
Introduction v
Appendices
An appendix is similar to a unit in that it contains objectives and conceptual
explanations. However, an appendix does not include activities, a summary, an
independent practice activity, or review questions.
Course summary
This section provides a text summary of the entire course. It is useful for providing
closure at the end of the course.
Glossary
The glossary provides definitions for all of the key terms used in this course.
Index
The index at the end of this manual makes it easy for you to find information about a
particular software component, feature, or concept.
Manual conventions
We’ve tried to keep the number of elements and the types of formatting to a minimum
in the manuals. This aids in clarity and makes the manuals more classically elegant
looking. However, there are some conventions and icons you should know about.
Item Description
Italic text
Bold text In conceptual text, indicates a new term or feature.
Code font In unit summaries, indicates a key term or concept. In
Longer strings of ► an independent practice activity, indicates an explicit
item that you select, choose, or type.
code will look ►
like this. Indicates code or syntax.
Select bold item In the hands-on activities, any code that’s too long to fit
on a single line is divided into segments by one or more
Keycaps like e continuation characters (►). This code should be
entered as a continuous string of text.
In the left column of hands-on activities, bold sans-serif
text indicates an explicit item that you select, choose,
or type.
Indicate a key on the keyboard you must press.
vi Time Management
Activities
The activities are the most important parts of our manuals. Depending on the subject
matter, an activity can have a one-column or two-column format.
Two-column format
In a typical two-column activity, the “Here’s how” column gives short instructions to
you about what to do. The “Here’s why” column provides explanations, graphics, and
clarifications. Here’s a sample:
Do it! A-1: Creating a commission formula
Here’s how Here’s why
1 Open Sales This is an oversimplified sales compensation
worksheet. It shows sales totals, commissions,
and incentives for five sales reps.
2 Observe the contents of cell F4
The commission rate formulas use the name
“C_Rate” instead of a value for the commission
rate.
For these activities, we have provided a collection of data files designed to help you
learn each skill in a real-world business context. As you work through the activities, you
will modify and update these files. Of course, you might make a mistake and therefore
want to re-key the activity starting from scratch. To make it easy to start over, you will
rename each data file at the end of the first activity in which the file is modified. Our
convention for renaming files is to add the word “My” to the beginning of the file name.
In the above activity, for example, a file called “Sales” is being used for the first time.
At the end of this activity, you would save the file as “My sales,” thus leaving the
“Sales” file unchanged. If you make a mistake, you can start over using the original
“Sales” file.
In some activities, however, it may not be practical to rename the data file. If you want
to retry one of these activities, ask your instructor for a fresh copy of the original data
file.
Introduction vii
One-column format
The one-column format is typically used for question-and-answer activities. Here’s a
sample:
Do it! A-2: Examining the elements of organizational structure
Questions and answers
1 Which of the following refers to the grouping of employees?
A Staff division
B Centralization
C Standardization
D The extent of control
2 What are the advantages of having a wider extent of control?
viii Time Management
Topic B: Setting your expectations
Properly setting your expectations is essential to your success. This topic will help you
do that by providing a list of the objectives for the course.
Course objectives
These overall course objectives will give you an idea about what to expect from the
course. It is also possible that they will help you see that this course is not the right one
for you. If you think you either lack the prerequisite knowledge or already know most of
the subject matter to be covered, you should let your instructor know that you think you
are misplaced in the class.
After completing this course, you will know how to:
• Identify the benefits of time management, evaluate productivity, and identify
goals and set priorities.
• Develop time management plans by identifying goals, creating daily plans, and
recognizing obstacles.
• Use technology to save time instead of wasting time; and maintain a reasonable
workload by saying “no.”
• Increase productivity by controlling interruptions and meetings, and recognizing
factors that adversely affect productivity.
• Avoid information overload by identifying causes, screening information,
controlling paperwork, and using a filing system to organize your office; and
communicate effectively.
Introduction ix
Topic C: Reviewing the course
Setup instructions and requirements for reviewing this course after class are provided
separately, in Microsoft Word format. In those instructions, you will find:
• Complete lists of any materials required, including (as applicable) any computer
hardware and software you will need.
• Detailed explanations, where necessary, of how to set up your workspace in
preparation for reviewing the course on your own.
If this custom course contains material selected from more than one ILT Series title,
there may be multiple Setup documents, one for each course from which content was
chosen. These Setup files should be available from your instructor, along with any
student data files that might be required for reviewing the course or performing its
activities.
x Time Management
1–1
Unit 1
Time management overview
Unit time: 80 minutes
Complete this unit, and you’ll know how to:
A Identify the benefits of time management
and the relationship between personality
types.
B Evaluate your productivity by calculating
the cost of your time and performing a time
audit.
C Organize your time by creating a to-do list,
identifying goals, and setting priorities.
1–2 Time Management
Topic A: Principles of time management
Explanation To get control of your time, you need to be familiar with some basic principles of time
management:
• Time “goes” where you direct it. You are in control of your time.
• Time management is about what we are able to accomplish with time.
• Time management means breaking old habits and realizing that your habits are
usually the problem.
• Time management can enhance your work experience if you are able to
accomplish your plan.
Benefits of time management
There are several benefits of time management:
• Control stress. Time management is stress prevention. Time management
reduces stress because you can meet deadlines, and you can work fewer hours
with greater results.
• Balance your life. Working long hours and taking work home with you can
harm the natural balance you should have in your life. By learning to manage
your time, you can do things you want to do instead of spending all your time on
work responsibilities.
• Increase productivity. Part of time management is determining how you spend
your time. Once you determine how you spend your time, you can modify your
schedule to increase productivity. For example, you might find that you waste
time in meetings when a group e-mail could address the issue just as well.
• Identify priorities. People who have the most trouble managing their time are
those who do not know what their priorities are or should be. Knowing your
priorities helps you spend valuable time where you need it most.
• Accomplish goals. One of the most important aspects of having a time
management plan is setting goals. Without goals, what you are working toward
is unclear. Following your time management plan increases your chances of
accomplishing the goals you set.
Time management overview 1–3
Do it! A-1: Understanding the benefits of time
Exercises
1 You have five minutes of free time. How will you spend it?
2 Identify the principles of time management from the following statements.
A You are in control of your time
B Time management means accomplishing as much work as possible
C Time management means breaking old habits
D Time management can enhance your work experience
E Time management is about working effectively under pressure
F Time is abstract
3 Give an example of a situation in which you managed your time well.
4 Identify the advantage of understanding your time.
A Improved communication
B Fewer interruptions
C Increased productivity
D Fewer crises
5 Is reduced stress a benefit of
understanding your time? True or
False? Why?
1–4 Time Management
6 In the following dialog, Candace and Chris are talking about how they manage
their time.
Candace: Good morning, Chris! How is your day going so far?
Chris: Mmmph. Yours?
Candace: So far, so good. I get to leave an hour early today to attend my niece’s
wedding. I can’t wait.
Chris: How are you able to do that? I have to stay late every night. I’m taking
work home with me, and I still can’t seem to keep up. I almost never see my
family, and I’m really frustrated.
Candace: I used to have that problem until I started concentrating more on how I
spend my time. Now, I have more time to spend with my family, and my days go
a lot more smoothly. How are you managing your time?
Chris: What do you mean?
How do you think Candace organizes a healthy time balance in her life?
What time-management suggestions can you give Chris?
Explanation Personality types and time management
When thinking about time management, it’s important to acknowledge that your
personality type, as illustrated in Exhibit 1-1 can affect how well you manage your time.
Exhibit 1-1: Personality types
Time management overview 1–5
You might find that you have some characteristics of several of the personality types, or
you might find that none of them apply to you. However, you might find that some of
your co-workers or employees have some of the characteristics of the following five
personality types:
• Procrastinator
• Perpetually late
• Perfectionist
• Easily distracted
• Do-it-all
Procrastinator
Procrastinators, as illustrated in Exhibit 1-2 put off anything they need to or want to do
until the last minute, when there is no valid reason for the delay. Procrastination costs
companies millions of dollars and prevents countless employees from being as
productive as they could be. Procrastinators tend to have lower self-esteem than people
who do not procrastinate. Low self-esteem causes creativity blocks and the inability to
set and accomplish goals. Because procrastination is a habit, it can be broken. If you are
a procrastinator, ask yourself, “What is the best use of my time right now?” When you
determine the answer to that question, you should implement a “do it now” strategy.
Exhibit 1-2: Procrastinators
Perpetually late
Lateness is a habitual behavior that affects everyone, a shown in Exhibit 1-3. To
overcome perpetual lateness, you should first evaluate the reasons for your lateness.
Every time you are late, write down how late you are and the reason for your lateness.
Each day, examine your list to see if there is a pattern to your lateness. Once you
pinpoint the reasons you are late, you can then create a plan that compensates for your
lateness. For example, you might find the solution to your problem is to spend less time
at breakfast and to leave 15 minutes earlier for work.
1–6 Time Management
Exhibit 1-3: Perpetually late
Perfectionist
Perfectionists, as illustrated in Exhibit 1-4 are never satisfied with the work they do.
They often work and rework a project so much that they miss deadlines or do not finish
projects at all. Perfectionism is a result of fear of failure and success. Perfectionists
hesitate to delegate tasks to others, fearing the employees will not complete the tasks
properly.
To overcome perfectionism, you should learn from mistakes instead of fearing them.
Also, know when to quit by allowing yourself only two “do-overs” for any project, and
focus on actual results of your work, instead of worrying about criticism of your work
before you have completed it. Learn to trust your employees and determine which tasks
you can delegate.
Exhibit 1-4: Perfectionists
Time management overview 1–7
Easily distracted
Easily distracted people, as illustrated in Exhibit 1-5 have difficulty completing one
project before moving on to another one. The easily distracted are interrupted easily by
co-workers, telephone calls, and e-mails and often become bored working on one task at
a time. In addition, they are often bored with the work they are doing.
To become more focused, you should try to become interested in the work you are
doing by seeing your work as a reflection of yourself. If you are bored with your work,
try to find creative ways to complete routine activities. If outside distractions are a
problem, you should close your office door, limit the time you spend on the telephone,
and designate specific times to check your e-mail.
Exhibit 1-5: Easily distracted
Do-it-all
Do-it-alls have a hard time telling people “no.” Part of changing this habit’s realizing
that doing everything all the time is just not possible. Telling someone “no” does not
indicate that you are an incapable person. Often, realizing that you simply do not have
time for another project saves you and the people around you time. It’s important to
understand that realizing your limits is not a weakness. Being honest about your limits
allows the person making the request an opportunity to delegate the task to someone
else.
1–8 Time Management
Do it! A-2: Identifying different personality types
Exercises
1 Identify the characteristics of a perfectionist.
A Fear failure and success
B Miss deadlines
C Difficulty completing one project at a time
D Are never satisfied with their work
E Fear delegating
F Have a hard time saying “no”
G Low self esteem
2 Choose the characteristics of an easily distracted person.
A Fears delegating
B Is easily interrupted
C Becomes bored easily
D Fears failure and success
E Has low self-esteem
F Has difficulty completing one project at a time
3 Watch the movie clip. What type of personality type does Candace represent?
4 In the following scenarios, identify the personality type and discuss how they can
better manage their time.
Roger works till late in the evenings on several assignments not delegated to him.
This is causing stress in his relationship with his wife. How can Roger reduce his
stress?
Nathan believes in prompt e-mail replies. “Instant” is the word he uses for them.
As a result, he is forever in a hurry and his projects are adversely affected. How
can Nathan avoid wasting time?
Time management overview 1–9
Explanation Self-assessment
Do it!
Doing a self-assessment helps you understand how you currently manage your time by
allowing you to see what habits hinder your ability to manage time. In a self-
assessment, you might ask yourself the following questions:
• Do I wait until the last minute to accomplish a task?
• Do I often arrive late to work or meetings?
• Do I re-work an assignment more than twice?
• Do I often move from one project to another before completing the initial
project?
• Do I have difficulty turning down requests even when I do not have the time for
them?
Cultural concepts of time
With the amount of diversity in the workplace today, it’s important to consider different
cultural concepts of time. If some of your co-workers or employees are from different
ethnic backgrounds, they might have different philosophies about time management.
While some cultures might find it very offensive to arrive late to work or a meeting,
other cultures find it quite normal to be ten, fifteen, or even thirty minutes late on a
regular basis.
In addition, some employees from different backgrounds might have a different point of
view about what a deadline means. To some, a deadline is very non-negotiable, while to
others a deadline could mean “around that time.” If problems arise, you should speak
with colleagues about their concepts of time and evaluate together the company’s
expectations concerning these issues.
A-3: Assessing yourself
Exercises
1 Why is self-assessment
beneficial?
2 Does time management vary among people from different backgrounds?
3 Answer the questions displayed in the slide and identify your personality type.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1–10 Time Management
Topic B: Productivity cycles
Explanation Productivity cycles are the periods of time when you feel most productive, and they
vary from person to person. You might already know whether you are a morning person
or a night owl. You can determine your productivity cycle by keeping track of when you
feel your energy dip or rise. For example, you might realize that for the first two hours
you are at work you accomplish very little but that during the afternoons, you are more
productive.
Evaluating productivity cycles
Once you know your productivity cycle, you can plan to work on your top priorities
during that time. For example, if you commonly feel tired after lunch, you can schedule
priority tasks in the morning instead of scheduling them after lunch.
Pricing helps to manage time
When thinking about managing your time, you should price your time, so you
understand just how expensive your time is and how much it costs your company when
you do not spend it wisely. To price your time, multiply your annual salary by 1.5,
which accounts for bonuses and additional monetary benefits. Then, divide the resulting
number by the number of working hours per year. Then, divide that number by 60. This
resulting number gives you the price of every working minute.
Annual salary × 1.5 / working hours per year = cost per hour
Cost per hour / 60 = cost per minute
For example, if you make $40,000 a year and work 40 hours a week, your equation
would be:
40,000 × 1.5 / 2,000 = $30.00 per hour
$30.00 per hour / 60 = $00.50 per minute.
In conclusion, every minute you waste costs your company 50 cents.
Do it! B-1: Pricing your time
Exercise
1 Calculate the cost of your working time. Refer to the formula in the previous
explanation.
Explanation Time management overview 1–11
Time audit
Time audit is a method you can use to determine how you spend your time. If you write
down tasks you are working on, noting when you stop working on a task and switch to
another one, you can evaluate how you spend your time and what you need to change to
be more productive.
Steps for creating a time audit sheet
Time management is a vital issue in the workplace today because employees are
expected to accomplish more work in a shorter period of time. To change bad time
management habits, you must first determine how you are spending your time now. A
time audit is a very effective way to evaluate your time. To create a time audit, you
should follow these steps:
1 List the tasks you must accomplish for the day.
2 Set a deadline for each task.
3 Record every task throughout the day, noting interruptions.
4 Note how much time you spent on each task.
5 Evaluate how much time was spent on priority tasks.
List the tasks you must accomplish for the day
List your tasks in order of importance, starting with your top priority and ending with
your least important task for the day. Only list tasks you know you have to finish by the
end of the day. Be realistic with your list. Do not over-schedule yourself.
Set a deadline for each task
Be realistic when setting deadlines for each task. If you think a task will take thirty
minutes, schedule forty-five minutes. This allows you time for interruptions or for a task
taking longer than you think it might. Make sure you consider the time you’ll need for
small breaks and lunch when determining how much of your day you’ll have to
complete your tasks.
Record every task throughout the day, noting interruptions
Every time you shift your attention, record what you are doing. Be very specific when
recording activities. Instead of simply noting that you wrote e-mails for half an hour, try
to determine which e-mails were wastes of time and which ones were worth your time.
Be sure to include interruptions in your audit so that you can look back at the end of the
day and determine how to minimize time-wasting interruptions.
Note how much time you spend on each task
As you record shifts in your attention, be sure to write down how much time you spend
on each task, including interruptions. Do this all day long without exception so that you
can see how accurately you determine how much time it will take you to complete a
task.
Evaluate how much time was spent on priority tasks
At the end of the day, evaluate your time audit and determine how much time you spent
on priority tasks. If you spent only half an hour on your top priority and three hours on
your least important priority for the day, you can begin to understand what you need to
change about how you manage your time.
1–12 Time Management
Do it! B-2: Creating a time audit
Exercises
1 Sequence the five steps for creating a time audit.
Evaluate how much time was
spent on priority tasks.
Set a deadline for each task.
List the tasks you must
accomplish for the day.
Record every task throughout the
day, noting interruptions.
Note how much time you spend
on each task.
2 Complete the time audit sheet for a project you’ve recently managed and
successfully finished.
Explanation Pareto principle
The Pareto principle, also known as the “80-20 Rule,” is a principle discovered by
Victor Pareto, an Italian economist and sociologist who studied land ownership at the
turn of the 20th century. Pareto discovered that more than 80 percent of the land was
owned by fewer than 20 percent of the people. When you apply the Pareto principle to
workplace time management, you can determine that 80 percent of the value of a group
of activities is generally concentrated in only 20 percent of those activities. For
example, when you create your daily “to-do” list, only 20 percent of the activities you
write on your list is going to produce 80 percent of your productivity for the day.
Effect of Pareto principle
According to the Pareto principle, 20 percent of your priorities are producing 80 percent
of the results coming from your work. In some cases, the first 20 percent of the time you
spend working on a task will produce 80 percent of the payoff you receive. If you are a
manager, 20 percent of the people you manage cause 80 percent of the problems you
deal with and require 80 percent of the total time you spend with all your employees. By
realizing the effects of the Pareto principle, you can begin to understand how to avoid
wasting your time.
Do it! Time management overview 1–13
Make the Pareto principle work to your advantage
To make the Pareto principle work to your advantage, you must establish priorities.
Because 20 percent of your priorities are producing 80 percent of the results, you must
have a clear idea of what your top 20 percent priorities should be. Because 20 percent of
the time you spend working on a task will produce 80 percent of the payoff, you should
work on those priorities during your productivity cycle. If you are a manager, you
should try to determine which employees create most of the problems you deal with and
make it a priority to talk with these employees about their behavior.
B-3: Using the Pareto principle
Exercises
1 Select the correct interpretations of the Pareto principle.
A 80 percent of your employees cause 20 percent of the problems
B 80 percent of your actions create 20 percent of the payoff
C The first 80 percent of the time you spend on activities produces 20 percent
of the results
D 20 percent of your employees will create 80 percent of the problems
E 20 percent of your actions produce 80 percent of the results
2 Estimate the percentage of time you waste in the following activities.
How much time do you spend searching for files?
How much time do you spend searching for documents?
How much time do you spend waiting for appointments?
How much time do you spend redoing things?
1–14 Time Management
Topic C: Goals and priorities
Explanation One of the key points to managing your time is to identify goals and set the priorities.
Creating a to-do list enables you to organize your tasks. Being able to visually see all of
the tasks that need to be accomplished helps to identify your goals and set priorities.
To-do list
Making a to-do list can help you manage your time by allowing you to visualize your
tasks for the day on paper. A “to-do” list should help you to organize your day, making
you more productive. The more work you have to do, the more helpful a list can be.
To-do lists become dangerous when you create a wish list instead of a to-do list. When
you write down everything you hope you are able to accomplish in a day, your list
becomes overwhelming because you are trying to fit in more work than you are able to
do. If you see something on your list that you could postpone or delegate to someone
else, you should take that task off your list and concentrate only on the tasks you know
that you must accomplish for that day.
“Not to-do” list
Making a “not to-do” list helps you to better manage your time by allowing you to make
smart choices about what tasks should be your priorities. Time management not only
involves making decisions about what tasks you should be concentrating on during the
day, but also involves making choices about what you should not be doing. When you
evaluate your day-to-day tasks, you might find that there are certain tasks you are doing
which you should not be doing at all or that should be delegated to someone else.
For example, you might find that you are responding to voice mail or e-mail that do not
really need responses. Cutting out even these minor tasks could enable you to spend
more time on high-priority tasks.
Guidelines to remember while making a to-do list
If you do not already make daily to-do lists, you should start. Some people do not find
to-do lists very helpful. Ineffective to-do lists can become obstacles to your priorities,
especially if your list becomes too demanding and overwhelming. To prevent your list
from becoming a time waster instead of a time saver, you should remember the
following guidelines when creating your list:
• Do not put too much on it. Do not overload your list with an unrealistic number
of tasks to accomplish in one day. Otherwise, you’ll be trying to catch up to your
list all day and the end result will be lost productivity because of stress. Allow
yourself ample time for every task. If you find that you finish your tasks ahead
of schedule, spend that time however you want or need to.
• Overestimate time. If you think a meeting will take an hour, schedule in ten
minutes for the wait that frequently occurs as a meeting is starting. Allowing a
few extra minutes for interruptions and unexpected delays provides flexibility to
your list, which will help you, cut stress that might occur because of schedule
delays that are beyond your control.
Time management overview 1–15
• List the most important tasks first. Listing your most important tasks first
saves time because you do not have to look at your list later to determine which
task you should accomplish first. Moving through your list from top to bottom
and crossing off finished tasks can also give you a feeling of accomplishment
and organization.
• Schedule time for breaks. Most of us do not schedule time for rest while we are
at work. After you have made a list of your tasks, revise your list; adding brief
breaks at times when you think you might become stressed or tense. Brief breaks
at the appropriate times will help you remain productive and will give you
something to look forward to as you work through your list.
• Schedule for long-range and short-range goals. Scheduling for long-range and
short-range goals, as illustrated in Exhibit 1-6 reminds you of goals that you
know you should accomplish but keep putting off. For example, you know you
should talk to your boss about a new idea you have that will save everyone time.
Put the idea on your list. Even if you do not immediately follow through with
talking to your boss, putting it on your list every day will encourage you to
accomplish that task just by seeing it on paper.
Exhibit 1-6: Long-range and short-range goals
1–16 Time Management
Do it! C-1: Making a to-do list
Exercises
1 Choose the appropriate to-do list guidelines.
A Do not put too much into it
B Overestimate time
C Schedule time for breaks
D Put everything you want to accomplish on your list
E List the most important tasks first
F Schedule for long-range and short-range goals
G List the easiest tasks first
H Do not schedule long-range goals
2 Create a to-do list for a day at your workplace.
Explanation Goals and objectives
The primary difference between objectives and goals is that a goal is long range and an
objective is an intermediate step that helps you accomplish the goal. For example, your
goal might be to get a promotion before the end of the year. An objective for that goal
might be to take a class in computer programming to fill the educational requirements
for an upper level position.
Importance of goals in time management
Goals are important in time management because they give you something to work
toward. They are the focus of how you manage your time. Through time management,
you can accomplish your goals more effectively and more quickly. Because of increased
progress, your confidence can increase, and you can start to set higher goals for
yourself, thus enhancing your productivity.
Time management overview 1–17
Some characteristics of goals
In general, a goal is the predetermined result toward which effort is directed. Goals must
have certain characteristics that make them effective:
• Goals must be challenging. A goal that is challenging motivates you to do your
best. If a goal seems very easy to achieve, you’ll be likely to put it off, thinking
you can accomplish it anytime.
• Goals must be achievable. If your goals are impossible to attain, you’ll become
frustrated and unmotivated. If you are consistently unable to achieve unrealistic
goals, you might stop setting goals because you believe them to be useless.
• Goal should be specific. If a goal is abstract and unspecific, it will become
difficult to determine how or whether you have accomplished your goal. For
example, “To get organized” is an unspecific goal. To make the goals more
specific, you should determine how you’ll become organized or what needs
organizing. Making goals more specific gives you direction and a way to
measure whether you have accomplished your goal.
• Goal must have a deadline. If you do not assign deadlines to goals, you’ll not
take the goals seriously. Deadlines also provide you with a way to determine
your progress.
Identify goals
Use the GOALS acronym to determine how to identify and work toward your goals:
• G is for Generate your goals on paper. Write down your objectives, as
illustrated in Exhibit 1-7 . If you do not, you might forget your goal or it might
slightly alter in your mind as you think about it. Keep your goals visible so that
you are periodically reminded of them.
Exhibit 1-7: Goals on paper
• O is for Organize your day’s activities. After you have written down your
objectives and goals, write down your schedule for the day so that you know
how much time you have to accomplish your goals. Be sure to account for
meetings, possible interruptions, and breaks.
• A is for Align your goals with company goals. Some of your goals will be
individual goals, but it’s also important that you consider the goals of the
company when setting short-range and long-range goals. If you do not know
your company’s goals, ask your boss for a mission statement or ask him or her to
identify goals he or she thinks you should focus on.
1–18 Time Management
• L is for Line up tasks according to priority. When looking at your list of
goals, you should always prioritize them, as illustrated in Exhibit 1-8, listing
your most important goals first. You should generally rank short-range goals
first because you usually have less time to accomplish them, but you should be
careful not to neglect long-term goals when you are prioritizing.
Exhibit 1-8: Line up according to priority
• S is for Stay focused. Use your goals to keep you focused on your work through
crises and interruptions. Let your goals help you better manage your time. By
setting goals that are important and motivating, you’ll be less likely to waste
time because of unexpected occurrences.
Do it! C-2: Identifying goals
Exercises
1 In the following dialog, Chris and Candace are discussing Chris’ deadline
problem.
Chris: It’s already almost five o’clock, and I’m not even close to finishing the
project I wanted to finish today.
Candace: Really? What project are you working on?
Chris: Today, I’m trying to produce a plan to minimize overtime for all the sales
staff. But, I’m really frustrated, and I’m thinking about trashing the whole idea.
Candace: Chris, minimizing overtime is a great idea, but I really feel it’s
unrealistic for you to think you can complete the plan in only one day.
Identify the characteristic missing from Chris’s goal.
A Not challenging
B No deadline
C Not measurable
D Not achievable
Explanation Time management overview 1–19
2 Identify the effective goals.
A Earn a promotion in the next four months.
B Isolate the root cause for the increase in cost.
C Train the sales team in the next two days.
3 Select the actions that are part of the G.O.A.L.S. acronym.
A Stay focused
B Ask yourself what goals you want to accomplish
C Search for the best way to implement your strategy
D Align your goals with company goals
E Line up tasks according to priority
F List all goals you wish to accomplish
Characteristics of priorities
Priorities are your objectives ranked in order of importance. Priorities can either have
the characteristic of having long-range importance or short-range urgency. Priorities of
long-range importance are priorities that will have an important effect once they are
accomplished. For example, your priority might be to go back to school to fulfill the
educational requirements to accomplish the goal of getting a promotion. This priority is
of long-range importance. A priority of short-range urgency is something that, no matter
how important it is, must be done immediately. For example, today is the last day for
you to make a reservation to attend the company picnic. This priority must be given
special attention today, but is not of great importance long-term.
Importance of priorities in time management
Priorities are important in time management because when you identify your priorities,
you know how you should spend your energy. You might have a list of tasks that are all
very important to you, but until you prioritize those tasks, you’ll have difficulty
knowing which task you should complete first. According to the Pareto principle, 20
percent of the time you spend on your tasks will produce 80 percent of the results.
Therefore, it’s important that you identify your priorities accurately. Priorities give your
time direction. Once you know your priorities, you can schedule your day to
accommodate those priorities. For example, you should choose to work on your top
ranked priorities during your productivity cycle.
1–20 Time Management
Setting priorities
To set your priorities, you should implement the following steps:
1 List your tasks for the day.
2 Ask yourself whether you want or need to accomplish certain tasks.
3 Rank tasks in order of importance.
4 Match your priorities with those of your organization.
5 Schedule top ranked priorities during productivity cycles.
List your tasks for the day
At the beginning of the day, record on your to-do list all the tasks you need to
accomplish before the end of the day. Make sure you remember to schedule breaks for
yourself and to try to account for interruptions. Be careful not to over-schedule yourself.
Ask yourself whether you want or need to accomplish certain tasks
Priorities include both tasks you need to accomplish and tasks you want to accomplish.
You should distinguish between what priorities, that if left undone will cause
detrimental after effects, and what priorities you would like to do because they are
personally important to you. An example of an urgent priority, or one you need to
accomplish, is finishing a report you are writing that you should turn in to your boss by
the end of the day. An example of a not-so-urgent priority, or one you want to
accomplish, is making photocopies for personal documentation purposes.
Exhibit 1-9: Ask yourself
Rank tasks in order of priority
After you have listed your tasks and distinguished which tasks are urgent priorities and
which are not-so-urgent priorities, you should prioritize your list. Usually, tasks you
need to accomplish should be listed as your top priorities while tasks you want to
accomplish should be lower on your list.
Time management overview 1–21
Match your priorities with those of your organization
Be sure that your priorities are in alliance with the priorities of your company. For
example, your first priority might be to create a plan to keep overtime down to a
minimum while your company’s current priority is to meet a rapidly approaching
deadline that might require employees to work overtime. To avoid mismatching
priorities, make sure you keep yourself updated by your supervisor as to what your
company’s current goals and priorities are.
Schedule top ranked priorities during productivity cycles
After you have prioritized your list, you might want to modify the order in which you
choose to start working on your priorities. For example, you might not want to attack
your most challenging priority first thing in the morning if you have a tendency to feel
tired and nonproductive. You might choose to attack some of the more routine priorities
you have instead and wait to accomplish your challenging priorities until the afternoon,
which you might have determined as your most productive time of day.
Do it! C-3: Setting priorities
Exercises
1 Select the characteristics of priorities.
A Realistic
B Short-range urgency
C Objectives ranked in order
D Measurable
E Long-range importance
F Reasonable
2 In the following dialog, Shawna and Chris are talking about the need for meetings.
Shawna: Hey, Chris. Why weren’t you at today’s staff meeting?
Chris: I’m sorry. With all this work to do, I can’t afford to waste time going to
another meeting. If I had attended the meeting, I wouldn’t have finished half of
the things I need to do today.
Shawna: Chris, meetings are not a waste of time. It’s important to attend them, so
you should include them in your daily plan of things to do.
Do you think meetings are a waste of time?
When are meetings important?
1–22 Time Management
3 Arrange the steps for setting priorities in the correct order.
Ask yourself whether you want or
need to accomplish certain tasks.
Rank tasks in order of importance.
Schedule top ranked priorities
during peak energy cycles.
Match your priorities with those
of the organization.
List tasks for the day.
4 Prioritize the following set of activities.
Meet a prospective customer at a
convenient time.
Resolve subordinate travel bill
with the Accounts department.
Make a presentation for the
strategy meeting (scheduled five
days later).
Call Annie (your friend) to set a
time to meet in the evening.
Talk to your supervisor to get his
or her approval for the on-coming
sales promotion campaign.
5 Watch the movie clip. Why was Chris unable to meet the deadline?
Time management overview 1–23
Unit summary: Time management overview
Topic A In this topic, you learned about the benefits of time management. You also identified
Topic B the five personality types and discussed the relationship between personality types and
Topic C how they manage time.
Next, you learned how to evaluate the productivity cycle and calculated the cost of
your time. You created a time audit to evaluate how you spend your time. You also
discussed the Pareto principle or 80-20 rule.
Finally, you identified the characteristics of effective goals. To help achieve your goals,
you organized yourself by creating a to-do list and set priorities.
Independent practice activity
In the following scenario, you are the Customer Service Supervisor at Icon
International. Stacey and Carol are Customer Service Representatives (CSR) in your
department. Because Stacey is lagging behind on a number of call reports, and Carol is
behind schedule on the customer evaluation project, you need to have them complete a
time audit. As you meet with Stacey and Carol, you’ll need to understand their
personality types.
Stacey is an enthusiastic representative who frequently receives excellent reviews from
customers. Despite her desire to excel in the company, she has a tendency to put off
important daily tasks.
Carol is an intelligent and organized individual and her coworkers like her. Carol works
very well but has trouble denying requests. She is often behind schedule on important
projects and can get defensive when this is brought to her attention.
1 How will you encourage Stacey to evaluate her tendency to put off tasks?
You can tell her, “I wanted to discuss why your weekly call reports have been late this month. It
looks like you’ve been postponing tasks. Why do you think this is happening?”
2 As Carol is behind schedule, what solution will you suggest to her?
Carols needs to delegate projects to others and trust them.
3 List the problem areas on which Stacey and Carol have to improve.
• Recognizing perfectionism
• Recognizing procrastination
• Working with other employees to develop a solution
• Recognizing that procrastination delays progress
• Encouraging other employees to delegate tasks to others
1–24 Time Management
4 Nathan, an Accounts Executive for Icon, is having problems with time management.
Nathan’s schedule has been very chaotic, and he feels he’s losing control over his
time. You are the Sales Manager in the company and it’s your responsibility to help
Nathan get back on track. What time management suggestion can you give Nathan?
• Create a daily to-do list
• Create a task list and not a wish list
• Estimate time for completing the tasks
• Create a not-to-do list to see which tasks can be eliminated
• Write down your goals
• Ensure that goals are challenging, achievable, and specific
2–1
Unit 2
Time management plans
Unit time: 60 minutes
Complete this unit, and you’ll know how to:
A Develop a time management plan to help
identify and achieve goals.
B Organize your day by creating a daily plan
and avoiding obstacles.
2–2 Time Management
Topic A: Time management plan
Explanation A time management plan is a schedule that works best for you and your company.
Creating a time management plan includes identifying priorities, setting goals, and
giving those goals and priorities places in your schedule. A time management plan
includes understanding the appropriate time to tackle your goals. Good time managers
also make short-range and long-range plans, keep realistic schedules, and make time for
energizing, timely breaks.
Creating a time management plan
Creating an overall time management plan enables you to see both major and minor
tasks you want to accomplish. By creating an overall time management plan, you can
more easily determine which areas of your work you tend to neglect and in which areas
you tend to spend too much time.
Since an overall time management plan requires you to write down daily, weekly, and
even monthly goals and priorities, you are better able to determine how you should
schedule each day when you need to accomplish long-term goals. Having an overall
time management plan minimizes your stress, helps you balance your life, increases
your productivity, identifies your priorities, and helps you accomplish your goals.
Commit your plans to paper
Committing your plan to paper is a crucial part of time management. Writing down your
plan, as shown in Exhibit 2-1 diminishes the likelihood that you’ll forget important
details. Keeping your plan visible also serves as a constant reminder and motivator. It’s
virtually impossible to prioritize effectively for the long term if you do not write down
all your tasks and goals. Writing them down enables you to visually select which should
be top priorities and which could be left until more urgent goals are accomplished.
Exhibit 2-1: Commit your plans to paper
Time management plans 2–3
Keep track of time
Keeping track of how you spend your time lets you see how you manage your time
now. By looking at how you spend your days, weeks, and months, you’ll be able to
determine what is and is not working about your current time management plan.
Keeping track of your time allows you to realize what you need to keep doing and what
you need to stop doing when managing your time.
Correspond your activities with your productivity cycle
If you make frequent trips for coffee to keep yourself from falling asleep at work in the
morning, your productivity cycle is probably not in the morning. If you feel like doing
nothing but waiting for your food to digest after you return from lunch, you should not
plan to work on challenging priorities during the afternoons.
On the other hand, if you feel as if every morning is a fresh start to another day, and you
find yourself singing in the shower, this time might be your productivity cycle. If you
seem to have a high energy level as you are leaving work in the afternoon, consider
your productivity cycle to be in the afternoons. Whatever your productivity cycle might
be, you should select that time of the day to concentrate on your most challenging
priorities and goals.
Create your ideal schedule
Part of learning how to manage your time is knowing exactly what you want to
accomplish with your time. Creating an ideal schedule enables you to see how you
could spend your time if your plan for the day was successfully achieved. To create
your ideal schedule, use the following process:
• Correspond your activities with your productivity cycle
• Schedule only the tasks you know you can realistically accomplish
• Schedule time for yourself to relax
Modify your current schedule
Once you know what your ideal schedule is, look at your current schedule and note how
they differ. Are you taking your productivity cycle into account? Are you over-
scheduling yourself? Are you allowing yourself to take appropriately timed breaks? If
the answer is “no” to one or more of these questions, you should analyze your schedule
to determine how you can better modify it to adhere to your ideal schedule.
When creating a time management plan, it’s very important to align your goals with
those of the company. If you do not already know your company’s priorities, you should
make an appointment with your boss to talk about your company’s long-term goals. For
example, you might ask your boss whether your company has a mission statement and if
you can have a copy. If your company does not have a mission statement, your
supervisor should be able to provide you with a general outline of the company’s goals
and priorities.
It’s important that you align your priorities with those of the company so that you can
create a time management plan that allows you to accomplish goals that are important
not only to you but also to your organization. If you are working hard to accomplish
goals you consider of top priority, but those goals are not top priority to your company,
you might become frustrated and unmotivated when you do not receive the recognition
you believe you deserve. However, if the priorities you are working on coincide with
those of the company, you are more likely to be promoted or offered pay increases.
2–4 Time Management
Obstacles for creating a time management plan
You should prepare for the following obstacles when creating a time management plan:
• Interruptions. Allow time for unexpected interruptions. If you don’t allow for
unexpected interruptions such as impromptu meetings, you can become
frustrated and fall behind schedule. Interruptions can be stressful and too much
stress leads to decreased productivity.
• Projects taking longer than anticipated. Overestimate the time it’ll take you to
finish a project. You might encounter unforeseen problems with a project or find
that a project is more demanding than you initially thought. If you plan extra
time for projects, you’ll be able to stay on schedule and avoid overloading
yourself with tasks you cannot accomplish in one day.
• Crises. A crisis has the potential to divert you from your priorities for the day.
Fortunately, creating a time management plan that accounts for possible mishaps
can stop a crisis from happening in the first place. When creating your time
management plan, include potential problems you might encounter and prioritize
them. Then, develop steps to prevent crises or at least to limit their
consequences.
Do it! A-1: Preparing for a time management plan
Exercises
1 Identify the guidelines of a good time management plan.
A Schedule time for breaks
B Prepare for crisis
C Ask for help
D Limit interruptions
E Create your ideal schedule
F Modify your current schedule
G Correspond your activities with your productivity cycles
2 Identify the obstacles of a time management plan.
A Deadlines
B Procrastination
C Crises
D Projects taking longer than anticipated
E Interruptions
F Being late
Time management plans 2–5
3 In the following dialog, Jack and Candace are discussing their time management
plans.
Jack: Hi, Candace. How’s everything going for you?
Candace: Everything is going just fine, so far. Thank you for making time to see
me.
Jack: No problem. What did you want to talk to me about?
Candace: Well, since I’ve been trying to prioritize the things I need to do every
day, I realized that it would be a good idea to know the company’s priorities so
that I can make sure I’m working on the right things. Does the company have a
mission statement I could look at?
Jack: No, unfortunately since we’re a new company, we don’t have a formal
mission statement yet. I’d be happy to e-mail you a list of some of our overall
goals and priorities. Would that work?
Candace: Yeah, thanks. That would be great.
What does Candace need to help her prioritize her tasks?
Can you think of a situation in which you relied on your company’s mission
statement to provide direction?
4 In the following dialog, Candace is interrupting Chris.
Candace: Hey, Chris. I was wondering if you have time to show me how to get
into the accounting file on the computer. I’ve been trying to find it, but I’m not
having any luck.
Chris: Candace, I really don’t have time to help you right now. I’m swamped with
trying to get everything done I need to do today.
Candace: Chris, it would take only five minutes of your time.
Chris: Well, I don’t have five minutes of extra time, Candace.
Candace: Fine. Sorry to bother you.
What will be the impact of this interaction on the relationship between Candace
and Chris?
Is it always possible to reply like this?
How should you prepare for such obstacles?
2–6 Time Management
Explanation Steps for creating a time management plan
When creating your time management plan, you should follow these steps:
1 Identify goals.
2 Determine objectives to meet your goals.
3 Create a strategy.
4 Implement the strategy.
Identify goals
Your goals should have a deadline, be challenging, achievable, and specific. Your goals
should be aligned with the goals of the company. You should write down all of your
long-range and short-range goals and prioritize them.
Determine objectives to meet your goals
Once you have identified your goals, it’s important to create objectives to meet those
goals. Write down each goal and determine the best way to accomplish it. For example,
your goal might be to improve the productivity in your department, but your objectives
for that goal might be to research the needs of your employees and to take a seminar on
how to improve productivity.
Create a strategy
Once you have identified your goals and the objectives of those goals, you need to
create a strategy. Write down all possible ways to accomplish your goals. Determine
who needs to be involved in the implementation of your plan to achieve these goals, as
well as what tools you’ll need. Determine how much time each possible strategy will
take you and choose the best strategy after discussing it with others involved.
Implement the strategy
After you have chosen the best strategy, decide when you should implement it by
determining where your goals fit in to your list of priorities. Gather all tools, talk with
the others involved in your plan, and implement it.
Do it! A-2: Creating a time management plan
Exercises
1 List the steps for creating a time management plan.
2 Watch the movie clip. Why was giving a presentation a good idea?
Time management plans 2–7
Topic B: Daily plan
Explanation To effectively manage time, you must learn to develop a daily plan. By organizing your
activities and tasks on a daily basis, you can easily see what needs to be accomplished
for a given day.
Benefits of planning
To start planning your day more effectively, you should be aware of the following
benefits of planning:
• Decreases time spent on decision-making. To prevent panic and
procrastination when trying to make a decision, create a plan. If you know what
you’ll be working on at the beginning of each day, you’ll waste less time trying
to decide what you should do first.
• Reduces crises. Planning will not prevent all crises from occurring. However,
some crises arise due to lack of planning. For example, if you have a plan for
dealing with late or absent employees, you can rectify the problem quickly,
decreasing the chances of lost productivity.
• Gives direction. If you have a daily plan, you can focus your energy on exactly
what you need to accomplish instead of wasting time and energy trying to
determine what you should be doing.
• Increases proactive activity. Planning allows you to tackle your day instead of
your day tackling you. If you have a plan, you can work proactively toward
accomplishing the goals your plan includes. If you do not have a plan, you are
more likely to spend most of your day reacting to situations and tasks. Planning
gives you control of your day.
• Increases quantity and quality of work. If you have a plan for your day, you’ll
not waste time on tasks that are not priorities. With a plan, you can accomplish
more work in less time and spend more time on priority tasks because you know
ahead of time exactly what tasks those should be.
Time needed to plan
It only takes 15 minutes to plan an entire working day. You should consider the 15
minutes you reserve for planning every day the most important part of your day. Protect
this time. No task on your list should be a higher priority than this one.
While many people choose to plan at the beginning of every day, It’s more beneficial to
spend the last fifteen minutes of your workday planning for the next day. If you plan at
the end of the day, you’ll have a clear idea of what you have accomplished throughout
the day and what is important for you to accomplish tomorrow. Planning at the end of
the day also gives you a sense of closure, and you’ll not go home thinking about which
tasks you need to accomplish tomorrow. In addition, planning at the end of the day
allows you to arrive at work the next morning and immediately take on the first task on
your list.
2–8 Time Management
Obstacles to planning
There are many reasons to plan, but there are also reasons people do not plan.
Understanding the potential obstacles to planning can help you avoid the consequences
of not planning or planning poorly. You might have encountered some of the following
obstacles when you have tried to plan: unnecessary routine tasks, no immediate rewards,
and not in the habit of planning.
Unnecessary routine tasks
Planning not only allows you to save time making decisions about what task to work on
next, but it also gives you a chance to evaluate your tasks and determine which ones you
should be doing and which ones you should stop doing. Ask yourself why you are doing
every task you are doing. For example, when you get to work every morning, do you go
to make a pot of coffee? Do people at work rely on you to make the coffee every
morning? Why has this task become solely your responsibility? Could you spend those
five minutes doing something more constructive in your office? It’s easy to keep doing
something just because you have always been doing it that way. However, planning
allows you to reevaluate the tasks you spend time on and helps you determine whether
they are necessary.
No immediate reward
When you first begin planning, you might not see the benefits immediately. However,
you should not be discouraged, and you should continue planning. Even good plans take
a while to produce visible payoffs. Soon, you’ll see the benefits of your planning
through saved time and increased productivity.
Habits
If you are in the habit of not planning, it might be difficult to commit to daily planning.
However, if you make the choice to plan today and maintain your 15-minute planning
period each day for at least a month, you should break the habit of not planning.
Time management plans 2–9
Do it! B-1: Handling obstacles
Exercises
1 Select the benefits of planning.
A Gives direction
B Decreases time spent on decision making
C Puts you in control of your time
D Increases proactive activity
E Helps you work better under pressure
F Helps you break old habits
2 Select the statement that states an obstacle to planning.
A Lack of communication
B Laziness
C No immediate reward
D Too much paperwork
3 List the routine tasks you perform in the office. Identify the tasks that can be
eliminated.
Explanation Steps for planning your day
Having a plan is the most important priority of your day. However, a poor plan is almost
as detrimental as having no plan. To plan your day effectively, follow these steps:
1 Set aside 15 minutes every day.
2 Write down all tasks you need to accomplish.
3 Prioritize your tasks.
4 Correspond each task with productivity cycles.
5 Estimate how long each task requires.
6 Assign a time of day to each task.
2–10 Time Management
Set aside 15 minutes a day
You should spend the last fifteen minutes of your workday planning what you’ll be
doing the next day. This planning period should be considered the highest priority of
your day, and you should make sure that you are not interrupted during this time. If you
do not allow yourself time for planning, a plan will never exist.
Write down all tasks you need to accomplish
Write down the specific tasks and projects you need to accomplish that day. Look at
your list, and decide which tasks could be delegated to someone else. Decide whom to
delegate those tasks to, and cross those tasks off your list. Any task on your list with a
specific future deadline can be written on your calendar. You should then be left with
the tasks you have chosen to do the following day.
Prioritize your tasks
After you have a list of the tasks you need to accomplish for the next day, evaluate the
list and identify the high-priority tasks and low-priority tasks. To help you make this
distinction, try to determine which tasks are urgent and which tasks are not so urgent.
For example, you might have a meeting at one o’clock in which you are expected to
discuss your proposal for a new sales strategy. This task is more urgent than organizing
your file cabinet. Therefore, you should place the urgent task higher on your daily list
than the non-urgent one.
Correspond each task with productivity cycles
Productivity cycles are periods of time throughout the day when you feel most
productive. For example, you might already know that you are not a morning person
and that you accomplish less in the first few hours at work than in the afternoon. If this
is the case, you should schedule your most challenging priorities during the time of day
when you are most productive. Schedule your routine tasks during times when your
energy levels are low.
Estimate how much time each task requires
After you decide the order in which you should work on your tasks, estimate how much
time you think each task requires for completion. Doing so will enable you to determine
if your list is realistic. You do not want to make a list that is overwhelming and
frustrating.
Assign a time of day to each task
After you have made a realistic list of tasks, you should assign specific times of days to
accomplish each task. Make sure these times coincide with your productivity cycles.
Also, take into account that you should work on high priority tasks before working on
low priority tasks. Once you have assigned a time of day to each task, you are ready to
implement your plan.
Do it! Time management plans 2–11
Explanation
B-2: Identifying the steps to plan a day
Exercises
1 Sequence the following.
Correspond each task with
productivity cycles.
Set aside fifteen minutes every
day.
Write down all tasks you need to
accomplish.
Prioritize your tasks.
Assign a time of day to each task.
Estimate how much time each task
requires.
2 Do you spend time planning your day? If so, discuss the steps that you follow.
Guidelines for making a daily plan
While you are creating your daily plan, it’s important to remember there are certain
important factors you need to consider. In order for your plan to be effective, remember
the following guidelines:
• Make realistic time projections. Make sure your list only contains the number
of tasks you can realistically complete in one day. If your list is too long and you
are unable to accomplish the goals you have set for yourself for that day, you
might become frustrated and decide to stop planning. Also, if you are not able to
complete the tasks on your list, you’ll lose the satisfaction of closure at the end
of the day. It’s better to add tasks to your list during the day if you find that you
are completing tasks more quickly than expected.
• Account for interruptions. Be sure that when you create your daily plan, you
schedule time for interruptions that might occur throughout your day. For
example, if you know that you have a meeting in the afternoon, be sure to allow
time in your schedule for the ten minutes of wait time that usually occurs before
a meeting starts.
• Do not include long-range goals. Remember not to include long-range goals on
your daily plan. For example, if one of your long-range goals is to get a
promotion within the next two years, you should not include this goal in your
daily plan. Save long-term goals and for your overall time management plan. An
effective daily plan should help you plan your day, not your week, month, or
year. However, a daily time management plan makes you more productive and
might actually enhance your chance of promotion or of achieving other long-
range goals.
2–12 Time Management
Schedule effectively
Since part of creating a daily plan is prioritizing tasks on your list and deciding which
tasks are important for you to work on, you should already have a firm schedule in
mind. However, people tend to allow previously low priority tasks to become urgent
before working on them. The key to scheduling effectively is to make sure that you have
scheduled a time for every task on your list. Make following your plan a habit. When
you get up in the morning, you probably do not put much thought into the fact that you
should wear shoes to work. You just do it. Part of planning effectively is to be dedicated
to your schedule. When you come to the next task included on your daily list of tasks to
accomplish, you should work on that task without hesitation. Making your plan a habit
will save you valuable time.
Tasks not to schedule
Scheduling effectively includes knowing what to schedule and what not to schedule.
Nothing wastes your time more quickly than spending time on tasks that are
unimportant or could be delegated to someone else. Be careful not to schedule the
following items:
• Tasks you can delegate. Don’t schedule time for tasks that you can delegate. As
you evaluate your daily plan, determine which tasks to give to someone else.
Delegating tasks can free up hours of your time, allowing you more time to
complete the tasks you must do for yourself.
• Tasks done to please others. Eliminate all tasks from your daily plan that you
have been doing only to please others. If you are working on tasks simply
because you fear the condemnation of others or want others to be indebted to
you, you are wasting your time.
• Thoughtless or inappropriate requests for your time. Don’t waste time on
unreasonable and thoughtless requests. Kindly explain to the person requesting
your time that you don’t have time to spare and continue to work on the tasks
you planned for that day.