Time Management

Time management plans 2–13

Do it! B-3: Using daily plan guidelines

Exercises

1 Identify the guidelines for creating a daily plan.
A Do not include long-range goals
B Account for interruptions
C Consider deadlines
D Make realistic time projections
E Ask co-workers how they plan
F Plan for two hours a day

2 Select the tasks not to be scheduled in a daily plan.
A Tasks you can delegate
B Tasks you do not deem important
C Tasks done to please others
D Tasks that bore you
E Thoughtless or unreasonable requests for your time
F Tasks you feel should be done by others

3 In the following dialog, Candace and Chris are discussing why Chris is so busy.
Candace: Hey, Chris. How are you doing?
Chris: I’m not so good. I’ve been thinking about the project I volunteered to take
on for Mrs. Wolf, and I don’t think I’ll have as much time to work on it as I had
originally thought.
Candace: Chris, you have been so busy lately. I don’t know why you volunteered
to take on that project in the first place.
Chris: I know. I thought that I could get in Mrs. Wolf’s good graces by taking on
an additional project. I’ve been thinking about telling her that I don’t have time
for the project, but I’m afraid she’ll be angry.
Candace: You’re going to have to do something. It would be better to tell her now
that you can’t do the project than to do the job sloppily because you don’t have
enough time. I think you should talk to her.
Chris: You’re right. I’ll go see if she is available to talk to me right now. Thanks,
Candace.

Do you think refusing to do the project will help Chris manage his time?

How should Chris tell Mrs. Wolf?

2–14 Time Management

4 In the following dialog, Shawna asks Candace to add another project to her
already full schedule.

Shawna: I’m sorry. I’m trying to find this project that I need you to take on.

Candace: What project? I’m already working on multiple projects that I’m not
sure I can finish on time.

Shawna: Aha! Here it is. The project is not going to take as much time as the
other projects you’re working on. You might have to work a little over the
weekend, but I’m sure you can handle it.

Candace: I’m sorry Shawna, but I’m sure that I cannot take on an additional
project at this time. I have already worked the past two weekends, and I wasn’t
planning on working this one.

Shawna: No, I’m sorry, Candace. I wasn’t aware that you were working so much
already. I’ll assign the project to someone else. Thank you for your honesty about
your situation.

Candace: I don’t want my other projects to suffer for lack of time to work on
them.

Shawna: I agree.

Now, discuss the following:

Think of an instance when you were in Candace’s situation and discuss how you
handled it.

5 Make a list of things you need to do to reach your office on time. Now, list the
things that you think should not be scheduled.

Time management plans 2–15

Unit summary: Time management plans

Topic A In this unit, you learned how to develop a time management plan. You also learned
Topic B how to handle the obstacles while creating a time management plan.

Next, you created a daily plan and discussed obstacles that can interfere with your
plans. Finally, you identified the guidelines to develop daily plans.

Independent practice activity

1 What are the benefits of a time management plan?
Because a time management plan includes your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks and goals, it
helps you prioritize your tasks and improves your productivity.

2 Choose the benefit of a daily plan.
A Reduces crisis
B Increase time spent on decision
C Decreases need for direction
D Lowers quantity of work to be completed

3 Identify the proper amount of time you should spend planning for a day.
A 1 hour
B 15 minutes
C 5 minutes
D 30 minutes

4 Identify a daily plan guideline.
A Be realistic with time projections
B Ignore time for interruptions
C Include long-range goals
D Avoid assigning a time of day to complete each task

5 Identify an obstacle that might keep some people from planning for a day.
A Ability for an immediate reward
B Presence of innovative or non-routine tasks
C Presence of abundant time for activities
D Existence of habits of planning

2–16 Time Management

3–1

Unit 3
Technology and time management

Unit time: 70 minutes

Complete this unit, and you’ll know how to:

A Use computer and telephone technologies
to save time instead of wasting time.

B Maintain a reasonable workload by saying
“no” when appropriate.

3–2 Time Management

Topic A: Technology saves time

Explanation Few people can manage their time today without understanding the basic uses of
technology. Technology offers us faster and better ways to manage our time. With such
technology as computers, the Internet, the telephone, fax machines, and a variety of
other devices, companies have the opportunity to operate more efficiently than ever
before.

Make good decisions about technology

To ensure that technology helps you save time and does not waste your time, you should
be familiar with some guidelines to making good decisions about technology:

• Acquire only the technology you need. When considering what technology
your staff might need, be sure to plan for growth and development. However,
you need to be careful not to buy solely for technology’s sake. No matter what
technology you buy, someone will always have technology faster, bigger, and
better than yours. Evaluate the needs of your staff, and purchase the technology
that’ll help them do their jobs effectively and efficiently.

• Learn only what applies to you. Do not waste time learning how to program a
computer unless it’s a skill your job requires. There is nothing wrong with
wanting to learn something new, but if you are wasting valuable time at work
and are falling behind because you are a sales representative trying to learn
AUTOCAD, you need to better manage your time. Learning everything will not
make you better at your job. However, thoroughly learning what you need to
know to do your job well will help you accomplish more tasks in less time.

• Create a time with no interruptions. If you are surrounded by sounds of
ringing telephones and e-mail indicators, you should schedule an hour of quiet
for yourself. Clearing your mind and your office space of interruptions can
sometimes be the best decision you can make about technology.

Do it! A-1: Using technology to save time

Exercises

1 Choose the option that describes a good use of technology.

A Train all employees on all technology

B Learn as much about technology as you can

C Learn only what applies to you

D Buy as much technology as the budget allows

2 Describe what it means to create a time without interruption.

Technology and time management 3–3

Explanation Computers can waste time

We all know that technology, such as computers and the telephone can save us time.
However, they can cause us to waste time as well. Computers can waste your time in a
variety of ways. Even the best employees can waste time on their computers because
they occasionally check their personal e-mail or enjoy surfing the net while they are at
work. Technology has made it a lot easier to look like you are working when you are
actually wasting time.

Part of the reason computers save us time is because of the vast amount of resources it
offers us. However, having too much information can also create a confusing overflow
of information that wastes time. Muddling through different types of information to find
specific information can be a serious time waster. Consequently, it’s important to be
familiar with the best ways to find the information you need.

Organize your computer

Organizing your electronic files on your computer can help you save time. Today,
documents are filed electronically and paper is becoming nearly obsolete. To save time
finding the information you need, it’s important to organize your computer’s hard drive,
desktop, menus, and files.

The following process can help you organize your electronic files:

1 Create a file system for the document files in the computer.

2 Create a file system for retained e-mail and fax messages.

3 Organize the system to mirror the organization of the rest of your information.

4 Transfer documents you want to retain into the appropriate electronic folders.

5 Create a computer desktop that makes access to files and applications easy.

Organize e-mail and fax documents

Learning how to organize e-mail and fax documents is a crucial part of managing your
time with technology. To keep your e-mail manageable, after reading your mail, you
should act on it immediately so that you can delete your messages as soon as possible.
The mail messages you keep should be filed in the appropriate e-mail folder. Many e-
mail systems allow you to create folders for messages you wish to keep away from your
incoming mail. Do not print e-mail unless absolutely necessary; there is no need to add
to your paper load.

An efficient way of sending and receiving fax documents is through your computer.
You can save time and paper sending faxes directly through your computer. If you do
not need to save the fax documents you receive, delete them. You can save and organize
fax documents in their own folders.

3–4 Time Management

Do it! A-2: Organizing your computer
Exercises

1 Use the following questions to determine if you waste time.
• It takes time for your mailbox to open.
• You don’t seem to understand a particular feature in your software.
• A Web site takes a long time to load.
• Your computer stops responding.
• The printer doesn’t respond when you want something to print.
• You are searching for a file.

2 Discuss some ways that you can organize your computer to help save time.

Explanation Handling e-mail messages

Handling large volumes of e-mail can waste your time. Once you start using e-mail,
you’ll probably become dependent on it to get your work completed.

To ensure that e-mail is a time saver and not a time waster, you should be familiar with
these guidelines:

• Look at the subject line.
• Request junk mail to stop.
• Schedule times to check e-mail.
• Turn off notification devices.
• Be selective about giving out your address.
• Use just one mailbox.

Look at the subject line

If you look at the subject line, you might be able to determine if you need to open your
mail at all. If you can avoid wasting time by looking at unnecessary e-mail, you can
spend your time more productively on something else.

Technology and time management 3–5

Request junk mail to stop

When you receive unsolicited junk mail, check the bottom of the sales pitch for an “auto
responder” address. Then, send a message to the address with the word “remove” in the
subject. Hopefully, your address will be removed from the mailing list. If not, you can
complain to the postmaster at the site where the messages are originating. To locate the
postmaster address, erase the marketer’s address name and replace it with the word
“postmaster.”

Schedule times to check e-mail

You should schedule specific times to check your mail throughout the day. You should
not try to handle your mail more than four times a day. If you are checking and
responding to e-mail more than four times a day, you might be wasting your time.
People rarely expect a response to an e-mail right away. If you can schedule to check
your mail in the morning and then three other times throughout the day, you limit e-mail
interruptions.

Turn off notification devices

During the periods of time when you do not plan to check and respond to e-mail, you
should turn off the e-mail indicator on your computer. This minimizes distractions while
you are working on other tasks. Turning off your e-mail indicator prevents you from
becoming curious about the e-mail you have received, so you can concentrate on other
tasks.

Be selective when giving out your address

To minimize unnecessary mail, be selective when giving out your address. Only give
your address to clients, co-workers, and other colleagues who really need it. If you give
your address to everyone you meet, you’ll become overwhelmed with the amount of e-
mail you receive, and the amount of time you’ll spend deciphering important mail from
frivolous mail. Save your personal e-mail for a separate account.

Use just one mailbox

Use just one mailbox for work purposes, so you do not waste time shuffling back and
forth through different mailboxes to retrieve all of your mail. In addition, you might
miss important e-mail if you forget to check one of your mailboxes.

3–6 Time Management

Do it! A-3: Handling e-mail

Exercises

1 Select the guidelines for handling e-mail.
A Process e-mail immediately
B Request junk mail to stop
C Read the subject line
D Turn off notification devices
E Be sure to give everyone your e-mail address
F Schedule times to check e-mail

2 In the following dialog, Jack avoids giving out his business e-mail address for a
book club.
Shawna: Jack, you’re just the person I was looking for. How are you?
Jack: Hi, Shawna. I’m good. Why are you looking for me?
Shawna: Well, I was talking with some friends last night and we are thinking of
organizing a book club. I know that you already belong to a book club and was
wondering if it was okay if I gave my friends your e-mail address, so that they
could correspond with you about some organizational ideas.
Jack: A book club is a great idea. I would be more than happy to help, but I’ve
been trying to cut down on the amount of e-mail I receive at work. You’re more
than welcome to give them my home phone number, and they can contact me in
the evenings.
Shawna: That would work fine. Thanks.
Jack: You’re welcome.

Why was Jack trying to cut down on the amount of e-mail messages he receives at
work?

Are there ways in which you can cut down the amount of e-mail messages you
receive at work?

Technology and time management 3–7

Explanation Use your Internet time wisely

If you are not careful, the Internet can become one of your biggest time wasters. If you
do not exert self-control, you can waste a significant amount of your time exploring
online services, participating in chat rooms, and playing computer games. Also, because
the Internet offers a vast amount of information many topics, select your resources
carefully. Use only the information you need and consider the source of the information
to make sure it’s reliable. In addition, the following guidelines can help you save time
on the Internet:

• Keep a record of interesting and useful sites.
• Familiarize yourself with different search engines.
• Do not become overly curious.

Keep a record of interesting and useful sites

Instead of traveling through numerous sites, trying to find the information you need,
when you find a site that is particularly interesting or useful, create a bookmark. The
next time you need to find information on a similar topic, use your bookmark to quickly
return to that site.

Familiarize yourself with different search engines

Search engines help you find sites that have the information you need. Familiarize
yourself with them and use them often. Not all search engines organize and retrieve
information in the same way, so experiment with them and determine which search
engines work best for you.

Do not become overly curious

Avoid becoming overly curious on the Internet. You might find yourself investigating a
site and then becoming curious about different aspects of the site. Soon, you have
wasted hours on the Internet and have seen much more than was needed to accomplish
your task. Go to the site you need, get the information you need, and log off the
Internet.

3–8 Time Management

Do it! A-4: Using your Internet time wisely
Exercises

1 Choose the option that will help you avoid wasting time on the Internet.
A Do not bookmark sites
B Familiarize yourself with different search engines
C Always perform an exhaustive search for information
D Do not become overly curious
E Keep a record of interesting and useful sites

2 After you watch the movie clip, discuss whether Chris is using his time wisely.
What is Chris doing?

Is Chris’ behavior threatening his productivity?

Have you ever found yourself in this same situation?

Explanation Telephone wastes time

Many people cannot hear a ringing telephone without answering it. However, to learn to
save time during your day, there are times when you’ll have to just let the telephone
ring and let your voice mail handle your calls. If you do not think that talking on the
telephone wastes your time, keep a time log of how much time you spend on the
telephone and you might be surprised by the results.

The telephone might waste your time for a variety of reasons. You might believe that
every call you receive is a legitimate demand on your time. However, it’s important to
realize that if you answer your phone every time it rings, you are assuming that
whatever the caller wants takes precedence over the work you are doing. Other reasons
you might waste time on the telephone is because you fear offending the caller or you
might feel like you need to be kept informed. Answering the telephone might also be the
procrastinator’s way of putting off tasks until after “important” telephone calls are
made. It’s important to remember that every call you receive does not have to be
immediately answered. If you are working on an important project, let your voice mail
answer your calls.

Technology and time management 3–9

Minimize your time on the telephone

Because talking on the telephone can waste time, it’s important to remember some
guidelines to help you minimize the time you spend on the telephone:

• Plan your calls in writing.
• Focus your concentration on the subject of the call.
• Stand up while talking.
• Put a time limit on each call.
• Develop verbal messages to end a call.
• Use voice mail when appropriate.

Plan your calls in writing

To make the most of your telephone calls, make a list of the topics you want to cover
and questions you want to ask. Treat your business calls as you would treat your
business meetings. Making an outline before you call can minimize time wasted by
straying from the agenda and small talk.

Focus your concentration on the subject of the call

Remain focused on the subject of the call. Do not stray from the subject and be as brief
and concise as you can be. Do not waste time at the beginning of the telephone call with
a lot of small talk. Get to the point of your subject as quickly as you can, and end the
call once you have covered the subject.

Stand up while talking

Some people use the opportunity to make a telephone call as a break. You can decrease
the amount of time you spend on the telephone by standing up while talking. The less
comfortable you are, the more you’ll stick to the point of the call and the less time
you’ll spend on the telephone.

Put a time limit on each call

Before you make a call, determine how long the call should take. Then, while you are
on the telephone, track how much time the call is taking. If the call took longer than
anticipated, determine why it took so long and try to rectify the problem the next time
you have to make a call.

Develop verbal phrases to end a call

You might be uncomfortable trying to end a call if the person you are talking to starts
discussing topics not related to your call. If you have achieved the purpose of your call,
you can use certain verbal phrases to indicate that you are ready to end the conversation.

The most polite way to indicate you are ready to end a call is to show concern for the
other person’s time. For example, statements like “I need to let you get back to work,”
and “You probably have a lot of important things to do, so . . .” will help you end the
call without offending the other person. Also, if you smile while you are ending the
conversation, the smile can be heard in your voice and the person on the other end of the
line will be less likely to feel like you are being rude.

3–10 Time Management

Use voice mail to your advantage
Voice mail can eliminate errors in communication. You can retrieve voice mail
messages and rest assured that the message got to you exactly the way the caller
intended. Not having to rely on a secretary or receptionist to filter your messages can
eliminate some of the errors that sometimes occur because of miscommunication. You
can also use voice mail to screen your calls. To save time, listen to your voice mail and
decide which calls are important to return and which calls you can disregard.

Do it! A-5: Being productive with telephone time

Exercises

1 Identify the options that help you minimize your time on the telephone.
A Plan your calls in writing
B Tell your caller you are in a hurry
C Answer the phone on the first ring
D Develop verbal messages to end the call
E Speak quickly
F Focus your concentration on the subject of the call

2 In the following dialog, Jack and Shawna are discussing ways to end a telephone
conversation.
Jack: Yes, well thank you Mr. Jordan. Well, I need to let you get back to work.
No, I didn’t watch the game last night. Okay, well, I’m sure you probably have a
lot of important things to do, so . . . Okay, thanks again. Bye.
Shawna: You sure did a good job of getting off the phone with that guy.
Jack: Yeah, if I’m not careful, I could be on the phone with Mr. Jordan for an
hour. He loves to talk. But, I’ve learned that if I let him know in a positive way
that I’m ready to end the call, I’m usually off the phone in no time.
Shawna: Well, I could definitely learn a thing or two from you. I feel so
uncomfortable ending a call sometimes that I end up staying on the phone for
much longer than I had intended.

How did Jack end the conversation with Mr. Jordan?

Do you think Jack would handle it differently if Mr. Jordan were his manager? If
so, how?

Name a situation in which you wanted to end a call. How did you do so?

Technology and time management 3–11

Topic B: Say “No”

Explanation The cost of attempting to do too much is high. Often, people who try to do too much are
thought of as workaholics. If you attempt too much, you are probably already aware of
the drowning effect caused by this obstacle to effective time management. You might
find that you constantly miss deadlines, projects backfire, your priorities are confused,
and that you do not have time to delegate effectively.

Reasons for overloading your time

Before you can manage this time-wasting problem, you should first be familiar with the
causes of why you tend to try to do too much:

• The need to achieve
• Insecurity
• Failure to delegate
• Unrealistic time estimates
• Lack of organization

The need to achieve

Everyone enjoys the recognition and reward that achievement brings, but the need to
achieve can also cause you to take on more work than you can realistically handle.
When thinking about what you can achieve, be careful to not take on too much. When
you think of how much you would like to achieve, think of how much you can
realistically accomplish. Remember, if you take on too much work, the end result will
be missed deadlines and low quality work.

Insecurity

Insecurity is another cause of trying to do too much. You might take on additional work
to prove your worth to your co-workers or supervisors. If you work too much because
you are insecure about your worth in the workplace, remember that doing too much
almost never yields positive results. Your work will often appear hurried, or you might
not complete your work at all. Remember to take on a realistic workload and
concentrate on quality, not quantity.

Failure to delegate

The quickest way to have too much to do is to fail to delegate tasks. If you fail to
delegate because you do not fully trust your staff to complete the work delegated, you’ll
quickly become overwhelmed. Remember that your supervisors will not be impressed if
you accomplish several tasks but make serious mistakes in each of them.

You should learn to trust your staff by delegating some of your smaller, more routine
tasks to employees. Delegating can free up hours of your time and can allow you more
time to work on projects you must do yourself.

3–12 Time Management

Unrealistic time estimates

Some people might have difficulty with attempting too much because they make
unrealistic estimates about how much time a task will take. If you are overconfident
about how much work you can actually complete, or if you have a weakness for
estimating time, remember that everything takes longer than you think it will. Always
allow extra time for a project. If you think a project will take twenty minutes, schedule
thirty. You should also account for possible interruptions and schedule additional time
for especially challenging projects.

Lack of organization

If you lack organization in your office, it will always seem like you are attempting to do
too much. If you spend half an hour shuffling through papers on your desk trying to find
information for the next task you need to work on, you’ll accomplish less.

Working on too many projects at one time increases your chances of becoming
disorganized. If you feel as if you attempt to do too much, make sure you do not spend
too much time trying to find documents or files. If you spend a significant amount of
time hunting for documents or files, you should take time now to organize your office.
The time you spend organizing will save you substantial time later.

How to avoid doing too much

Because attempting to do too much actually wastes time, it’s important that you realize
ways to avoid doing too much. If you feel as if you are in danger of doing too much in
the near future, you should follow these steps:

1 Prioritize
2 Delegate
3 Concentrate on your priorities
4 Be flexible

Prioritize

Tasks sometimes have a way of becoming a part of your daily plan before you have a
chance to evaluate whether they are a good use of your time. You might be doing a
certain task because the person who previously held your position always did it or
because the task was useful a year ago.

The first step to avoid doing too much is to evaluate your current daily plan and decide
whether all of the tasks you work on really need to be done. Also, check your lists for
tasks that you do now but could easily delegate to someone else. Prioritize the tasks on
your list, deciding which tasks really need to be done and by whom.

Delegate

After you have decided which tasks are important tasks and which tasks you can
eliminate, you should look at all of the tasks on your list and ask yourself, “Do I
personally have to do this?” If the answer is no, delegate the task to someone else.

Technology and time management 3–13

Concentrate on your priorities
To avoid doing too much, make sure that you do not spend your energy on tasks that are
not priorities. Do not schedule tasks that are of low priority or that when scheduled are
of little consequence. Instead, know your priorities and put your effort toward them.

Be flexible
Do not become so militant about your daily plan that you do not allow any room for
change. You might be presented with an opportunity that will help you further your
career. Do not refuse to accept a challenge that will benefit you simply because it’s not
on your current daily plan. Instead, evaluate your plan and make adjustments to
accommodate opportunities and interests that will benefit you in the future.

Do it! B-1: Saying “no”
Exercises

1 Select the reasons why we overload our time.
A Not being realistic
B Failure to delegate
C List the easiest tasks first
D Insecurity
E Loving your job
F Lack of organization
G The need to achieve
H Unrealistic time estimates

2 What are the four keys to avoid doing
too much?

3 Share a situation in which you avoided doing too much.

4 In the movie clip, what is the time saving element being portrayed?

3–14 Time Management

Explanation Guidelines for making your workload more reasonable

If you realize that you already try to do too much at work, you should be familiar with
these guidelines for making your workload more reasonable:

• Realize you don’t work best under pressure. No one really works best under
pressure. You might get more done when you realize you are running out of
time, but the quality of your work is lower if you do not have sufficient time to
reevaluate the work you have done. The adrenaline rush you might experience
from completing something at the last minute can trigger a false sense of
outstanding accomplishment. You can almost always develop a higher quality of
work if you have more time to spend on individual projects.

• Resist taking over jobs because others are not doing them. Avoid taking
responsibility for jobs that are not your responsibility. If you see that co-workers
are not completing tasks they should be completing, remember that those tasks
are their responsibilities and not yours. Concentrate on completing your own
work first.Then, if you have extra time, offer help to co-workers.

• Do not assume that everything has to be done. Make sure that you are putting
your efforts into high-priority tasks. You should not spend time on tasks that are
of very low priority. Distinguish important tasks from unimportant tasks and do
not waste time on unimportant tasks.

• Overestimate time. When you make your daily plan, and you try to schedule
how much time you think a project will take, make sure you overestimate how
much time you’ll need. If you do this, you’ll avoid making an unrealistic
schedule. If you predict a project will take you an hour, schedule an hour and
fifteen minutes.

Do it! B-2: Creating reasonable workloads
Exercises

1 Discuss ways to make your workload more reasonable.

2 Share a situation when you changed an unreasonable workload into a reasonable
one. Did you use any of the above-mentioned techniques?

Explanation Technology and time management 3–15

Why we don’t say “No”

Before you can break the habit of not saying “no” when you should, you should be
familiar with the causes of not saying “No.” You might find that you accept tasks you
know you do not have time for because of the following reasons:

• Looking for gratitude
• Guilt
• Fear of expendability
• Belief of indispensability

Looking for gratitude

By accepting the workloads of others, you gain their gratitude and acceptance. Gratitude
and acceptance from your peers are incentives that can make it difficult to say “no.”
You might fear that saying “no” to your boss or co-workers will have detrimental
effects on your career. Instead, you should realize that accepting a task you might not
complete or that you might complete sloppily because of insufficient time will quickly
generate disapproval.

Guilt

It is difficult to say “no” to any project that is important to the company. You might
experience feelings of guilt, as shown in when you turn down a project or do not have
time to help a co-worker. However, you should not let feelings of guilt burden you and
cause unneeded stress. Realize your limits and that it is realistic to think you can do
everything that is asked of you.

Fear of expendability

You might be attempting too much because, on a subconscious level, you might feel
that if you stop your efforts people will determine that they do not need you. Remember
that you were hired because you were seen as an asset to the company. The best way to
ensure that you are not expendable is to produce high-quality work.

Belief of indispensability

The reason you might be trying to do too much might be that you feel indispensable.
You might feel as if no one can do any job as well as you can. People with this tendency
have a particularly difficult time delegating even if they are missing deadlines. If you
feel strongly that “If you want the job done right, you must do it yourself,” you should
try to trust your co-workers more and realize that effective delegating is more
indispensable than producing low quality work because you are taking on too much.

3–16 Time Management

How to say “No”

If people are making unreasonable or unmanageable requests for your time, you should
know how to say “no” to these people in a positive manner. Following the five steps of
the PAUSE acronym should make it easier for you to say “no” in a positive manner:

Pay attention
Analyze the situation
Utilize your decision-making skills
Supply reasons
Examine alternatives

Pay attention

Pay attention to the people who make requests for your time. You should ask questions
if you are not sure what the project entails. Do not become distracted by starting to think
ahead about how you’ll respond to the request. Really listening to the person speaking is
very positive because it displays respect to the speaker.

Analyze the request

Do not be afraid to stop and think about the request. Most people fear uncomfortable
silences in conversations. However, you have the right to contemplate what is being
asked of you before responding. You must control your natural impulse to speak so that
you can consider what has been said, as well as what will occur if you accept the
request.

Utilize your decision-making skills

Once you have determined how you’ll respond to the request, tell the person your
answer immediately. You are more likely to take on an inappropriate request for your
time later if you respond with an answer like “might be” or “let me think about it.”
Saying “no” immediately saves time and energy.

Supply reasons

Although you almost never should have to explain your reasons for saying “no,” there is
a benefit of making the other person aware of your reasons for your decision. It might
be beneficial to you if the person making the request is aware of your current priorities
and why you cannot accept the request. If you explain your reasoning, the person
requesting your time might have a better understanding of what you are working on.

Examine alternatives

You might try to suggest an alternative that would be helpful to the person requesting
your time. You might know of someone to whom the task could be delegated. Even
though you are still saying “no,” you are providing to the person making the request and
helping solve his or her problem.

Technology and time management 3–17

Do it! B-3: Identifying the steps to say “no”
Exercises

1 What does the PAUSE acronym represent?

2 In the following dialog, Chris and Candace talk about saying “no.”
Chris: I hope I’m not bothering you. Are you busy? I could really use some
advice.
Candace: Well, I am a little busy, but I’ve noticed that you seem to be pretty
down lately. What’s going on?
Chris: Well, I just feel so overwhelmed. I want to talk to Shawna about lessening
some of my responsibilities, but I’m afraid if I do that, she will delegate my work
to someone else. If other people are given my work and do it better than I’ve been
doing it, she might think that I’m expendable.
Candace: Chris, you have been taking on an unrealistic amount of work lately.
I’m sure Shawna will understand that you think the quality of work is suffering.
You should not be worried about being expendable. You should do the best you
can and improve the quality of your work. I’m sure she’ll appreciate your honesty.
Chris: You’re probably right. I’ll talk to her as soon as possible. I really don’t
have time to do everything I’m doing well.

Why is Chris overwhelmed?

What is preventing Chris from taking on too much work?

Have you ever faced a similar situation? If so, how did you resolve it?

3–18 Time Management

3 The following is your daily schedule.

Time Tasks

9:00–10:00 a.m. Check sales budget.
10:30 a.m. Set up a meeting with Chris for next week.
11:00 a.m. Update boss regarding yesterday’s meeting.
11:30 a.m. Prepare for distributor training tomorrow.
1:00 p.m. Evaluate team performance.
3:00 p.m. Talk to Cathy regarding her resignation.

At 9:30 a.m. you receive a call saying that the president wants to meet you at
10:00 for a 3-hour strategic meeting. What will you do? Will you say “No?”

Technology and time management 3–19

Unit summary: Technology and time
management

Topic A In this topic, you discussed how computers and telephone technologies save time and
Topic B also waste time. You examined ways to use your Internet time wisely, organize your
e-mail, and minimize time spent on the telephone.

You also discussed how taking on too much responsibility can keep prevent you from
completing the important tasks. The key to avoid overloading your work schedule is to
know how to say no. You examined the reasons why people don’t say no more often.

Independent practice activity

1 Choose the best option to decide how and when to use technology.
A Focus on the cheapest technologies available
B Create a time with no interruptions
C Acquire all of the technology available in the market
D Learn about every type of technology available

2 Study the following choices, and decide which one identifies a way to avoid e-mail
wasting your time.
A Look at the subject line
B Use multiple mailboxes to receive mail
C Turn on notification devices
D Read e-mail as soon as it arrives

3 Identify the best way to avoid answering every phone call you receive.
A Turn on your voice mail
B Unplug the phone from the phone jack
C Keep a log of time spent answering the phone
D Limit each call to 10 seconds

4 Identify a reason for people to take on too many responsibilities.
A Unrealistic time estimates
B Opportunity to delegate responsibilities
C Feeling secure with who they are
D Misperception of their place in the organization

3–20 Time Management

5 Identify a reason for individuals to get disorganized.
A Working on too many projects at one time
B Working on projects while at home
C Working via a telephone or a fax machine
D Working after prioritizing the responsibilities

6 Identify a way in which you can avoid taking on too many responsibilities.
A Delegate responsibilities to others
B Focus your energy on completing all tasks in a day
C Rigidly enforce time deadlines
D Concentrate on your personal life for a while

7 Identify a guideline you should follow for making your workload more reasonable.
A Overestimate time requirements for tasks
B Complete tasks that others are hesitant to take on
C Try to complete your work while under pressure
D Assume that all tasks carry equal weight

8 Identify the importance of stating reasons when saying “no” to someone.
A Justifies your inability to supply a timeline
B Makes others aware of your priorities
C Helps you delegate responsibilities
D Offers time to formulate an excuse

9 Identify the correct definition for feeling of expendability.
A Belief that an organization does not need you
B Belief that no one can do a job as well as you
C Belief that you must gain others’ gratitude
D Belief that a company must be your foremost concern

Unit 4 4–1
Productivity
Unit time: 70 minutes
Complete this unit, and you’ll know how to:
A Increase productivity by controlling

interruptions and meetings.
B Recognize and overcome factors that

adversely affect productivity.

4–2 Time Management

Topic A: Interruptions and meetings

Explanation Studies have shown that people in office settings are interrupted, on average, every
eight minutes. With so many interruptions, a need to curb these interruptions arises.
Because most work environments are social, people are often primary causes of
productivity loss due to interruptions. Learning to control not only the interruptions that
you’ll undoubtedly encounter, but also learning to manage your productivity through
these interruptions are vital steps to time management in today’s workplace.

Because you might be interrupted every eight minutes, you could be interrupted more
than fifty times per day. If each interruption takes only three minutes, you still lose two
and a half hours a day to interruptions. Although you could concede that some
interruptions are necessary, the key to good time management is to realize which
interruptions are unnecessary and eliminate them.

You should also learn how to control necessary interruptions in a way that increases
instead of decreases your productivity. There are two main types of people-based
interruptions: interruptions from visitors and interruptions from co-workers.

Minimize interruptions from visitors

Even the well-planned day is not exempt from interruptions from visitors. People
dropping by or in the neighborhood might often seat themselves in your office and stay
for an interminable amount of time. If you find unexpected visitors knocking at your
door, follow these guidelines to minimize these interruptions:

• Screen your visitors. If you work for a larger organization, a secretary or
receptionist is probably already present to check in visitors. If there are no
checkpoints that visitors have to go through before walking straight into your
office, you should consider hiring a secretary or receptionist. In smaller
organizations, employing a secretary or receptionist might not be an option. If
you must screen your own visitors, you should minimize the visitors’
interruptions by immediately asking, “What can I help you with today?”

• Meet the visitor outside the office. Meeting with your visitor in a neutral place
provides you with more control over the visit and how long it lasts. It’s often
difficult to make someone leave your office, so needing to return to your office
is a convenient excuse for ending a visit.

• Stand while talking. The less comfortable you are, the less time you’ll spend
visiting. Remember that if you are not going to offer your visitor a seat, you
should also remain standing.

• Set a time limit for the visit. If you are comfortable with meeting your visitor,
set a time limit to the visit. Begin the conversation by letting your visitor know
how much time you can spend with him or her. Be sure to look at your watch
when you mention how much time you have so that you are sure to end the visit
on time. Also, be sure that you specify a certain number of minutes, such as ten
or fifteen, instead of saying that you have a “few” or a “couple” of minutes.

Productivity 4–3

• Develop rescue signals. You might want to develop a rescue plan with one of
your co-workers. When your rescue partner is aware of your interruption, he or
she might interrupt the visit after a predetermined amount of time to remind you
of a pressing item that demands your immediate attention. This will allow you to
excuse yourself from the visit and return to work.

Do it! A-1: Minimizing interruptions from a visitor
Exercises

1 Choose the best ways to minimize interruptions from visitors.
A Ask your visitors to call before they come for a visit
B Ask friends not to stop by your office
C Stand while talking
D Screen your visitors
E Develop rescue signals
F Tell the receptionist you are not accepting visitors
G Set a time limit for the visit
H Meet the visitor outside the office

2 Watch the movie clip.

Who is Jack waiting for?

Why has he chosen to wait outside of his office?

Do you think his approach helps his productivity?

Do you think it would be appropriate to meet clients in this manner?

3 Identify an effective method of limiting interruptions from visitors.
A Immediately ask the visitor what he or she needs
B Ask the visitor to come back at another time
C Ask the visitor if you can call him or her when you’re less busy
D Set a time limit for each visit

4–4 Time Management

Explanation Minimize interruptions from co-workers

Probably the most common people-based interruptions you face are interruptions by
your co-workers. To limit time spent on interruptions from your co-workers, follow
these guidelines:

• Meet with your colleagues regularly. If you foresee being interrupted by
several co-workers, you should schedule a meeting to discuss the topic. If you
are able to address questions and concerns at meetings instead of being
interrupted by ten different individuals about the same subject, you’ll
significantly decrease the number of interruptions from co-workers.

• Agree on an office “quiet” time. Even though you might not be able to control
interruptions throughout the entire day, you can at least plan an hour each day
when you do not allow yourself to be interrupted. Quiet time means accepting
interruptions from no one, including telephone interruptions. If you develop an
hour of quiet time each day, you are assured at least one hour of productivity
each day.

• Go to your colleague’s office. Instead of meeting in your office, agree to meet
in your colleague’s office. Meeting in your colleague’s office enables you to
leave when you are finished discussing what you need to discuss. Leaving your
own office is difficult when a visiting co-worker is still there.

• Block interruptions. If your office is located in a high traffic zone, you might
be more prone to visits from co-workers. To alleviate the number of visitors to
your office, make sure the visitor chair in your office is not convenient for
visitors. Put your coat or other objects on the chair. This will deter people from
taking a seat and wasting your time.

• Close your door. A closed door is a strong signal of wanted privacy. To
maintain an “open door” feel to your work environment, put a note on your door
indicating that you are busy now. Include in the note a time when you’ll be
available to speak with visitors.

• Find a hideaway. If no one can find you, you’ll not be interrupted. If you have
pressing work that desperately needs to be done, find a place in your building to
hide. There might be a conference room that is not used often or a vacant office
you can work in.

Productivity 4–5

Do it! A-2: Minimizing interruptions from a co-worker

Exercises

1 In the following dialog, Candace is telling Chris how she schedules time without
interruptions.

Chris: Hey, Candace. I just tried calling you about half an hour ago. Were you out
of your office?

Candace: No, I’ve been in my office all day, but from 2:30 until 3:30, I’ve
scheduled a “quiet” time for myself. I don’t answer my phone or accept any
visitors. It has really helped me be more productive, and I’m more relaxed.

Chris: That’s an interesting idea. What do you do during that hour?

Candace: Organize my office, or I continue to work as I normally would. I’m just
free of interruptions for that hour. You’d be surprised how much I can accomplish
when I’m not interrupted. You should try it.

Chris: I think I’ll try that. Thanks for the suggestion.

Why was Chris unable to get Candace on the phone?

Can you think of a time during the day that you could reserve as “quiet” time?

2 Discuss situations in which your co-workers interruptions adversely affect your
productivity?

3 Identify which of the following methods is an effective way to keep interruptions
from co-workers to a minimum.
A Find a hideaway
B Keep door closed at all times
C Meet co-workers in your office
D Meet co-workers infrequently

4–6 Time Management

Explanation Conducting productive meetings

Many managers consider meetings the biggest time wasters in the workplace today. If a
meeting only lasts one hour but thirty people attend the meeting, the meeting costs the
company thirty production hours. Meetings are interruptions. If you are unable to
complete a high priority task before the end of the day because you spent two hours of
that day in a meeting, your productivity is negatively affected.

To make up for time lost in production hours because of meetings, meetings need to be
as effective and productive as possible. Following these steps will help ensure that
meetings are productive:

1 Invite only those who need to attend.
2 Get input before scheduling a meeting.
3 Create an agenda.
4 Start the meeting on time.
5 Cover the most important item on the agenda first.
6 Control the discussion.
7 End the meeting on time.

Invite only those who need to attend

You have probably attended meetings in which you sat wondering why you were
required to attend because the topics discussed were not related to you or your position.
You can avoid putting other people in that position by inviting only those who need to
attend. Modify your list of meeting attendees every time you have a meeting, and suit
your list to your meeting.

Get input before scheduling a meeting

To minimize the number of meetings you schedule, ask for input from employees about
what topics they find important to discuss. In addition, find out who will and will not be
available to attend the meeting. Finding out who can attend the meeting will not only
eliminate time consuming scheduling problems after the meeting announcement, but
also prevents attendees from feeling as if they have to choose between attending the
meeting or previous engagements.

Create an agenda

The third step is to make sure you have an agenda for every meeting. List all items for
discussion on the agenda. Then, notify people specified to talk about certain subjects
ahead of time of the subjects they’ll be addressing and of how much time they’ll have to
address these subjects. Doing so enables people to adequately prepare for the meeting
and eliminates time wasted because of lack of necessities, such as visual aids.

Start the meeting on time

The next step is to respect the people who are on time to the meeting by starting the
meeting on time regardless of whether or not everyone has arrived. Making everyone
wait to begin a meeting because of latecomers wastes everyone’s time and sends the
wrong message to perpetually late employees. Starting meetings on time also helps
ensure that lost production hours are kept to a minimum.

Productivity 4–7

Cover the most important item on the agenda first

If you want co-workers to make it a priority to come to meetings on time, covering the
most important item on the agenda first is a good strategy. If employees know that by
arriving to a meeting late they’ll be missing pertinent information, they might be less
likely to straggle in late. In addition, covering the most important item on the agenda
first ensures that you have enough time to discuss high priority issues. If you spend the
first 45 minutes of a meeting discussing trivialities, your meeting is likely to be less
productive because you might have to extend the length of the meeting or rush through
important issues.

Control the discussion

The sixth step is to control the meeting discussion by limiting the amount of time spent
on each subject. Using comments such as, “Let’s wrap this up with one final comment,”
can keep everyone focused and also allows you to move through the items on your
agenda at a faster pace. If you feel that a subject needs more attention, ask co-workers to
write down their thoughts on the subject after the meeting and bring them to the next
meeting. Writing down their thoughts will allow them to prepare to discuss the subject
more expediently in the next meeting.

End the meeting on time

Ending meetings on time not only saves time, but if you build a reputation for starting
and ending on time, employees will have respect for you and your meetings. If you have
ever attended a meeting that ended at 3:30 p.m. when it was scheduled to end at 3:00
p.m., you are familiar with the kind of frustration created by not ending meetings on
time. If you have a strict daily plan or miss an appointment because of a meeting that
lasts longer than anticipated, you know how such meetings can decrease motivation.

Do it! A-3: Running productive meetings
Exercises

1 List the steps for scheduling a productive meeting.

4–8 Time Management

2 Watch the movie clip and discuss the scenario as a class.
For the upcoming meeting, are the objectives clear?
Is the meeting organizer prepared?
How is the meeting organizer working towards a productive meeting?

3 Recall one of your department meetings held recently. Was that meeting
productive?

4 Choose the option that correctly identifies the best time to end a meeting.
A On time, regardless of the issues discussed
B On time, provided all issues are discussed
C Five to ten minutes early, regardless of the issues discussed
D Once everyone is satisfied with the issues discussed

Explanation To be more productive when attending a meeting

If you are not in charge of a meeting, you might feel helpless to control the productivity
of the meeting. However, there are certain guidelines you can follow to make sure the
meeting is productive for you:

• Control your time. Controlling your time can enable you to leave a meeting
before it adjourns. If you need to leave a meeting early, you should arrive shortly
before the meeting starts, so you can speak to the meeting leader about when
you need to leave. Be sure that you arrive on time to all meetings. Arriving on
time is courteous and respectful for the meeting leader’s time, as well as for the
time of the other attendee’s of the meeting. Take work with you that you can
work on if the meeting starts late.

• Prepare. Know the agenda of the meeting before you attend it. Adequately
preparing for the meeting will allow you to determine how best to handle your
place in the meeting in an efficient manner. If you prepare ahead of time, you
avoid wasting time at the meeting trying to obtain the materials you need to
contribute appropriately if you prepare ahead of time.

• Stick to the agenda. Only make comments and suggestions pertaining to items
on the agenda. If there are other items you would like to discuss, set up another
time to discuss those items with the appropriate person or suggest making them
items on the agenda for the next meeting.

Productivity 4–9

Do it! A-4: Attending productive meetings

Exercises

1 Choose the three guidelines for making meetings more productive as an attendee.
A Make comments that pertain to the agenda items.
B Work on your paperwork during the meeting.
C Know the agenda before the meeting starts.
D Arrive on time.
E Leave early if meeting runs overtime.

2 Discuss what you should do if you know you’ll have to leave early from an
important meeting.

4–10 Time Management

Topic B: Factors affecting productivity

Explanation While it’s difficult to control interruptions and meetings, there are some factors that you
can control. These factors are related to your personality and working style.
Procrastination, perfectionism, the inability to say no, and indecisiveness can all
adversely affect your productivity.

Procrastination

Procrastination is a major cause of lost productivity. Too often, people work on easy,
low-priority tasks and avoid more challenging, high-priority tasks. Procrastination is an
ingrained habit, making it very difficult to break. Procrastination affects your
productivity because it wastes your time and energy. Obviously, if you do not work on a
project you should be working on, you are wasting time. In addition, procrastination
drains your energy because you worry about tasks you should be working on and often
miss deadlines, causing unneeded stress.

Overcome procrastination

To overcome procrastination, ask yourself, “What is the best use of my time right
now?” Once you have answered that question, implement a “Do it now” strategy.
Implementing a “Do it now” strategy involves determining what the next task you
should be working on is, and doing it immediately. In addition to evaluating the best use
of your time, make a commitment to others about what you are planning to do. Peer
pressure can be a very influential deterrent because if you tell people you’ll do
something, you’ll be more motivated to do it so people will know you are reliable.

The sooner you overcome the tendency to procrastinate, the sooner you’ll see the
benefits of not procrastinating. These benefits become incentives for not procrastinating
in the future.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism affects your productivity because you are less likely to attempt
challenging projects because you fear failure, and if perfection is your goal, you could
be setting yourself up for failure. Even perfectionists who take on challenging projects
often find themselves missing deadlines because they work and rework a project too
many times. Constantly trying to perfect something not only wastes productive energy,
it wastes time.

To overcome perfectionism, you should find rewards in the tasks you accomplish, and
you should not be too critical of mistakes. Learn from your mistakes instead of fearing
them.

Because perfectionists have a tendency not to delegate tasks because they fear that
others will pay inadequate attention to completing the tasks, learning to trust your
employees is a crucial step to overcoming perfectionism. In addition to learning to
delegate, perfectionists should also not allow themselves to rework a project more than
twice.

Productivity 4–11

Inability to say “no”

If you have difficulty saying “no” to requests for your time, you’ll be overwhelmed with
too many tasks. Taking on too much work ultimately decreases your productivity. If you
work on too many projects at one time, you might fail to give adequate attention to one
of the projects. Concentrating on the quantity of work instead of the quality does not
increase your productivity; instead, it limits opportunities for advancement and learning.

Realizing your limits is not a handicap; rather, knowing your limits saves time for you
and for the people around you. Once you realize your limits, do not be shy about telling
people you do not have time to help them with something. Being honest about your
limits allows the person requesting your time an opportunity to delegate the task to
someone who has more time. To overcome your inability to say “no”, you must realize
that telling someone “no” does not indicate that you are an incapable person.

Indecisiveness

Indecisiveness affects your productivity because it saps your energy and wastes your
time. When faced with a decision, the amount of time you spend making the decision
can determine how productive your day will be. If you have difficulty making decisions
or do not make decisions at all, you are probably already aware of how indecisiveness
wastes your time. Worrying about making a decision can drain your energy, causing
you to become unmotivated about the task, which leads to loss of productivity.

The key to overcoming indecisiveness is to decide immediately whether a task is worth
working on, and to act on it if it is. The following questions will help you determine
why you are indecisive and how to keep your indecisiveness from negatively affecting
your productivity.

What is the problem?

Asking this question enables you to analyze what is keeping you from making the
decision and enables you to confront the issue instead of procrastinating. Identifying the
real problem focuses your thoughts on the real decision and on why you have not made
the decision.

For example, if you need to decide which task you need to work on first, you can
evaluate whether you have not made the decision about what to work on because of
fear. You might fear choosing the wrong task and suffering repercussions later.

What are the choices?

You’ll rarely be faced with a decision that requires only a “yes” or “no” answer. You
probably have many choices when making a decision. In an effort to overcome
indecisiveness, you should write down all of your choices, as well as the advantages and
disadvantages of each choice.

4–12 Time Management

Which is the better choice?

Once you have evaluated your different choices, you should decide which choice is the
better one. When deciding on the better choice, you should remember that there is not a
best choice. There will probably be many different options on your list that appeal to
you for different reasons. You should weigh all advantages and disadvantages, and then
choose the better option. For example, you might have two job applicants who are both
qualified for the position you are looking to fill. However, you might find that one of
the applicants has job experience internationally while another has just graduated from
college, eager to prove him or herself in the workforce. Here, you would need to weigh
the advantages and disadvantages of hiring either employee, knowing that there really is
no best choice, but that a better decision can be made if the needs of the company are
carefully considered.

Do it! B-1: Discussing factors that affect productivity

Exercises

1 Using the Procrastination checklist, If you have two or more items checked in
mark the areas where procrastination each field, then you might have a problem
affects you the most. with procrastination.

2 Choose the questions you need to ask yourself to overcome indecisiveness.
A Do I have to make this decision right now?
B What is the problem?
C To whom can I delegate this decision?
D Which is the better choice?
E What are my choices?
F Should I be making this decision?

3 Should you rework projects?
A Yes, but only once
B Yes, but not more than three times
C No, not at all
D Yes, but not more than twice

4 Identify the fact that you should realize to overcome your inability to say “no”.
A Working more hours is the key to getting everything done
B Eliminating interruptions is the key to getting everything done
C Focus is the key to getting everything done
D Doing everything all the time is not possible

Productivity 4–13

Unit summary: Productivity

Topic A In this topic, you learned about how interruptions and meetings affect productivity.
Topic B You discussed ways to minimize interruptions by visitors and co-workers. You also
examined techniques for running productive meetings, as well as being a productive
meeting participant.

You learned about personality factors that affect productivity and how you can control
them. You discussed procrastination, perfectionism, the inability to say no, and
indecisiveness.

Independent practice activity

1 How often during a day is an average person interrupted?
Every 8 minutes.

2 Identify the recommended position for you and your visitor.
A Sit and offer your visitor a seat
B Stand, but offer your visitor a seat
C Sit, but do not offer your visitor a seat
D Stand and keep your visitor standing

3 In meetings, when should the most important agenda item be discussed?
The most important agenda item should be discussed immediately after the meeting begins. This
encourages people to arrive on time and guarantees that the most important items are addressed
if the meeting gets off track.

4 List three things that you can do to make a meeting more effective.
1. Arrive on time and make arrangements if you need to leave early.
2. Come prepared for the agenda items. Bring any documents or reference materials you might
need.
3. Stick to the agenda. Do not introduce items that aren’t on the agenda. If necessary, ask the
appropriate meeting member to continue your discussion after the meeting.

5 Identify the time waster that is the major cause of lost productivity.
A Procrastination
B Perfectionism
C Indecisiveness
D Lack of focus

4–14 Time Management

Unit 5 5–1
Information overload
Unit time: 90 minutes
Complete this unit, and you’ll know how to:
A Identify the causes of information overload

and overcome it by screening information.
B Control paperwork by organizing your

office and filing system.
C Communicate effectively to increase

productivity.

5–2 Time Management

Topic A: Causes of information overload

Explanation Every day, the workplace is bombarded with new and faster ways to obtain information.
The primary cause of information overload is the vast amount of information available
to us through computers, telephones, personal interactions, fax machines, pagers, and
paperwork. The secondary cause of information overload is the inability to control and
overcome the amount of information employees are faced with every day. You can
easily waste a significant amount of time sorting through information, trying to verify
what is important and what you can disregard.

Identifying important information

Distinguishing important information from unimportant information can be a time-
consuming process, which can be made easier by using the following process:

• Check dates. Verify that the information you receive is still valid by checking
the date it was sent to you or the date it was published. You might be able to
disregard information because it has “expired.”

• Consider the source. Check from whom you receive the information. This step
is especially crucial when you find information on the Internet. You must make
sure your source is reliable before acting on the information the source is
providing.

• Find the ultimate source. Make sure you know from whom the information is
coming in the first place. By the time information reaches your desk or by the
time you find information on the Internet, it might have already been filtered
through several different sources. Finding the ultimate source of information can
help you determine how valuable the information is to you.

• Separate fact from opinion. Facts can be verified. For example, if you hear that
overtime will now be mandatory for all employees, you can check the validity of
that statement. You can determine whether mandatory overtime is actually a
newly instated policy or whether it’s merely what someone thinks should
happen. Opinion statements are much easier to disregard than factual statements
because you might be able to disprove opinion statements because they might
not be based on indisputable facts.

Overcoming information overload

If you find that you are already a victim of information overload, there are three major
techniques you can use to get a handle on the information.

Give yourself permission not to know everything

Find out only what you really need to know. With the amount of information now
available, it’s easy to waste time learning information you really do not need to know.
Do not waste time on the Internet finding information that might be interesting but does
not help you do your job. For example, you probably do not need to know what the
temperature is in Belgium to do your job effectively. Also, realize you do not need to
know everything to be perceived as a knowledgeable individual. Find out what you need
to know, and know it well.

Information overload 5–3

Trash, scan, and recycle

Immediately throw away information you do not need. Do not fall victim to the fear of
throwing something away and needing it later. If you do not need the information now
or in the near future, disregard it and throw it away.

Learn to scan for pertinent information. Look at line headings, titles, boldfaced text, and
captions to determine whether the information is important to you. Learning how to
skim information will save you a significant amount of time.

When you need information, try to save yourself time by checking to see whether you
already have information bookmarked in your Web browser. Recycling information
saves you time and energy that would otherwise be spent searching for information you
might already have. For example, you might want to write a memo regarding how sales
would increase if your company started distributing its products internationally. Instead
of going to the library and looking up statistics, return to the bookmarked Web site that
initially sparked your interest and get your information there.

Create and carry a reading file

To better manage information overload, create a reading file containing information you
know you need to read, but that does not need to be read immediately. Carry this file
with you so that you can take the time to read the information at convenient times, such
as when you are waiting for a meeting to start or while you are traveling.

Do it! A-1: Handling information overload
Exercises

1 List three ways to control information overload.

2 Choose the option that correctly identifies two of the four steps to distinguish
important information.
A Check dates, consider the source
B Follow the information chain, separate fact from opinion
C Follow the information chain, find the ultimate source
D Check dates, follow the information chain

3 Choose the necessary action to be taken to deal with unnecessary information.
A Keep it for one week, then throw it away
B Keep it for two days, then throw it away
C Immediately throw it away
D File it in an “unnecessary” folder

5–4 Time Management

Explanation Screening information

How you screen incoming information determines how much time you’ll either save or
waste when dealing with it. There are three ways to handle information: Not screening,
screening by support staff, or screening the source of the information.

Not screening

Not screening means that you allow all information to arrive to you unfiltered. There is
no checkpoint between you and the information you receive. You receive all
information, no matter how trivial, and you are the only person responsible for sorting
through all of it to determine what is important and what is not. Not screening
information is the least effective way to handle information.

Screening by support staff

It is more effective to have a support staff that screens your information for you than to
not screen at all. If you have a receptionist or secretary you can put in charge of
receiving all of your information before it comes to you, you should immediately assign
screening tasks to him or her. Having someone who knows you and your position screen
your information for you will save you a great amount of time.

Source screening

The most effective way to screen incoming information is to carefully analyze all
sources of information and decide which sources are useful and which are not. Once
you have distinguished between useful and not-so-useful sources, remove yourself from
the not-so-useful sources’ distribution lists and request that they stop sending you
information. By eliminating nonessential information at the source, you minimize the
additional screening, or sorting, you’ll have to do later.

Do it! A-2: Screening information

Exercises

1 Of the three screening techniques, which has the potential to eliminate
unnecessary information altogether?

2 Watch the movie clip and then answer the following:

Which type of screening was discussed in the movie clip? Do you think it will
help?

Will this type of screening work for everyone?

Information overload 5–5

Explanation Handling paperwork

If you are overloaded with paperwork, you probably spend a significant amount of time
sorting, filing, and reading every day. Paperwork can take up valuable time you could
be spending doing something more productive. Technology promised to decrease the
amount of paperwork employees receive, but it seems the amount of paperwork
circulating in offices has increased instead of decreased. Now, many employees are
equipped with their own printers, and the photocopying process has evolved from
producing one item at a time to producing, collating, and binding thousands of pages an
hour. Because of all of this paper flow, it becomes apparent that a crucial step to
managing your time is learning to control the amount of paperwork on your desk.

To ensure that you are handling paperwork in an efficient manner, you should refer it to
someone else, act on it, or throw it away.

Refer it to someone else

If the paper you receive should not be handled by you, direct it to the person who should
be handling it. Doing so will save you time and get the paper off your desk. If you find
that the information you get is something you do not need to work on immediately but
should work on in the near future, file it in your reminder file.

Act on it

Much of the paperwork you receive might only require a quick response or might be
acted on immediately. Take action on this paperwork immediately to rid yourself of it.
Instead of responding to paperwork on a separate piece of paper, write your response on
the same piece of paper you received. This will get the paper off your desk and reduce
the amount of paper used.

Throw it away

If a paper needs to be filed, file it as soon as you receive it. However, a major mistake
people make when handling paper is filing too much. You might be able to think of
rather unrealistic reasons for why you should keep a piece of paper, fearing you might
need it for something in the future. Consider the probability of needing a certain piece
of paper instead of the possibility of needing a piece of paper when determining whether
to throw the paper away. Be as realistic as you can when determining whether to throw
away a piece of paper. When you decide to throw away paper, throw it away with
confidence. If you do not throw the paper away, file it immediately to avoid the
accumulation of clutter on your desk.

Ways to read information

How you handle the information you receive largely determines how well you control
paperwork. How you read the information you receive can either waste or save your
time. There are three ways to read information: scan, read, or study.

5–6 Time Management

Scan
Determine whether there is anything important in the document by scanning it. To scan,
look for headings, captions, bold print, or any other indicators of subject matter.
Scanning might be all you have to do before you file the paper or throw it away.
Scanning also increases your reading speed and comprehension. The more you scan, the
faster you’ll read and comprehend a document that really demands your attention.

Read
After you have scanned a document and find that it contains important information you
need to know, read the document. Only read the document to acquire more information
or if you find that the information in the document requires a response.

Study
Study only the documents you’ll be required to know thoroughly. Take notes on the
documents, use a highlighter, and re-read the text several times so that you can
confidently express the contents of the document when necessary.

Do it! A-3: Reducing paperwork

Exercises

1 Choose the option that correctly lists the ways to read information.
A Recognize it, discuss it, and file it
B Read, study, photocopy
C Scan, read, study
D Look at it, ignore it, forget about it

2 Name the three techniques for dealing with paperwork.

3 The following four people work at Icon International where they each receive a lot
of paperwork. Discuss how each of them might handle the paperwork on their
desks?

Person A is very quiet and lazy.

Information overload 5–7

Person B is serious, quiet, and always thinks
before doing any work.

Person C is good at dealing with practical
day-to-day issues. He also fulfils all his
commitments.

Person D is warm, friendly, and action-
oriented.

5–8 Time Management

Topic B: Organize your office

Explanation You need to have a well-organized office if you want to establish routines that help you
work more quickly and more efficiently. It’s easier to function in a clean and neat
environment than in an office where you can barely see the top of your desk because of
all of the piles that have accumulated. Finding documents or pieces of information you
need to do your job effectively becomes much easier if you know exactly where you can
find them.

Systems can help in organizing the office

Paperwork is the biggest cause of clutter. Creating a filing system that enables you to
find the paper you need, can control paper clutter. Knowing what to throw away, what
to file, and where to file it are important factors when trying to organize to improve
productivity. Decreasing the amount of clutter on your desk will decrease the amount of
clutter in your mind. Being organized allows you to think more clearly and work more
efficiently. Creating a filing system is a major step toward improved productivity. Two
of the most commonly used systems are reminder systems and record-keeping systems.

Reminder systems

Many people remind themselves to do something by placing sticky notes where they
can easily see them. Unfortunately, this reminder system increases paper clutter instead
of decreasing it. Instead of using more paper, create places for items. Have on your desk
only what you are working on at that moment, and use one or more of the following
types of reminder systems:

• Calendar system. You probably have already realized that planning and
organizing your days is difficult to do without some sort of calendar. You
probably check your calendar daily, so writing reminders on your calendar
becomes a convenient way for you to remind yourself of certain tasks. Use your
calendar to remind yourself of future tasks, note appointments and important
deadlines, schedule recurring activities, and write “to-do” lists.

• Logbook. Eliminate the clutter of reminders by consolidating everything into a
logbook. Use the logbook when you suddenly remember something you need to
do, and you want a place to write it down. Date each task to be done, and cross
off the task when it’s finished.

• Tickler file. Schedule work onto your calendar and file the papers in a tickler or
reminder file. Then, on the appropriate date, the papers will be there to remind
you of a task, and you’ll have already scheduled the time to complete it.

Record-keeping systems

Record-keeping systems come in the form of planners. When selecting a planner,
remember to choose one that will allow you to record everything you want to record.
The first thing you need to do when you buy a planner is to customize it. Decide where
you want to record different types of information. You do not have to use it exactly as
the planner company intended. For example, you can have your “to do” list in the
journal section.

Be sure that you record every telephone call, project, appointment, and task. At the
beginning of every year, schedule all birthdays, anniversaries, doctor’s appointments,
and other recurring events so you’ll be reminded of them throughout the year. Planners
help eliminate paper clutter and help keep a record of everything you should do now
and need to do in the future.

Information overload 5–9

Do it! B-1: Organizing your office
Exercises

1 What is a calendar system?

2 What is a logbook?

3 What is a tickler file?

4 How is a record-keeping system
different from a reminder system?

5 Watch the movie clip and then answer the following:
What is Chris’ problem?

What is the plan to solve Chris’ problem?

Have you ever been in the same situation as you saw Chris?

5–10 Time Management

Explanation Ways to file paperwork

Filing affects your productivity because it eliminates wasting time looking for important
documents. You might file items because you think they are important and that you’ll
need them later. However, the way you file can either waste or save your time. If you
file almost every piece of paper that crosses your desk, you’ll waste time sorting
through all of your information trying to find what you need. Essentially, how you file
is as important as what you file. There are several general files you should create.

Tickler file

A tickler file is a reminder file. Once a tickler file is created, it should become part of
your daily planning period. Look at your tickler file when you plan what you need to do
tomorrow. To create a tickler file, use two, large expandable folders. Into one of these
folders, put thirty-one individual file folders, numbered from one to thirty one, to
correspond to the days of the month. In the other folder are twelve file folders, labeled
with the months of the year. Use these files as reminders of daily tasks. For example,
you might have already written a memo that your boss has asked you to send out
Tuesday of next week. Place the memo in your tickler file for next Tuesday and you’ll
be reminded that you need to send it when you create your daily plan for Tuesday.

Ideas and Plans file

As you think of ideas potentially useful ideas, you should file them. Periodically review
this file, so these plans and ideas become more familiar to you. Then, you might be able
to automatically recall these ideas at key times, such as at meetings or future interviews.

Reading file

When you receive information that you do not need but that you find interesting, file it
in a reading file. Keep this file close to you when you travel or have extra time. For
example, when you wait for a meeting to start, open your reading file to catch up on
some of your reading.

Travel file

If your job requires you to travel, create a separate folder for each trip on your calendar.
Put everything pertaining to that trip in the file: airline tickets, hotel information,
meeting agendas, and travel tips. If you file this information in one place now, when it’s
time for you to leave on the trip, you need only take one folder.

General file

Everything that does not seem appropriate to file in the other folders you have created
for your filing system should be put into a general file. Arrange this file alphabetically
because there is no other way to determine exactly what you’ll encounter when looking
through it. Also, you should look through your general file periodically to discard any
information that is no longer pertinent.

Information overload 5–11

Items not to file
To create the most effective filing system possible, you should remember that there are
at least three items you should never file:

• Routine memos. Read the memo, act on the memo, and throw it away or delete
it from your e-mail. Do not waste time trying to save these types of memos
because you are afraid you’ll need them later. Once you have acted on the
memo, there is no reason for it to clutter your desk or mailbox.

• Meeting announcements. When you receive a meeting announcement,
immediately schedule the meeting and its location on your calendar. Then, throw
the announcement away.

• Pre-revised policy memos. When you receive a memo of a policy, then receive
a memo the following week revising that policy, you should discard the original
policy.

Do it! B-2: Identifying types of files

Exercises

1 Select the types of files that increase productivity.
A Scratch paper file
B Projects file
C Ideas and plan file
D Meetings file
E Tickler file
F Travel file

2 Select the items that should not be filed.
A Routine memos
B Previous projects
C Your company’s mission statement
D Meeting announcements
E Pre-revised policy memos
F Phone numbers

5–12 Time Management

Topic C: Communication

Explanation Miscommunication is a huge time waster. If you need to rework a project because of
poor communication, you waste both time and energy. Communication affects
everything you do and is central to time management. Improving communication skills
increases productivity because the less time you spend fixing communication problems,
the more time you’ll have to work on other tasks.

Common misconceptions about communication

Time-consuming conflicts can often arise because of misconceptions about
communication. You should remember to avoid making these assumptions if you want
to lessen the chances of poor communication:

• People always understand you when they say they do.
• You do a good job of listening to people when they speak to you.
• Your letters, memos, and reports are always clear to everyone who reads them.
• What you do is always consistent with what you say.
• You have all the communication skills you need.

Effective communication

The first step to effective communication is for you to take responsibility for how you
communicate. It’s always easier to blame someone else for a misunderstanding, but you
should realize that as the sender, you are responsible for relaying your message. Follow
these guidelines to avoid miscommunication:

• Remember that nothing is self-explanatory.
• Explain all technical terms.
• Answer expected questions.
• Warn against common mistakes.

Remember that nothing is self-explanatory

When communicating, remember that what is self-explanatory to you might not be self-
explanatory to someone else. Too often, listeners will not interrupt you to ask you a
question, or they might feel like they should already know what you are talking about
and feel insecure asking questions. You should explain everything you can and
frequently ask your listener if you are being clear.

Explain all technical terms

Technical language is not everyday language, and unless you are absolutely sure that
your listener has a firm understanding of the technical terms you use, you should
explain them. Using technical terms without explanation is one of the fastest ways to
confuse your listener and is one of the biggest causes of miscommunication.

For example, if you and the company you work for use numerous acronyms, new
employees should be provided with a list of commonly used acronyms, so they can refer
to the list during meetings and at other crucial times.