Time Management

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Time Management

• Building Connections Community Leadership Program

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Where does your time go?

• Using the handout provided, allocate where your
  time goes each week and then answer the following
  questions
• What activities do you spend the least amount of
  time?
• What activities do you spend the most amount of
  time?
• Does the amount of time you spend on activities
  reflect what you value?

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What if

• What would you do if you had 2 extra hours each
  day? How would you spend those 2 extra hours?
• Why havent you made time for this before?

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Theory behind time management

• You only have so many hours available in a day,
  so many weeks in a year, and so many years in
  your lifetimewhat happens if you dont spend
  your time wisely?

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Time

• Life is really about how you spend your time and
  where you place your priorities.
• The key to time management is NOT to work harder
  than everyone else. The key is to work smarter.

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Work smarterhow do I do that?

• To work smarter than everyone else, you must
  determine whats important in your life through
  visioning, writing goals, and taking action
  toward achieving those goals.

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Approaches to Time Management

• There are three approaches to time management.
• First approach increase amount of available
  time each day.
• Second approach do more work in available time
  pack more work in your day
• Third approach do only the important work in
  the time you have available

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Whats wrong with the approaches?

• First approach you will stretch yourself thin
  will likely result in fatigue, lack of
  efficiency, and even depression in the work cases
• Second approach doing more work will result in
  high amounts of stress (feeling as if you can
  never get everything done) and burnout

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Approaches cont

• Third approach this approach is the most
  effective way of managing time
• Forces you to prioritize tasks to be completed
  during your work day

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So, where do I start?

• The first step of effective time management is to
  decide where your priorities are.
• This is often the most difficult task of all and
  takes the most time!

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Stephen Coveys time management matrix

• Covey designed a time management matrix to help
  people manage themselves through prioritizing
  tasks
• YOU have to decide what is important for you to
  do
• YOU have to decide which things are urgent and
  what can wait

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Matrix
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Quadrant I Urgent Important

• These activities should take first priority
• The activities in this quadrant need to be dealt
  with immediately and they are important
• In the long term, time spent here should be
  reduced with prevention and preparation (Quadrant
  II)

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Quadrant II Not Urgent but Important

• The activities in this quadrant need to be the
  FOCUS!!!
• You should begin to prioritize the activities
  that fall into this category
• If you are currently spending very little time
  here, begin slowly and build upon it

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Quadrant III Urgent and Not Important

• The activities in this quadrant are often the
  result of someone elses sense of urgency
• If you allow your priorities to fall here, you
  will feel rushed to get things done, followed by
  a lack of satisfaction
• These tasks are distractions!

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Quadrant IV Not Urgent and Not Important

• Activities in this quadrant are simply a waste of
  time
• Should strive to minimize the amount of time you
  spend on activities falling into quadrant IV

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Now its your turn

• Use the blank matrix and write in your own
  specific activities

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10 Guidelines for Effective Time Management

• Plan ahead must be able to plan and follow
  through with the plan
• Schedule leisure activities schedule in blocks
  of time for your family, friends, exercise, etc.
  If you dont, you likely will spend little time
  doing these activities
• Under-promise and over deliver set due dates
  that are not just meetable but beatable. Get
  your work done early!

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10 Guidelines for Effective Time Management

• Break big jobs into manageable chunks break big
  projects into small tasks and set deadlines for
  completing the tasks.
• Keep track of your progress If your timeline is
  no longer realistic, make sure your schedule
  allows for work in progress
• Delegate whatever you can if the job can be
  completed by someone else or with their help
  DELEGATE!!!!

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10 Guidelines for Effective Time Management

• Establish parameters for saying NO learn what
  projects you should say yes to and which ones
  someone else should have the opportunity to do
• Make and follow a list of priorities maintain a
  list or lists of your priorities. Check your
  progress each day

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10 Guidelines for Effective Time Management

• Group tasks according to the skills required
  try doing the tasks that are most difficult when
  you are at your best
• Keep your eyes open for shortcuts learn and
  incorporate new and better ways of doing things

• From the book Beat Stress with Strength, by
  Stephanie Spera and Sandra Lanto

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Final Thoughts

• Great time management is one of the most
  important skills a person can develop it takes
  practice to effectively manage your time
• Rememberwhats important to you may not be
  important to someone else they are your
  priorities and only you need to follow them