Managing Time Effectively

Managing Time effectively
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www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 1
Time Management

Objectives
At the end of the session the participants will be

able to :
• Understand the importance of time

• Plan and schedule personal and professional life
• Set goals and prepare an action plan
• Develop a system to manage time wisely

What is Time Management?
Time management is making wise scheduling decisions

which involve self-discipline and delayed gratification.
• Organization of activities so you can get it all done

• Setting priorities so you know you can do the most important
things first
• Establishing goals and intentionally managing your life instead of
reacting to events or drifting aimlessly through life

Costing your time to the organization
• Estimating value
– 1.5 X annual salary/ Working hours per year
= Cost per hour
– Cost per hour/60

= Cost per minute

$86,400
Picture this
• Each day your bank deposits $ 86,400 in your
savings account
• There is just one catch, you have to spend it all in
one day
• You can’t carry over any money to the next day
What would you do?

You would spend it right!!!!

$86,400
24 hrs in a day
*
60 minutes per hour
*
60 seconds per minute
=
86,400 seconds
Spend every second in an efficient and productive way

Manage yourself ,not your time

Common Problems
• Making the task appear bigger than

it is
• Underestimating the time required
• Leaving things to the last minute
• Wasting time
• Missing deadlines
• Arriving late
• Putting things off
• Interruptions/distractions

Time Vampires
• The internet / e-mail

• Waiting Time
• The telephone / Interruptions
• Lack of planning / Hurrying /
Underestimating Time
• Procrastination / Disorganization
• Overscheduling / Can’t say no
• Unrealistic demands on self & others
• Crises

What can we do?
- Recognize that obstacles exist
- Identify them
- Employ strategies to overcome

Time Management Models
• ABC Technique (Alan Lakein) • Natural Laws Technique

- List goals (Ben Franklin)
- Assign priorities
- Use a daily
- Decide tasks necessary to planner
meet goals
- Deal with time
- Create "To Do" list
robbers
- Identify your
• behavior
Time Management Protocol patterns
(Brunicardi &
Hobson)
- Analyze use of time
- Set goals (professional, family &
personal)
- Organize day around goals
Time Management Models
• Time Management Matrix Technique (Steve Covey)

• I-Important & urgent
• II-Important & not urgent
• III-Not important & urgent
• IV-Not important & not urgent

Time Management Matrix
IMPORTANT URGENT NOT URGENT

I – DO NOW II – PLAN TO
These are activities that need DO
to take precedence over These activities include
everything else. E.g. Finishing •Relationship building
a report that might influence
•Recognition of new
whether or not you get a
opportunities
promotion.
•Planning/Preparation
Deadline driven projects
•Recreation
NOT IMPORTANT
III – REJECT & IV – RESIST &

EXPLAIN CEASE
Urgency often screams These activities are often for fun.
importance, but on careful This category is comprised of
examination, most of these such activities as watching
urgent matters hold very little television, catching up on gossip,
long term value. sorting out junk mail etc.
Phone calls, mails,
interruptions

Strategies for Managing Time
effectively

1. Set SMART Goals
• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time-based
1. Set SMART
Goals
2. Prioritize
3. Organize
4. Say NO
5. Concentrate
6. Plan
7. Procrastinate

2. Prioritize
elegate
elay
elete
1. Set SMART
Goals
2. Prioritize
3. Organize
4. Say NO
5. Concentrate
6. Plan
7. Procrastinate

Thoughts to Ponder on….
Delegate!!
One person’s trash is another’s
treasure
k of every request as an opportunity to negotia

Prioritize
• Use the 80-20 rule originally stated by the Italian economist

Pareto.
– 80% of the outcome comes from 20% of the tasks.
– Identify the 20% that is most important and then prioritize

your time to concentrate the most effort on those items.
• Flag items according to importance by giving them an A, B or

C priority, with A being highest priority.
• Set deadlines for tasks to focus on your priorities.

Techniques to Prioritize
1. Address the urgent
2. Accomplish what you can early
3. Attach deadlines to things you delay

3. Organize
1. Set SMART
Goals
2. Prioritize
3. Organize
4. Say NO
5. Concentrate
6. Plan
7. Procrastinate

a) Using the Outlook Calendar
Use the MS Outlook Calendar to schedule and organize your

meetings and tasks

b) Using Flags in Outlook
You can flag messages in your Inbox to help you in

following-up .
• In the Flag section of the message, left click to set the default red flag, or right-click
to select a different color and follow up information.
• Click Add Reminder to set a date and time for a reminder.

c) Using Tasks in Outlook
Tasks are helpful for keeping track of your “to do” list. There are
three ways to add new Tasks:
• Double click an empty line on the tasks page or Click “New”
from the tasks page.
• A new window titled “Untitled – task” will open. You can add
your task here.
• You can add reminder to tasks by checking the “Reminder”
box.
• This will help you manage your time well and complete your
tasks in time.

d) Using Time Log sheet
Use the Time Log sheet to monitor how much time you
spend on various activities
Time Activity Time used Category

(minutes)
Phone Scheduled Drop-ins / Meetings Paperwork
calls appointmen Ad hoc
ts meetings

e) Using TO Do Lists
• Break things down into small steps
• Like a child cleaning his/her room - do the ugliest thing first
The four-quadrant TO DO List
Due Soon Not Due Soon
1 2
Important
Not
3 4
Important

4. Learn when to say “NO”
• You can’t do everything
• Don’t undertake things you can’t
complete
• Remain consistent to your goals
1. Set SMART
Goals
2. Prioritize
3. Organize
4. Say NO
5. Concentrate
6. Plan
7. Procrastinate

5. Concentrate on the task at hand
• Focus on your goal
• Tune out interruptions

1. Set SMART
Goals
2. Prioritize
3. Organize
4. Say NO
5. Concentrate
6. Plan
7. Procrastinate

6. Planning
• Failing to plan is planning to fail
• Plan Each Day, Each Week, Each Month
• You can always change your plan, but only once you have
one!
1. Set SMART
Goals
2. Prioritize
3. Organize
4. Say NO
5. Concentrate
6. Plan
7. Procrastinate

7. Procrastination
• Distractions that prevent you from starting a task
• Concentrating on the “not important” and “not urgent”
• May arise from uncertainty about how to do the task or its necessity
1. Set SMART
Goals
2. Prioritize
3. Organize
4. Say NO
5. Concentrate
6. Plan
7. Procrastinate

Ways to Procrastinate
• Clear the decks
• Get stuck in
• Short time limits
• Activate your tasks!
• Read-walk technique
• Avoid distractions

Handy Tips

Paperwork
• Clutter is death; it leads to thrashing. Keep desk clear:

focus on one thing at a time
• A good file system is essential
• Touch each piece of paper once
• Touch each piece of email once; your inbox is not your

TODO list

Telephone
• Keep calls short; stand during call
• Start by announcing goals for the call

Tips for Scheduling Time
• Take both a long-term and a short-term perspective: schedule tasks

for each day, and schedule several weeks or even months at a time.
• When your schedule changes, mark what really occurred in your day
for future reference.
• Learn when your "high-energy" and "low-energy" times occur and
schedule your day accordingly.
• Balance your activities—schedule time to allow yourself to unwind.
Include time for physical exercise, recreation, and social activities.
• Remember Parkinson’s Law: Work tends to expand to fill the time
allotted.

Tips for sticking to your schedule
• Post your goals where you can always see them.

• File time-saving ideas and tools. Add new tips to your
repertoire monthly.
• Take some time today to prepare for tomorrow’s top
priority tasks. If you can find the file, review the timeline, or
highlight the key issues, and you will save time when you
get started tomorrow.
• Plan rewards for using work time effectively.
• Don’t strive for perfection. If you achieve 90% of your
target for the day, you have been successful.

Tips for controlling time-wasters
• Schedule an hour of quiet time when you cannot be

interrupted.
• Let your colleagues and direct reports know that you are
working on managing time wasters. Enlist their support.
• Allow at least an hour a day of unscheduled time, so you
are prepared for time wasters.
• Set end times for appointments to keep you focused on the
meeting window.
• Note how much time a time waster cost you, so you have
more of an incentive to avoid it in the future.

The Seven Habits
From “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic” by Stephen R. Covey, Simon and Schuster, 1989
1. BE PROACTIVE: Between stimulus and response in human beings lies the

power to choose. Productivity, then, means that we are solely responsible
for what happens in our lives. No fair blaming anyone or anything else.
2. BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND: Imagine your funeral and listen to what
you would like the eulogist to say about you. This should reveal exactly
what matters most to you in your life. Use this frame of reference to
make all your day-to-day decisions so that you are working toward your
most meaningful life goals.

The Seven Habits
3. PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST. To manage our lives effectively, we must keep
our mission in mind, understand what’s important as well as urgent, and
maintain a balance between what we produce each day and our ability to
produce in the future. Think of the former as putting out fires and the latter
as personal development.
4. THINK WIN/WIN. Agreements or solutions among people can be mutually

beneficial if all parties cooperate and begin with a belief in the “third
alternative”: a better way that hasn’t been thought of yet.

The Seven Habits
5. SEEK FIRST OT BE UNDERSTANDING, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD.

Most people don’t listen. Not really. They listen long enough to devise a
solution to the speaker’s problem or a rejoinder to what’s being said. Then
they dive into the conversation. You’ll be more effective in you
relationships with people if you sincerely try to understand them fully
before you try to make them understand your point of view
6. SYNERGIZE. Just what it sound like. The whole is greater than the sum of
its parts. In practice, this means you must use “creative cooperation” in
social interactions. Value differences because it is often the clash between
them that leads to creative solutions.

The Seven Habits
From “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic” by Stephen R. Covey, Simon
and Schuster, 1989
7. SHARPEN THE SAW. This is the habit of self-renewal, which

has four elements. The first is mental, which includes reading,
visualizing, planning and writing. The second is spiritual, which
means value clarification and commitment, study and
meditation. Third is social/emotional, which stress
management includes service, empathy, synergy and intrinsic
security. Finally, the physical includes exercise, nutrition and
stress management.

ACTION PLAN
The top 5 takeaways from the program -

1. Learn to say "no." When feasible, delegate.
2. Don't let paperwork pile up.
3. Ask yourself, "What is my objective or goal?"
4. Break a job into bite-sized pieces; don't procrastinate because it
all can't be done at once.
5. Identify your time wasters...and resolve to eliminate them.

The BIG ROCKS of Life

READING LIST
• Diana Hunt, PhD. and Pam Hait: The Tao of

Time: Time Management in the Real World
• Stephen Rechtschaffen: Time Shifting: Creating
More Time to Enjoy Your Life
• Mary Sotile and Wayne Sotile: Medical
Marriages. A couple's survival guide
• William Bridges: Creating you and company: Be
the CEO of your own career
• Ann McGee-Cooper with Duane Trammel: Time
Management for Unmanageable People

Managing Time Effectively - WNS

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www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 2

At the end of the session the participants will be

• Understand the importance of time

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 3

Time management is making wise scheduling decisions

• Organization of activities so you can get it all done

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 4

– Cost per hour/60

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 5

What would you do?

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 6

Spend every second in an efficient and productive way

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 7

• Making the task appear bigger than

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 8

• The internet / e-mail

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 9

- Recognize that obstacles exist

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 10

• ABC Technique (Alan Lakein) • Natural Laws Technique

• Time Management Matrix Technique (Steve Covey)

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 12

IMPORTANT URGENT NOT URGENT

III – REJECT & IV – RESIST &

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 13

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 14

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 15

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 16

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 17

• Use the 80-20 rule originally stated by the Italian economist

– 80% of the outcome comes from 20% of the tasks.

– Identify the 20% that is most important and then prioritize

• Flag items according to importance by giving them an A, B or

• Set deadlines for tasks to focus on your priorities.

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 18

1. Address the urgent

2. Accomplish what you can early

3. Attach deadlines to things you delay

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 19

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 20

Use the MS Outlook Calendar to schedule and organize your

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 21

You can flag messages in your Inbox to help you in

• Click Add Reminder to set a date and time for a reminder.

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 22

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 23

Time Activity Time used Category

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 24

• Break things down into small steps

• Like a child cleaning his/her room - do the ugliest thing first

The four-quadrant TO DO List

Due Soon Not Due Soon

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 25

• You can’t do everything

• Don’t undertake things you can’t

• Remain consistent to your goals

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 26

• Focus on your goal

• Tune out interruptions

www.wnsgs.com Confidential & Proprietary © WNS Global Services 2007 27

• Failing to plan is planning to fail