Transcript Time Management - FAPAC

Time Management
24 Techniques to Make
Each Minute Count at Work
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 1:45-3:15 pm
2012 Federal Asian Pacific American Council
(FAPAC) Conference
Atlanta, GA
Presenters: Cynthia D. Dunn and Margareth J. Bennett
Presenters

Cynthia D. Dunn, Director, Equity,
Diversity & Inclusion, Internal
Revenue Service, Tax Exempt and
Government Entities Division
[email protected]

Margareth J. Bennett, Director,
Institute and Center Services
Division, Office of Equal Opportunity
and Diversity Management, National
Institute of Health
[email protected]

Moderator: David Fang
Time Management –
24 Techniques to Make Each
Minute Count at Work (1-12)
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12.
Know How You Use Time
Be Reasonable
Plan to Enjoy
Control Your Space
Adapt Time Management Strategies
Prioritize with ABCs
Prioritize with Paper
Prioritize and Change
Prioritize with Payoffs
Prioritize with Pareto
Do It on Time
Set Goals and Make Time
1. Know How You Use Time
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Each of us is an individual.
How are you managing your
time?
Assess your time style using
three key points as a guide:
Know how you feel about time
subconsciously
 Track how you spend your time
 Assess your control
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How are you managing your
time?
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Do you carry a daily calendar or use
the calendar on your cell phone?
Do you keep hard copies of every
document you sign?
Do you bring materials to read while
waiting for an appointment?
Do you normally reconfirm
appointments?
Do you have a filing system for your
personal papers?
How are you managing your
time?
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Have you missed the deadline for
paying a bill in the last 3 months?
Do you take work home more than
once a week?
Do you work beyond your scheduled
work hours more than twice a week?
Do slips of paper with phone
numbers, addresses, and so forth
accumulate around your work area
or in your pockets?
Are you on a committee that bores
you?
2. Be Reasonable
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Myth:
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“Time management is just another label for
obsessive behavior.”
Truth:
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An obsession is a persistent and often irrational
thought. We all get obsessive about time
occasionally. But occasional obsessive actions
are not usually a problem.
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More common and more dangerous is a
general obsession with time. We all know
people who are always frantic or workaholics.
They’ve got to find ways to get to work 30
seconds faster. They’ve got to be working on a
flight or a commuter train. They’ve got to clean
their desks constantly to stay perfectly
organized.
Be Reasonable (cont.)
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Conquer mild obsessivecompulsive time-related behaviors
with these four “R”s:
Recognize
 Realize
 Resolve
 Replace
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Be reasonable about time
management
Beware of what psychologists
label “type A” behavior
3. Plan to Enjoy
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Myth:
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Truth:
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“Time management extinguishes spontaneity
and joy.”
People who manage their time well set aside
time to enjoy. They know which things should
be organized and which should not. People
who manage their time poorly have less
fun—because of disorganization, foggy
priorities, and stress.
It’s important to enjoy working and
feel motivated
Time management can help reduce
stress.
Plan to Enjoy (cont.)
People who are least vulnerable to stress tend to
exhibit these characteristics:
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They have many
friends and
acquaintances.
They eat regular
meals.
They sleep well.
They drink little
alcohol, don’t smoke,
and rarely drink coffee.
They are healthy and
neither overweight nor
underweight, and they
exercise regularly.
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They feel comfortable
with their income.
They gain strength
from their spiritual
beliefs.
They’re open about
their feelings and
affectionate.
They belong to at least
one social group.
You can live healthier by planning to enjoy, fighting
against stress, and making yourself more resistant.
4. Control Your Space
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Get downtime
Reduce interruptions
Know what’s possible and
what’s impossible
5. Adapt Time Management
Strategies
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Prioritize
Reflect
Review
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Good Time Management
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6. Prioritize with ABCs
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Focus on the important things
Importance and urgency
Goal based
Accountability based
Nature of activity
Customized
7. Prioritize With Paper
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Use index cards, adhesive notes,
magnetic board for flexibility
Visual effect may help you prioritize
Possible group discussion and
revision
Possible Shared Authority in
Decision Making
Create tickler file system
Set priorities at end of day. Review
in the morning and adjust if
necessary.
8. Prioritize and Change
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At the end of each day, grade
yourself on task accomplishments
(A-F)
A is done successfully and
completely
F is if the task was not done that
day
B,C and D are in between
Analyze reasons for all grades
other than an A
Decide what to change for future
(tomorrow)
9. Prioritize With Payoffs
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Assign value to your time (labor)
Use high, medium, and low
Assign priority based upon value
of efforts
Reflect on “What’s In It For Me”?
Create a “Not To Do” list
Consider delegating and not
owning work of others
Cost out your time when idle or
not on task
10. Prioritize With Pareto
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20% of people do 80% of what
is important
AKA 80-20 rule
Determine what 20% of your
efforts will produce the most
80% return?
Pick 2 of 10 tasks and do them
Start with one of five
Don’t just work smart, work
smart on the right things
11. Do It On Time
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Don’t procrastinate even if
unpleasant
Tackle first thing in the morning
Break into pieces and
accomplish and/or delegate
Embrace change
Don’t try to be perfect
Consider consequences of
inaction
Understand your reasons
12. Set Goals and Make Time
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Create specific alone time to
concentrate on work
Use a “Do Not Disturb Sign”
Send calls to voice mail
Schedule free time to relax
Work during other people’s nonwork time eg. Lunch, early or
late
Hide from distractions
We Have Learned How to:
 Know
How to Use Time
 Be Reasonable
 Plan to Enjoy
 Control Your Space
 Adapt Time Management Strategies
 Prioritize with ABCs
 Prioritize with Paper
 Prioritize with Change
 Prioritize with Payoffs
 Prioritize with Pareto
 Do It on Time
 Set Goals and Make Time
Time Management Quote
“Carving out a small amount of
time each week to devote to
reviewing your goals can work
wonders for providing the focus
you need to allocate your time
productively”
Time Management –
24 Techniques to Make Each
Minute Count at Work (13-24)
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24.
Use Clusters and Patterns
Delegate Effectively
Just Say No
Anticipate and Plan
Socialize Intelligently
Keep Track of Your Things
Write Things Down
Travel Wisely
Read Better and Less
Learn to Say Good-bye
Use Tools Wisely
Fit Tools to Your Needs
13. Use of Clusters and Patterns
 Clustering
- the grouping of tasks that
have something in common for greater
efficiency (ex: research, return calls or
photocopy at the same time)
 Cluster
in reverse; Chart meeting times,
calls, monthly/yearly events
 Personal patterns: Are you a morning,
midday, or evening person?
 Determine your natural rhythm to use
your time more efficiency
 Work your body: Eat healthy, exercise,
rest
14. Delegate Effectively – Basic
Steps
 Identify
task/project; chart the flow of
task outsource as needed
 Delegate Smart: Let go, let others help
determine the right person to do the job
 Explain the task and how person can
benefit from it (developmental
assignment).
 Specify your standards, deadlines,
reporting method and decision-making
authority
 Monitor progress, evaluate the results,
and recognize the achievement.
15. Just Say No
 Saying
no is a crucial skill; people
often place demands on our time
and energy.
 If
someone asks you to do
something, determine how much
time/energy it requires
 If
you decline, give a good reason,
be diplomatic, suggest other ways
to help
 Be
courageous, honest, and don’t
delay saying no
Just Say No – During Meetings
 Create
an agenda; include start and end
time
 Choose location; consider seating and
privacy
 Determine topics (set goals/timeline)
 Meet for a purpose, give your input
 Go over tasks done/pending from last
meeting
 List ideas generated and consider the
possibilities
 Summarize decisions and assignments
 Distribute meeting summary
16. Anticipate and Plan
 Plan
to save time. Plan for the
unexpected. Limit the impact of
problems
 Anticipate the supplies, tools, data, and
assistance needed to get the job done
 Protect/back-up vital documents at
work/home Minimize consequences of
a disaster.
 Pay attention to what’s happening
around you Recognize events that
might affect you.
 Build time into schedules: Give early
deadlines.
17. Socialize Intelligently
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Socializing is number one, of the six greatest
time wasters in business
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Socializing in reasonable amounts may
increase job satisfaction, raise morale,
improve productivity, and quality of work.
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Socializing is affected by personalities, type of
job, and activity requirements
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Company monitoring is good, but in extremes
it can damage morale and productivity.
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Encourage employees to use their time wisely
and productively; maintain balance
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Extrovert – Set limits, keep socializing brief, have quiet
times
Introvert - Take breaks, socialize more and seek
solitude
18. Keep Track Of Your Things
 Be
organized; maintain a filing system
for paper/electronic documents
Minimize misplacing things
 Use the top of your desk only for active
cases or projects, and the supplies
you use most.
 Prioritize cases, tasks, or projects as
A, B, or C; Work on your A’s first
 Maintain tickler files. Use Outlook
Calendar
 Have a clean desk policy at end of the
day; Plan for the next day
19. Write Things Down
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Forgetting things
Use the device that best fits
your needs to do this
Use your mind to save things
that really matter
“50 percent of all you hear or
read you’ll forget within one
minute”
20. Travel Wisely
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Commuting and Air Travel
Multitask in classic style
Never allow multitasking to
become dangerous
Never allow multitasking to
become obsessive
“If only your office were the only
place you worked! But ‘office’
has become a portable concept”
21. Read Better and Less
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Reading is an essential means
of getting useful information
Read more efficiently and
effectively
Subscribe to publications that
summarize books, articles, and
other information
Block out incoming information
that’s irrelevant
21. Read Better and Less
(cont.)
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Toss or recycle any mail that’s
clearly “junk”
Limit the unwanted mail
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www.the-dma.org
Cancel subscriptions
“It’s sad when we think of
reading as unproductive. Yet
many executives rated it rather
high among time wasters…”
22. Learn to Say Good-Bye
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Long-winded people
On the phone
In person
Drop-in visitors
Use your body
Be blunt
Monitor yourself
“If you ever find yourself
wondering whether or not
you’re going on too long about
something, you probably are”
23. Use Tools Wisely
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Do I need it?
Do I need all its features?
Is it easy to use?
How reliable is it?
How long will it meet my needs?
Use Tools Wisely (cont.)
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Know what you need
Get what you want
Search intelligently and quickly
“We have many tools that
enable us to manage our time
better. Some are products of
technology. Others are no-tech
items. But, like any other tools,
time management tools function
well only if they’re used
properly”
24. Fit Tools to Your Needs
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Your work environment is
important to time management
E-mail can be great—if you
minimize the disadvantages:
Be brief
 Use a clear and interesting subject
 Don’t use all caps
 Copy only those who need to
know
 Delete messages you don’t need
to keep
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Fit Tools to Your Needs (cont.)
Send long messages as
attachments, not e-mail text
 Check your e-mail regularly, but
not constantly
 Check your spelling and grammar
 Use auto-response when you’re
away on the road or on vacation
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Fit Tools to Your Needs (cont.)
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Filing is important for time
management
Pick the most appropriate order
 Name your files simply and
logically
 Prune your files periodically
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“Using the right tools to manage
your time—and using them
right—is just one piece in the
puzzle”
Bottom Line
“Each of us has the same number
of seconds to use as we think
best, but we don’t all use them
to best advantage, and we don’t
all invest them wisely”
More Time Management
Quotes
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Time is what we want most, but what
we use worst. – William Penn
The Key is in not spending time, but
investing it. – Stephen R. Covey
Every minute we waste in frustration
over a task that seems
overwhelming is a minute subtracted
from the time we’ve allotted to enjoy
life.
Questions?
Resource
Book: Time Management
24 Techniques to Make Each Minute
Count at Work
Published by: McGraw-Hill
Professional Education
The Employee Handbook for
Enhancing Corporate Performance
Author: Marc Mancini
Presenters

Cynthia D. Dunn, Director, Equity,
Diversity & Inclusion, Internal
Revenue Service, Tax Exempt and
Government Entities Division
Margareth J. Bennett, Director,
Institute and Center Services
Division, Office of Equal Opportunity
and Diversity Management, National
Institute of Health

Moderator: David Fang
