Managing your Time

Managing your Time Prioritisation  Agree KRAs with management  Agree priorities of KRAs

Managing your Time Big rocks first?

Managing your Time Diary and filing

Managing your Time 5-Step planning 1.Planned important 2.Unplanned important 3.Admin’ 4.Networking 5.Thinking (planning) Log your time

Managing your Time Planning  Spending time planning time saves time Doing without planning Doing after planning Planning

Managing your Time Breakdowns in planning Task Breakdown Communication Breakdown Deliverable Breakdown Resource Responsibility Matrix

Managing your Time Estimating 2*Opt +Real + 4*Pess 7  Be aware of our own optimism  Imagine that things could go wrong

Managing your Time Managing expectations 1 Opinion can beat facts unless you show what is involved Scope / Time / Resource

Managing your Time Managing expectations 2 If people want to dump problems. they have to be told that if they push for unrealistic solutions they will have more problems than they have now

Managing your Time Progress monitoring 1.What has been done? show me 2.What is left to do? 3.What problems do you anticipate? 4.What are you/I going to do to stop those problems? How is it going? Don’t ask: Do ask:

Managing your Time Focus on quadrant 2

Managing your Time Protecting your time YES NO Negotiate

Managing your Time Negotiating importance  What do you want me NOT to do  Yes, this is the price  Ask when & promise later  Ask what & promise less  Who is it for and what will happen if it is not done?  Why me, what skill do I have?  What is critical in this?  Does it have to be 100% perfect?  Sure, this is what I am going to leave out  If I do this will you help me to do...  Thanks for calling me, I was just about to ask you to help me with...  Get them to do something to help you do the thing they want  I’ll do what I can, can you chase me on Friday.  I suggest a quick fix  Could you explain the process to me?  Let me get some options together for you

Managing your Time How to say NO  I understand (pause, not BUT)  currently (state facts)  therefore (difficult / impossible)  I suggest (give 2/3 options)  your choice?

Managing your Time Time wasters: meetings  have an agenda WITH time targets  attend for key topics  take work with you  smaller meetings  have an agreed process (eg problem, options, recommendation, risks, next steps)  delegate / rota  split topics into further smaller meetings  keep asking for the ‘main point’  keep asking ‘what decision’  get information in another form  schedule a finish time

Managing your Time Set a clear scope Timed agenda points / stagger attendance Focus on output not input Clear minutes and actions Set deliverables not tasks Consider a DM process Analysis outside, evaluation inside Rotate the Chair Tips for meetings

Managing your Time Time wasters: telephone  state time up front  ask for background, key points and decision  split the workload  change voic daily  take calls at certain times  call in blocks  set up a call rota  schedule a call back time

Managing your Time Time wasters:  schedule time for reading, don’t react  ask for actions up front  no-scroll inbox  set up a folder for later reading  use a future file’  Get taken off lists  Use the filter  RAFT all mail promptly  Set out of office for an extra day

Managing your Time Time wasters: interruptions  stand up  tell them how much time you have  set up a scheduled call  walk them to somewhere else  set a time for further chat  be honest  Have clinic times  Don’t have a chair nearby  Move your seat to avoid eye line  FAQ sheet  What do you suggest?

Managing your Time Time wasters: documents  scan read to actions section  schedule reading time  get removed from circulation lists  see who it is from  ask sender for more information  scan and schedule detailed analysis for later  remove documents from sight (file)  press for 1side A4  central store for common documents

Managing your Time General tips  separate urgent from important  make & keep promises to others  before spending a lot of time on something, figure out what would happen if it wasn’t done  find somewhere inaccessible to work  keep a time log  ask the person asking you to do something to do something to help you do the something for them  stand up whilst answering  don’t do things to perfection  look after yourself physically  book appointments with yourself  use new technology  cut out things that would not be missed  have stand up meetings  have smaller meetings  ask others how you waste their time  carry a notebook with you  focus on PRODUCTIVITY not ACTIVITY

Managing your Time General tips  at the start of a conversation, ask what time it will finish  start the day with unpleasant tasks  work at home for an hour and come in later  arrange your time into chunks  choose unusual start times for meetings  send someone else to meetings  identify repeating crises and work out a routine  make sure the kit works  file daily  keep an ideas list  make time to review  work out the type of work you are best at certain times of day  make a list at the end of the day for the next day  do not use a PENDING tray: either ACT, FILE, or TRASH  motivate yourself by using jobs you like as a reward