MODULE -2

Importance of Time Management- Anal

ysis of Time,Urgency-Priority Matrix, Pl
anning Time and Resource, Setting Go
als and Objectives, Planning To Achiev
e Goals, Creativity, Importance Of Bein
g Creative, Developing Creativity, Enh
ancing Creativity
Time Managem
ent
TIME

Time is ultimately most valuable r

esources
It is the most precious thing we ha
ve
It can’t be stored up for later use
Time Management

 Time Management plays a very importa

nt
role not only in organizations but also in ou
r
personal lives.
 Time management refers to the way that
we organize and plan how long we spen
d on specific activities.
 Time management is the process of org
anizing and planning how to divide time
effectively between specific activities.
 Time Management refers to managi
ng time effectively so that the right
time is allocated to the right activ
ity.
 Effective time management allows i
ndividuals to assign specific time
slots to
activities as per their importance.
 Time Management refers to making
the best use of time as time is alw
ays limited.
Need of Time Management

To save time

To reduce stress
To function effectively
To increase work output
To control over work
Better alignment of activity
Importance of Time Management

■ Time is limited
■ Time is a special resource that we ca
nnot store or save for later use
■ Improved decision-making ability
■ Self-discipline is valuable
■ Wise time management can help we
find the time for what we desire, and f
or what we need to do.
■ Time management will help u
s to set up our priorities
■ Time is limited to 24 hours a
day, so plan our life wisely.
■ Time management helps us t
o make conscious choices
Time Management techniques includes

i. Effective Planning
ii. Setting goals and objectives
[Link] deadlines
iv. Delegation of responsibilities
v. Prioritizing activities as per their im
portance
vi. Spending the right time on the righ
t activity
1) Effective Planning
 Plan our day well in advance- Task pla
n
 Note down the important activities that
need to be done in a single day.
 High Priority work should come on top
followed by those which do not need m
uch of our importance at the moment.
 Ensure we finish the tasks within the st
ipulated time frame.
2) Setting Goals and Objective
s
 Set targets for ourself and m
ake sure they are realistic on
es and achievable
 Make a To-Do list
3)Setting Deadlines

 Set deadlines for ourself and striv

e hard to complete tasks ahead of
the deadlines.
 Do not wait for our superiors to as
k us every time.
 Use a planner to mark the importa
nt dates against the set deadlines
.
4)Delegation of Responsibiliti
es

 The roles and responsibilities must

be delegated as per interest and sp
ecialization of employees for them t
o finish tasks within deadlines.
 A person who does not have knowle
dge about something needs more ti
me than someone who knows the w
ork well.
5) Prioritizing Tasks

 Prioritize the tasks as per their impo

rtance and urgency.
 Know the difference between impor
tant and urgent work.
 Identify which tasks should be done
within a day, which all should be do
ne within a month and so on.
 Tasks which are most important sho
uld be done earlier.
6)Spending the right time on right acti
vity

 Develop the habit of doing the ri

ght thing at the right time.
 Work done at the wrong time is
not of much use.
 Don’t waste a complete day on
something which can be done i
n an hour or so.
 Essential Time Management Strategi
es
■ Get the right things done in less time.
■ Start our day with a clear focus.
■ Set Priorities
■ Get Organized
■ Have a dynamic task list.
■ Review our day.
■ Know How we Spend our Time &Sche
dule our Time Appropriately
■ Manage External Time Wasters
■ Delegate,Get Help from Others
Time Management Skills
Stay Organized
The workstation must be organized.
Keeping important files organized helps you
retrieve them immediately and thus saves ti
me which goes on unnecessary searching

Be Punctual and Disciplined

Being punctual helps us to complete tasks
way ahead of deadline
Strive hard to complete tasks on time. Do n
ot keep assignments pending and wait for th
e last minute.
Learn to Prioritize

Set our priorities. Do not work just for the sake of working.
Prepare a “Task Plan” or a “To Do” List the moment we settle
down for work. Note down all the activities we wish to do in a
single day as per importance and urgency.
High priority tasks must be attended to immediately. Do not st
art our day with something which does not require our immedi
ate attention.
Tick off completed tasks. It gives us a sense of relief and sati
sfaction.
An employee must understand the difference between high a
nd low priority tasks and also between important and urgent w
ork.
Do not indulge in irrelevant activities. We will waste our entir
e day and the output would be zero.
Be clear about our roles and responsibilities at the workplace.
Be a little Diplomatic
Do not accept everything which comes your wa
y. A polite “NO” in the beginning will save our rep
utation later.
The employees must be delegated responsibiliti
es as per their specialization and background. T
his way they take more interest and eventually fi
nish work on time.

More Focused
Be a little focused and concentrate on work. Do
not waste time by loitering and gossiping around
Benefits of time management

 Time Management makes an individu

al punctual and disciplined.
 One becomes more organized as a re
sult of effective Time Management.
 Effective Time Management boosts a
n individual’s morale and makes him c
onfident.
 Helps to realize their goals and objecti
ves within the shortest possible time s
pan.
 Deliver work on time
 Provide a better quality of work
 More productivity and efficiency
 Much less procrastination
 Improved quality of life
 Better Time Management helps in
better planning and eventually bette
r forecasting.
 Relieves from stress and anxiety.
 Time Management helps an individ
ual to adopt a planned approach in
life
RESULT OF POOR TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS A
T WORK
Missed deadlines and appointments
Lack of focus
Inefficient workflow and low work qu
ality
Unwanted stress
Poor professional reputation
Strained workplace relationships
Financial penalties
Work and life imbalance
Approaches to Time Management

There are three approaches to time

management.
i. First approach – increase amo
unt of available time each day.
ii. Second approach – do more w
ork in available time – pack mo
re work in our day
iii. Third approach – do only the i
mportant work in the time we h
ave available
STEPHEN COVEY’S TIME MA
NAGEMENT MATRIX
Covey designed a time management
matrix to help people manage them
selves through prioritizing tasks
 We have to decide what is import
ant for us to do
 We have to decide which things
are urgent and what can wait
Quadrant I – Urgent & Important

✔ These activities should take first priority

✔ The activities in this quadrant need to be
deal with immediately and they are import
ant

Quadrant II – Not Urgent but Import

ant

✔ The activities in this quadrant need to be t

he FOCUS!!!
✔ We should begin to prioritize the activities
that fall into this category
Quadrant III –Urgent and Not Importa
nt
we have urgent, but unimportant items
 items which should be minimized or eli
minated

Quadrant IV – Not Urgent and Not Im

portant
we have unimportant and also not urge
nt items
 items that don’t have to be done anyti
me soon, perhaps add little to no value a
nd also should be minimized or eliminate
Analysis of Time Management

■ Delegation
When working alone, we will do le
ss work but when we delegate our assi
gnment to other staff, the work will not
only be done faster but will also be do
ne better.
■ Procrastination
Procrastination is actually not sol
ving particular problem, but is avoiding
it
■ Prioritize
Categorize each job and priori
tize according to their urgency or i
mportance
■ Freedom
One important aspect of effect
ive time management techniques i
s actually giving our employees fre
edom to be themselves. So long a
s the job gets done in timely mann
er it actually doesn’t matter which
steps they did first.
■ Reward our employees
By rewarding our employ
ees in small ways or having them
reward themselves, we will greatl
y inspire them to get the job done
efficiently and on time.

■ Create time management goals

By helping our employees c
reate time management goals, w
e will help them be more producti
ve and efficient in service deliver
y.
Resource Management Strate
gies
■ Obtain a realistic view of both demand
and capacity to deliver
■ Manage and prioritize work requests a
nd set appropriate expectations with ke
y stakeholders
■ Determine true resource availability
■ Put the right resources on the right wor
k at the right time
■ Understand what roles and/or skill sets
to hire to fulfill stakeholder commitment
s
■ Increase and improve communi
cation between project and res
ource managers and team me
mbers
■ Create a single resource pool a
cross all projects
■ Maintain a centralized schedule
of our resources.
■ Use technology to automate the
se processes and strategies
Goal Setting
 Goals are targets & object
ives for future performanc
e
 They help focus employe
es attention on items of gr
eater importance to the or
ganization
 Encourage better plannin
g for the allocation of criti
cal resources (time ,mone
y ,energy etc.)
 Stimulate the preparation
of action plans for goal att
ainment
 Goals are immediate or ultimate objectives that em
ployees are trying to accomplish from their work eff
orts in organizations
 It is a process of motivating employees by establis
hing performance goals
 It need to fulfill certain requisites if they were to im
pact employee behaviour
 Goals are useful after the desired behaviour, as m
anager compare employee result with their aims &
explore reasons for any differences
 It works as a motivational process because it creat
es a discrepancy between current & expected perf
ormance
 Meeting a goal also helps satisfy a person’s achie
vement drive, contributes to feelings of competenc
e & self-esteem, and further stimulate personnel gr
Why goals motivate employee
s?
1) It leads employees to compare their pr
esent performance with goals
To the extent that individuals fall short of the
goal, they feel dissatisfied & work harder to
attain it,as long as they believe that it is pos
sible for them to do so
2) Feel competent & successful
When employees succeed in reaching a goa
l, they feel competent & successful ; such fe
elings are desirable and can serve as strong
incentive to extra effort
3) Clarifies level of performance
• The existence of goal clarifies what leve
l of performance is required
• Once this level is established , individua
ls can focus on developing effective stra
tegies for attaining it

4) Calls attention
• It calls attention to the important role of
self-efficacy individual’s beliefs about th
eir ability to perform at given levels
• They can reach the goal, motivation & p
erformance will be enhanced
5) Guide behaviour
• Goal will guide behaviour only wh
en they are accepted by the self &
by others
• If others concerned do not accept
the goals, performance of an empl
oyee will not increase
• If the goal is not acceptable by the
self, its effect on the behaviour of
the person will be minimal
Positive Effects of Goal Se
tting

 Serve as the basis of motivation

 Attention on improvisation
 Amount of energy and work
 Persistence at a task
 Creates interest
 Provides challenges
 Provides purpose
Productivity Pyramid

 Everything begins
with values
 Long term goals a Daily Tasks
re developed from
values
Intermediate
 Long term goals a Goals
re attained throug
h series of interm Long-Range Goals
ediate goals
 Intermediate goal
Governing Values
s attained through
series of goal-orie
nted daily tasks
Why is Goal Setting Important
?
 Goal setting is a planning pr
ocess
 Important aspect of self-ma
nagement
 Sets positive expectations
 Puts meaning into lives
 Helps people achieve their
dreams and ambitions
What Kind of Goals Enhance
Motivation?
1. SPECIFIC GOALS
 More likely to increase motivation
 Help to determine the amount of
effort

2. PROXIMAL GOALS
 Provide reliable information about
one’s abilities
 Proximal goal progress is perceiv
ed positively
 Creates confidence and helps ma
intain motivation
Setting SMART Goals

• SMART goals are:

– Specific
– Measurable
– Action-Oriented
– Realistic
– Timely
1) Specific Goal Setting
 Describes what we want to accomp
lish with as much detail as possible
 It is the foundation on which the res
t of our plan will be built.

2) Measurable Goal Setting

Describes goals in terms that can be c
learly evaluated

3) Action-Oriented Goal Setting

 Identifies a goal that focuses on act
ions rather than personal qualities
 Goal must have an action in order t
o complete it
4) Realistic Goal Setting
Identifies goals that are actually able
to be attained. Determines if we ar
e committed to our goal.

5) Timely Goal Setting

Identifies goals that break a longer te
rm goal into shorter term goals and
clearly specifies a completion date.
Time based provides incentive/moti
[Link]-based milestones help
us monitor progress & measure su
ccess.
Procedures for Writing SMART g
oals
 Identify the area that we want to write t
he goal (academic, personal, etc…)
 Evaluate past and present achievement
to consider the extent to which the goal
is realistic and action-oriented
 State what we want to accomplish
I. Describe how to measure the goal
II. Include a specific completion date (t
imely)
 Evaluate our goal statement is
it really a SMART goal
 If necessary, make modificatio
ns to our goal statement
Rational or ?

49
Creativity
 Creative Organizations have to facili
tate creative ideas , screen and impl
ement the right ones.
 Creativity is the ability to combine id
eas in a unique way or to make usef
ul association among ideas.
 Creativity provides new ideas for q
uality improvement in organizations
and innovation puts these ideas into
action.
 No organisation can survive without
innovation.
 There must be an adaptive process th
at allows the organisation to take on b
oard new ideas and translate them int
o practical results that benefit the orga
nisation.
 Creative business ideas set companie
s apart from one another.
 Without creativity and innovation, ever
y company would follow the same patt
erns in marketing/promotion, techniqu
e, or even the goods and services the
y may be selling
 Creativity is crucial for businesses today,
especially when the market is dependent
on innovative, breaking technology.
 The collaboration of creative minds has t
he ability to push creative business ideas
into reality
 There are a lot of people who believe tha
t they aren’t the ‘creative type.’ These ar
e probably the same people that believe
creativity only comes from an artistic per
spective, but the truth is, everyone is abl
e to channel creative thinking when put i
n the right environment
 Creative thinking can ultimately set our busine
ss apart from all of the others, making consum
ers want to have our product and service over
others.
 Organizational culture promotes creativity & in
novation
 Creativity is defined as the successful implem
entation of unique ideas within an organization
 Internal environment needs to bring creative s
olutions
1) Organizational support
2) Organizational culture
3) Diversity
4) Time & resources
The Benefits of a Creative Workplace
1)Better Teamwork and Team Bonding

 Creativity inspires employees to work with each ot

her.
 As they have new ideas, they seek out colleagues
for their feedback.
 By design, the creative process encourages colla
boration, and this is the most important benefit of
offering a workplace where creative thinking can o
ccur.
 Team bonding also helps the overall engagement
among employees.
 Interactions are more likely among co-workers, ev
en those who do not work together regularly. An in
creased level of comfort in a team is a positive for
any organization.
2)Improved Ability to Attract and Retain Employees
 By developing an environment where creative minds ar
e welcome, companies can attract more talented profes
sionals. They are able to fill positions more effectively a
nd efficiently. A similar effect occurs with current employ
ees, who are more likely to stay on board because of th
e creative environment. They become content with their
job and commit to remaining with the company long ter
m.

3) Increased Problem-solving
 Certainly, the most important aspect of creativity is how
it affects the work. With the ability to think creatively an
d outside the box, employees are more likely to come u
p with unique and innovative solutions to obstacles they
encounter. This eagerness to solve problems can lead t
o new ways to accomplish tasks and run the organizati
on more effectively.
Ways to Enhance Creativity in a Work
force
1. Encourage in-person communication and
interactions
Encouraging active mood states amongst co
-workers and team members will improve the
ir creativity and one way to do that is through
interpersonal communication. Also, an enviro
nment where people feel free to communicat
e would hopefully transfer over to group brai
nstorming sessions, which leads us into our
next point.
2. Allow time to absorb input before we ask f
or output
 Even before we ask our team for their ide
as, make sure we give them ample time to
research.
 Spend a good amount of time simply abso
rbing information without stopping to creat
e anything just yet.
 Because innovation is based on knowledg
e, the more knowledge we have, the more
powerful our ideas will be. This includes u
sing experiences as knowledge – exposur
e to new things puts more ideas into your
subconscious, giving you more from which
to draw inspiration.
3. Offering the space for knowledge sharin
g

 In addition to sending employees out to conf

erences and seminars to build their expertis
e, utilize the various skills and knowledge of
your people in-house.
 There is no shortage of talent and intelligenc
e within your team just waiting to be passed
on.
 Encourage our people to share what they kn
ow and what they can do with their teammat
es. This can help our team members discov
er a new interest or passion that they can le
arn more about or develop and use towards
4. Providing freedom and flexibility in
how work is done

 The flexible work policy method is kno

wn to be beneficial for increased work
productivity, supporting employees in t
erms of cutting down transportation tim
e and allowing for work-life balance.
 Additionally, it can lead to the develop
ment of new skills that allow your peop
le to bring out an increased sense of cr
eativity
[Link] employees in taking risks

 Cultivate an office culture that rewards creative risk-

taking.
 One reason why employees are not thinking out-of-t
he-box or proposing different solutions is due to the
fear of making mistakes and not having their creativ
ity supported.
 At every turn, guide our people into knowing the im
portance of creativity to our business. This can be c
ommunicated clearly by being receptive to their ne
w ideas and recognizing risk-takers for the impact t
hey’ve made.
 As well, be open to feedback and suggestions from
our people, whether through an open door policy or
through offering an anonymous outlet for those who
wish to share their thoughts privately.
Strategies
 Organizations need to work on man
y fronts to stimulate creativity.
 They need to develop creative and
innovative mindsets at all levels and
in all functions.
 They have to push movers and shak
ers to lead changes and innovations
.
 Have to promote both incremental a
nd breakthrough innovations on cont
inuous basis
Mechanisms for Stimulating Organizational
Creativity

[Link] Benchmarking: It aims to look at vari

ous external avenues for creative Bench Marki
ng

2. Parallel Groups : Used to develop radically al

ternate creative approaches. It strengthens wi
nning efforts with the strengths of the losing te
ams.

3. Creative Overloading : When a system is ov

erloaded it looks a lot more for innovative ways f
or measuring up. Similar to stretch targets.
4. Creative Thinking Network : helps emplo
yees to expand the company’s knowledge ba
se of global concepts and technologies relate
d to creativity and innovations and promote e
ntrepreneurship, risk taking, quality leadership
that facilitated commercial success.

[Link] Brainstorming : In this mechanis

m the winning strategy is attacked from comp
etitor’s point of view. This will make the winnin
g team to look at their strategy from various a
ngles to unearth deficiencies.

[Link] : It is an encouragement t
o an employee by offering the proposed novel
idea a nominal budget and facilities to work o
n the idea.
[Link] Experiments: These are
creative efforts when undertaken in diverse
areas so that reliable information is generate
d for management interventions in unknown
areas.

[Link] Councils: Encourages voi

ce of stakeholders other than management t
o decide on future directions based on the s
uggestions .

[Link] Surveys : Professional organiz

ations frequently survey their employees to
measure the morale, job satisfaction and als
o to solicit infrequently tapped information fo
r innovative purposes.