Time Management for
Managers
Characteristics Of Time
There’s a finite amount of time.
It’s the same for everyone. Nobody has more
than anyone else.
Non-renewable resource
Cannot be replaced, saved, made up, or overspent.
Time is either used or wasted.
Time is your toughest competition.
The Value Of Time
How much is your time worth?
Time is money, right?
Wrong! Money is time.
You can always get more money – time is more
valuable.
Exercise - How much is an hour worth to you?
Time Management
Time management helps you work smarter, not
harder.
Smart people get the right things done.
People who work smart make more money and get
promoted faster.
Time management requires self-management
and self-discipline.
Four Steps In Time Management
Planning
Organizing
Controlling (keeping track of it)
Evaluating (Time Logs, Weekly Planners, and
Daily Schedules)
Planning
Set goals (always time framed - deadlined).
Yearly: Income, projects/tasks, improvement areas
Monthly updates
Weekly Planners
Daily Schedules
Prioritize Everything: 1s, 2s, 3s
Planning
Remember the 80/20 Rule: 80% of your results
come from 20% of your activities.
Plan for the full range of your job functions and
activities.
Self-Management
If you’re unsure about priorities, ask your boss.
“I don’t have enough time,” blames time, not
yourself.
You didn’t check your priorities with your boss.
Don’t be a victim, take responsibility for
managing and controlling your time.
According to boss’s priorities, not yours
Take responsibility for results as boss defines
them.
Self-Management
People who are habitually late or constantly
procrastinate:
1 Arrogant: Try to establish power consciously.
2 Poor self-image: Try to establish power
subconsciously.
3 Unhealthy fear of failure.
4 Are you in denial about any of the above problems?
Self-Management
Overcome these problems with self-discipline:
Time management and priority setting
Professional help ( yes, a shrink)
Don’t procrastinate on getting started or getting help
in planning your time.
Planning
Yearly goals
Monthly updates
Weekly planners
Daily schedules
The keystone of an effective system
Planning Tools
To-Do list
Action folder (Red)
Management folders (Yellow)
Project folders (Blue)
Calendar
Weekly planners
Daily schedule
To-Do List Problems
The longer, the worse – depressing
Unconscious, stupid tricks we play on ourselves:
Do lots of little things first to give ourselves
achievement feedback.
Do the easiest things first.
Do the most fun things first.
To-Do List Solutions
Scrub it every week to keep it short.
Reward accomplishments—give yourself a piece of
candy.
Deadline all items.
Prioritize all items (boss’s priorities).
Listen to boss carefully.
Listen for stuff you don’t want to hear.
Don’t listen defensively – it’s not personal criticism, it’s
improvement advice.
Weekly Planner
Assign priorities in an action folder and on a to-
do list.
Look at last week’s weekly planner.
Weekly Planner
Look at calendar for scheduled appointments
and meetings.
Synthesize into a new weekly planner.
Keep weekly planners for later analysis.
Daily Planning
1 Set a time for your daily planning (first thing in
a.m. is usually best)
2 Look at your e-mail - DRAS (delete, refer, act, or
save) it
Refer means to refer it to someone else to do.
Act if it takes less than two minutes.
– Snail-mail – TRAS (toss, refer, act, or save) it.
Daily Planning
Refer - Delegate, forward, or print out and put in an
appropriate folder.
Act - Do it immediately if it takes less than two
minutes.
Save- Don’t save what others save.
Daily Scheduling Tips
Be tough on yourself – do the hardest, nastiest
things first.
Save the easiest, most fun for last in the day –
look forward to them.
On every activity, ask “how is this helping me
achieve my goals?”
Prioritize 1, 2, 3. You shouldn’t be doing 4s and
5s.
You distract yourself.
Daily Scheduling Tips
Break big jobs into smaller chunks.
Turn off your computer — no e-mail or IMs during
chunking.
Each chunk completed builds momentum.
Don’t attempt too much. Make yourself feel like
a winner.
Allow for interruptions — leave one-quarter
unscheduled.
If you’re not a manager, leave one-eighth
unscheduled.
Daily Scheduling Tips
Set a time limit on each appointment or
meeting.
If you add something during the day, drop
something.
Make time for call-backs.
Best time for call-backs is when assistants aren’t
around — before 9:00 a.m. or after 5:30 p.m.
Working Your Plan
The number-one time management rule: Do one
task until it’s finished.
We interrupt ourselves (e-mail, IMs).
Focus intensely.
Champion athletes know the value of focused
concentration.
Follow-Up
Conduct a desk check at the end of the day.
Nothing open
No random piles of stuff — have organized piles
No Post-Its all over the place
What color is your desktop?
If you don’t know or can’t see your desktop, you’re not well
organized
Organize Your Desk and Computer
Phone on the left (if you’re right-handed).
Use a headset if you’re on the phone a lot so you can
write stuff down.
Handy calendar (Only One-Portable)
Vital information on your desktop.
Work space neat and clean.
Take notes on everything.
Put them in appropriate folders (digital or physical)
Action folder, management folder, project folder
Put often-used information in Favorite Places or
appropriate easy-to-access folders.
Organize Written Communications
Analyze repetition: use forms, templates.
Analyze correspondence.
Have separate files and templates for letters and
paragraphs.
Organize Support Staff
Have no-interrupt hours for support people.
Utilize quiet hours for the entire office or
department
Organize Support Staff
Have the support staff keep time logs
occasionally.
Meet regularly with the support staff to discuss
problems, solutions.
Make the support staff part of the team.
Organize Your Associates
Use liaisons.
Consolidate meetings (bring management and
project folders).
Compress meetings (set time limits, use and
follow agendas).
Manage Your Boss
Get specific instructions.
Get agreement on priorities.
Expand autonomy parameters: gain trust.
Controlling Time
Proper use of time separates winners from
losers.
Winners take credit, losers blame time and
others.
View time management as an edge opportunity.
Evaluating
Time logs (every six months)
We misjudge time. What we like to do goes fast;
what we dislike to do goes slowly.
Time logs must be accurate.
Analyze logs carefully and identify the biggest time
wasters:
Overextended lunch and coffee breaks
Extended, unproductive phone conversations
Inconsequential personal discussions, IMs
Evaluating
Look at your time log and ask these questions:
“Am I doing the right things?”
“Could I have done things in less detail?”
“What kind of interruptions? How long did it take me
to recover?”
“How long were my conversations?”
“Did I say ‘no’ often enough?”
Summary
Time isn’t money, it can’t be saved. It’s more
precious.
Know how you use your time (time logs).
Know your boss’s priorities.
Set deadlines for everything.
Next Steps
Remember, you’re the one who makes yourself
unhappy with unreasonable expectations and
disorganization.
Create a plan.
Get organized and smell the flowers.