Time Management for Professionals

·       Expert Talk

Hello and welcome to the course on time management for professionals I'm MIA your host for this course. In today's fast-paced hyper-connected world you're not alone if you feel that there simply isn't enough time to get everything done at work. Even if we place in the extra time it seems like more tasks pile up and some even get lined up for the weekend when we expect to have some continuous time. You are at the right place if you're looking for ways to improve the situation.

I've put together some great information here that will help you make the most of your time at work. You will learn tips and techniques that will help you progress towards being efficient effective and productive rather than just busy.

So let's begin.

In this course you'll learn about various aspects of time management. These are prioritizing planning analyzing and optimizing.

·       The urgent/ Important Principle:

In this topic you'll learn about the importance of prioritization and effective time management.

At the end of this topic, you should be able to explain how to use the urgent important principle to rank tasks outlined the importance of delegation list the steps of effective delegation and state the value of being able to say no.

In our busy days at work at times it feels like everything is important. So many things are happening that need our attention. Meet a leader an executive at an advertising agency. She is in the middle of a Monday. Does this feel familiar? As you saw a need is trying to get everything done at the same time as the day goes on. She's bound to feel stressed because she has no idea why. Time passes so quickly with so little done.

How do you get everything done? If everything is equally important the answer lies in prioritization. This means that in order to achieve all tasks in the most efficient way you'll need to rank them in order of importance. Thus not all tasks can be at the same level. Eisenhower's urgent important principle illustrates this.

Now we'll go further into the urgent important principle using the concept of triage dressage is a medical term.

It means the assignment of degrees of urgency to wounds or illnesses to decide the order of treatment of a large number of patients the most critical patients are treated first in the graphic.

Delegation:

Once you have assigned a logical order to your tasks using the urgent important triage method further refine your task list by considering delegation.

Delegation is an underused skill because many people are uncomfortable doing the actual delegation. Also, many of us think the best way to get a task done is to do it ourselves.

At times this may backfire because we already have a full plate. Another misconception is that to delegate means to abandon a task entirely.

What are some important aspects to keep in mind even before you do the actual delegation. Look at the list plan for the time you will be spending explaining the task. Handling queries and giving feedback.

Consider carefully the time and skills required to complete the task appropriately by the person to whom you delegate and the consequences of delays and errors. People are most likely to perform well at a delegated task when it aligns with their skills or goals or when they can use skills that help them add value to their profile. Thus delegation may present an opportunity to develop another person's skills.

Use your judgment to decide what to delegate depending on how critical it is that you do it yourself. Tasks that are likely to recur may be good to delegate.

Remember delegation is not simply telling someone what to do and how to do it. The ultimate accountability for the task completed suitably still lies with the delegator. Now here are some actions that will help guide you while you delegate. Provide a clear detailed explanation of the task. Put yourself in the place of the person to whom you are delegating.

This way you will remember to include all relevant information. Present a timeline. Elaborate on whether the deadline is flexible or fixed. Refine this according to the time available to the person taking on the task and factor in extra time as a buffer.

Describe the results expected state and agree on acceptable quality standards. Communicate that you are available for guidance queries and other assistance. Establish whether this will be on a need to basis or at fixed intervals.

Maintain a worksheet or folder specifically for the task so that you will have all related information in one place. Outline the benefits of performing the task once completed.

Be sure to give credit and see that the stated benefits are received. Here's a quick exercise to help you think logically about how to delegate well look at the steps listed below.

Do you think they are in the correct order? If not think about how you would rearrange them. When you complete the activity you will have a clear picture of steps to remember and effective delegation. Here is the ideal order in which the steps you just saw should be performed. Now you have a clear picture of steps to remember an effective delegation.

       

The power of No

Most of us have been in a situation where a coworker has asked us to help them out with a task regardless of how busy we are.

Many of us say yes to a request for help but is it really worth it every time. Identifying the reasons for needlessly agreeing to additional tasks will help you avoid the trap of saying yes at the expense of your own work. Take a minute to go through some reasons. Most of us are unable to say no. How many of these apply to you.

As we know even with the best of plans there are times when there is simply no more room to take on another task. when this happens because here is when you need to say no. Saying no can also be extremely difficult for most of us. But remember this important skill can save you precious time and reduce your stress considerably.

Next, we will look at two common situations where you will benefit by using this skill. Here are some tips on how to say no effectively when faced with a request for help from a coworker. There are times when it is more practical for you to turn down a request for help from a coworker. Calmly explain the urgency or importance of your own current task. This way there will be no reason for the coworker to take things personally. Try using a tactful collaborative statement like right now I'm really not able to. But can I check back with you once I finish this task and give them a timeframe? Or ask if you can suggest another coworker who can help out instead of yourself.

Empathize with their need to ask for help. There are also occasions when you find yourself with some extra tasks when you already have a full plate. These are more occasions when saying no may help you manage your time better. If you are faced with your own extra tasks while you already have a heavy workload try using the Perito principle. This states that in any group of items 80 percent of the value is derived from only 20 percent of the items.

Now scan your task list carefully. You may find the Perito principle to be somewhat true in this case be decisive and simply say no to doing the tasks you have analyzed as not having enough value or it may be possible for you to delegate the task. Quantify the time you will save by saying no and a lot more important or urgent tasks. Use your judgment and you will find that saying no appropriately will save both time and stress in this topic. You learned about the value of prioritizing your time correctly. You should now be able to explain the term triage in relation to tasks. Outline the importance of delegation list the steps of effective delegation and state the value of being able to say no.

We've just discussed some important aspects of prioritization and how it helps in managing your time better. Now it's time for you to check your understanding of the topic on the next couple of pages are quick activities that will help you do this.