Priority Management Facilitator Name of Organization
Objectives • After completing this session, you will be able to • Identify methods to analyze and organize tasks • apply basic project management concepts • demonstrate techniques to arrange and reduce paper records and files.
Agenda • Mastering Your Time • Project Management • Managing Records • Putting It All Together
Introductions
Assessment
1 Mastering Your Time
Needs Fulfilled by Time Management • To feel more in control of our lives • To make the most of every day • To accomplish what we set out to do
Step 1: Prioritizing • Focus on roles and responsibilities at work and at home. • Ask yourself, “What is the most important thing for me to be doing at this time?” • Devote less energy to non-critical tasks • Know what your work actually is and what is involved.
Model for Reviewing Work • 50,000+ feet: Life as a whole • 40,000 feet: 3-5 year vision • 30,000 feet: 1-2 year goals • 20,000 feet: Areas of responsibility • 10,000 feet: Current projects • Ground level: Current actions • Source: Allen, David. Getting Things Done. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2001.
Step 2: Analyzing • Look closely at where you are spending your time. • Log your time for one week. • Search for pockets of time, items to cut, time of day tasks are done, pace of work. • Analyze and adjust scheduling and routines as needed.
Questions to Ask • How are most of your hours spent? • Is your schedule in balance (work, family, time for self)? • Did anything from your log surprise you? • Is there any time you cannot account for? • How do you decide what to spend your time doing?
Step 3: Filtering • We cannot find time; we have to make it by taking it away from other activities. • The easiest option is not always the best. • Consider if the action is what you want or need to be doing right now; if not, say “no.”
Filtering Categories • Urgent / Important: Needs immediate attention • Aligns with priorities • Important / Not Urgent: No sense of immediacy • Must be done • Urgent / Not Important: Not tied to priorities • Involves others’ urgencies • Not Important / Not Urgent: Time wasters • Source: Cook, Marshall J. Time Management. Avon, MA: Adams Media, 1998.
Step 4: Scheduling • creates a plan of action for days, weeks, months • uses organizational tools: planner, PDA, scheduling software, lists • assists with focus on important tasks and responsibilities aligned with priorities • allows for flexibility as needs change.
Scheduling Tips • Record to-do items in one reliable location. • Overestimate time to accomplish tasks. • Avoid overbooking to allow for interruptions and urgencies. • Keep things in perspective. • Customize your format and be flexible. • Source: Allen, David. Getting Things Done. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2001.
Scheduling Tips • Do important tasks first. • Break large tasks down into pieces. • Schedule for long-term and short-term. • Build in breaks for yourself. • Be ready to “let it go” if necessary; not all days will go according to plan.
Step 5: Execute • Take action based on plans and priorities. • Take charge of your time and your schedule. • Acknowledge when and where time wasters occur and take steps to eliminate. • Use goals, roles, and responsibilities to drive productivity.
Executing “Saying No” • Meetings that are ineffective or unnecessary. • New projects that are misaligned with goals or resources. • Tasks that are a waste of time; look for alternative actions. • You are not the right person for the job. • You need to focus.
Self Management • Time cannot be saved or stored. • We must manage ourselves in relation to time. • It’s the way we use time that matters, not how much we have. • Any bad habits must be changed to better control our use of time.
Time Management Exercise
2 Project Management
ACTIVITYPreparing for Your Project
Project Management Project Execution Project Definition Project Planning Project Closure • Define the project. • Plan the project. • Execute the project. • Close the project.
Planning the Project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
ProjectManagement
3 Managing Records
Questions to Ask Yourself • Can I really find what I need quickly and can someone else find it if necessary? • Is my work environment slowing me down or making me feel out of control? • Do I feel overwhelmed by paper?
Our Sources of Clutter • Nesting instinct: Things provide a sense of security and comfort. • Messy = creative: In reality, a mess is costing you time. • Chronic saving: You never know when you might need it.
The Paperwork Process • Step 1: Sort items into categories. • Step 2: Take action: file, delegate, or toss. • Step 3: Maintain a paperwork routine.
1. Sort • If overwhelming, start with small chunks of time: 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and so forth. • Stand up while sorting; this increases efficiency with sense of urgency. • Touch each item only one and make a quick decision.
2. Take Action • If a piece of paper only needs a brief response, do it now. • Schedule a short filing session once a day, week, or month. • If a more thoughtful response is required, schedule a task.
Notes on Filing Documents • Keep hanging file tabs on one side of the folder only for easy scanning. • Create different file folders: reading, to-do, vendors, invoices, upcoming events, and so forth; store them in a wire rack for easy access.
3. Maintain a Routine • Block out time for dealing with clutter: 15 minutes a day, one hour a week, and so forth. • Use files, containers, and other desk accessories for easy organization. • Ask, “Do I really want or need this?”
Tips to Handle Paperwork • Carry a notebook with you at all time to present having loose pieces of paper. • Create files immediately and keep an accessible file cabinet close. • Keep supplies for rerouting and recycling handy.
Tips to Handle Paperwork • Ask to be taken off of unnecessary mailing lists and subscriptions. • Clip useful material from periodicals and toss the rest. • Skim and scan reading material; schedule reading for twice a week.
Tips to Handle Paperwork • Ask “How valuable is this information?” • Toss envelopes away immediately. • Toss old drafts of documents. • Throw out the previous month’s magazine when the new one arrives.
Tips to Handle Paperwork • Ask subordinates to limit the number and length of written reports. • Cut back on sending and keeping memos; call instead. • Enter business contacts into a database; toss business cards when done.
5 Putting It All Together
Summary • Our objectives today were to learn to • identify methods to analyze and organize tasks • apply basic project management concepts • demonstrate techniques to arrange and reduce paper records and files.
Action Plan Hold a daily planning session to prioritize your activities. Keep a record of your daily activities. Update your personal planning system and use it on a daily basis. 24 Hours: 7 Days: 30 Days:
Priority Management Contact Info Name of Organization
