Have you ever though that time management is so very complicated. Actually, it isn't as you imagine. Here goes few tips to make your time management a breeze.
2)Remember! You have 24 hours a day, and you cannot change this. So, time management does not mean managing time, but managing yourself. About 40% of a day is spent on the daily chores, like eating, sleeping, relaxing, and the like. And, the remaining 60% is exclusively left for your choice, so can spend it as you desire. Here, you can save some time and spend on other important activities.
Do you know that time wasters, like net surfing, reading chain mails, making personal call, or taking breaks too often, can steal your productive hours. The ideal solution here would be to track your daily activities. This precisely tells how you spend your time, the first step towards effective time management.
3)Identify the behaviors that interrupt your time management. You can set short-term personal goals, like minimize the time spent on checking mail. Likewise, you can set different goals on eliminating the time wasters.
4)Now, you can try changing those behaviors in order to achieve the set goals on productivity or relieving you from the work stress. It is ideal to set specific goals for getting things done, which can be measured and tracked to see whether you accomplished them.
5)When you manage your time physically, you have to analyze how do you spend the time, and how it can be used in the future. Now, you can make your time management easier with software programs like Outlook, where you can list out the tasks to be performed and know the deadline of the particular task.
6)Talking about To Do List, prioritizing the tasks is very important. Start the day with a time management session, and see which are the tasks to be accomplished that day.
7)Let the business be small or big, it is highly impossible to perform the task all by yourself. If you like to excel in time management, then let others do some of the tasks. If you have fear on delegation, say the quality of the work, it is the time to get rid of those. Actually, the person you delegate certain tasks to can perform better than you do.
8)There might be some crises arising, no matter of the business. In such circumstance, the wise thing would be to follow the routine. This way, you can be much more productive.
9)Set time limits for performing tasks, say, for checking mails you spend not more than an hour a day.
10)One of the time consumption factor is the unorganized system. It is really difficult to work with a disorganized file management system, hence you organize in way that you can easily access the required file.
s11)When a circumstance arises that you need to wait for someone or something, you can utilize that time to perform few business-related tasks. Make use of the technological advancements and take best control of your time with good time management training.
Showing posts with label time management training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label time management training. Show all posts
Friday, July 9, 2010
How to prioritize effectively?
Prioritizing task effectively is vital in time management. This is skill of identifying the task of more importance and shifting the complete focus on it. Everyone of us has many things to deal with, but it is simply not possible to deal with all in a time. Delegating them to other might not work well either at times. Hence, prioritizing is the ideal when you have limited to time to deal with unlimited demands.
Prioritizing best aid in spending your and your team's time more wisely. This way, you can categorize the task into crucial and those of less important, which can be attended later. In this competitive world, success is everything, and with the proper prioritizing, you would surely achieve it with less stress and frustration.
Lets take a simple example to understand the concept of prioritizing. You are given a task of filling up an empty buck with rocks, pebbles, and sand, the only criteria is that the bucket should have no space left out. How would you go about it? Many would puzzle whether to fill in the sand first or the pebbles. A time management training master would know well which way will work best. It is of course the rock, followed by pebbles, and finally the sand to fill in the empty space.
Now, let us discuss this in the perspective of your work. In a day, you have 24 hours, in which 50-60% is left for your activities. When you have multiple tasks to be accomplished, find which ones are vital, difficult, or deadlines nearing (rocks), hence you will be paying more attention on it. Then comes those tasks which can wait for sometime (pebbles). You can shift you focus on them on completion of rocks. When you are left with no important work and finding yourself a bit free, then you can sit and relaxedly finish of the tasks of less or no importance.
Below are some more tips to help you in effective prioritizing:
1)Maintain a To Do List, which is concise. It is not necessary that you list out all the sub-tasks to be performed. This would give a clear picture what you have to accomplish.
2)Analyze which task has to be completed first, prioritize them in descending order. Don't be hurry with this, only a meticulous analysis could give you a better understanding.
3)On completing the analysis, rewrite the To Do List.
4)If you not able to do it on your own, take the assistance of your co-worker. This way, you can prove that you are a good team player and receptive to constructive feedback.
5)After deriving the final list, check whether any task can be eliminated or delegated.
6)Once you have completed prioritizing, ensure that you do jump to the task 2 before the task 1 is completed, ans so on.
7)In case of unplanned activities, you need keep your goals in mind and rely on your instincts. A better clarity of your goals would surely help you in such circumstances.
Prioritizing best aid in spending your and your team's time more wisely. This way, you can categorize the task into crucial and those of less important, which can be attended later. In this competitive world, success is everything, and with the proper prioritizing, you would surely achieve it with less stress and frustration.
Lets take a simple example to understand the concept of prioritizing. You are given a task of filling up an empty buck with rocks, pebbles, and sand, the only criteria is that the bucket should have no space left out. How would you go about it? Many would puzzle whether to fill in the sand first or the pebbles. A time management training master would know well which way will work best. It is of course the rock, followed by pebbles, and finally the sand to fill in the empty space.
Now, let us discuss this in the perspective of your work. In a day, you have 24 hours, in which 50-60% is left for your activities. When you have multiple tasks to be accomplished, find which ones are vital, difficult, or deadlines nearing (rocks), hence you will be paying more attention on it. Then comes those tasks which can wait for sometime (pebbles). You can shift you focus on them on completion of rocks. When you are left with no important work and finding yourself a bit free, then you can sit and relaxedly finish of the tasks of less or no importance.
Below are some more tips to help you in effective prioritizing:
1)Maintain a To Do List, which is concise. It is not necessary that you list out all the sub-tasks to be performed. This would give a clear picture what you have to accomplish.
2)Analyze which task has to be completed first, prioritize them in descending order. Don't be hurry with this, only a meticulous analysis could give you a better understanding.
3)On completing the analysis, rewrite the To Do List.
4)If you not able to do it on your own, take the assistance of your co-worker. This way, you can prove that you are a good team player and receptive to constructive feedback.
5)After deriving the final list, check whether any task can be eliminated or delegated.
6)Once you have completed prioritizing, ensure that you do jump to the task 2 before the task 1 is completed, ans so on.
7)In case of unplanned activities, you need keep your goals in mind and rely on your instincts. A better clarity of your goals would surely help you in such circumstances.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
How to efficiently manage time?
Today, in the corporate world, the term 'time management' is used quite often. With the increasing demands in the market, efficient management of time becomes important to accomplish a task or goal in the allotted time with absolutely no error. Most of you have employed various strategies or techniques to succeed in managing time. Remember one thing! Unless and until you don't commit to change, you cannot yield the expected results. Also, time management is about you controlling the environment and not vice versa.
Your time management doesn't stop with planning, proper execution and monitoring should also be done. There might be a circumstance arise, where you have to coordinate with other departments. In such cases, you can be confident if you are good at time management. When a task or a project is assigned to you, break it into small, achievable goals. Set a deadline for each goal and come up with an efficient action plan to achieve it. If a task was not completed within the set time, analyze which is the hindering factor, whether it is the resource, skill, or external factors.
Organizing your work would prove to be beneficial in time management. For this, maintain a to-do-list (task list), categorize the work based on priorities, daily, weekly, and monthly. If you plan to perform a task at a specific time, stick to it. You can maintain the task list in a piece of paper, a not pad, or in your PDA, it is simply as per your convenience. Web-based task list applications are also available for this purpose. Strike out or check it off once you have completed the listed task.
Delegation is other important strategy in time management. It is true that you single-handedly cannot accomplish a task or project. You would surely have people to work with, and it is better to delegate some of the work to your team members. Now, you can focus on the chore works, rather than spending time on works of least importance. The person who receives the work is also benefited, as he/she can be equipped to move up in the ladder. Even, you get an opportunity to move up, when your sub-ordinate can take up your job.
If you are addicted to email, try changing your approach. If you have set automatic alert on receiving messages, then its time to deactivate it. This is because, mail checking could consume much of your work hours and delay your work. You can decide when to check mails, say once you log in, before or after lunch, and an hour before you leave for the day.
It would be wise if to attend a formal time management training program. There are organizations that conduct real-time workshops on time management for different industrial sectors. You can approach them to have a training session to learn how to be more productive, beat stress, basic email etiquette and enjoy the work.
Your time management doesn't stop with planning, proper execution and monitoring should also be done. There might be a circumstance arise, where you have to coordinate with other departments. In such cases, you can be confident if you are good at time management. When a task or a project is assigned to you, break it into small, achievable goals. Set a deadline for each goal and come up with an efficient action plan to achieve it. If a task was not completed within the set time, analyze which is the hindering factor, whether it is the resource, skill, or external factors.
Organizing your work would prove to be beneficial in time management. For this, maintain a to-do-list (task list), categorize the work based on priorities, daily, weekly, and monthly. If you plan to perform a task at a specific time, stick to it. You can maintain the task list in a piece of paper, a not pad, or in your PDA, it is simply as per your convenience. Web-based task list applications are also available for this purpose. Strike out or check it off once you have completed the listed task.
Delegation is other important strategy in time management. It is true that you single-handedly cannot accomplish a task or project. You would surely have people to work with, and it is better to delegate some of the work to your team members. Now, you can focus on the chore works, rather than spending time on works of least importance. The person who receives the work is also benefited, as he/she can be equipped to move up in the ladder. Even, you get an opportunity to move up, when your sub-ordinate can take up your job.
If you are addicted to email, try changing your approach. If you have set automatic alert on receiving messages, then its time to deactivate it. This is because, mail checking could consume much of your work hours and delay your work. You can decide when to check mails, say once you log in, before or after lunch, and an hour before you leave for the day.
It would be wise if to attend a formal time management training program. There are organizations that conduct real-time workshops on time management for different industrial sectors. You can approach them to have a training session to learn how to be more productive, beat stress, basic email etiquette and enjoy the work.
Know about personal goal setting
Have you ever thought that personal goal setting plays a vital role in personal time management? Life is full of choices and decisions, and you are bound to manage these and not the flow of time.
Many would ask how goal differs from objectives. Objectives are nothing but sub goals, which serve as a mean to achieve the goals. When you set a goal, you then move onto setting of objectives. The objectives are as important as your goals are. The conditions you provide to reach a goal, resources you collect, skills you evolve, the knowledge to be acquired, and things that should be achieved before reaching the goals would be the various objectives.
Goals give you three advantages; keep you on track, let you be aware of when to celebrate, and provide a focused plan to work. Points to be noted in goal setting is, the goal should be better than your best, and it should be based on productivity rather than production i.e., getting things done right and fast.
Now, lets take a look at the essentials of goal setting. Firstly, you should set SMART goals, which implies that your goal should be
1)Specific
2)Measurable
3)Attainable
4)Rewarding
5)Timely
Here, why we say your goals should be specific is because you will have a better idea of what to be achieved and have specific standards to achieve those set goals. The vital point to be remembered in goal setting is, write your goals. Remember! If you have a specific goal, then the success in not far.
When you can say a goal is measurable is if its progress can be measured. The goal should have a specific criteria that intimates you on reaching the goal.
A goal is said to be attainable when you can see the realistic path of achieving it. This doesn't imply that you have to choose the simple and easy-to-achieve goals. It is definite that the best-working goals involve complexities, but, they are a great source of motivation and induce the sense of achievement.
If you have a clear reasons for achieving a goal, then it is surely rewarding. Even here, you need to write down the reasons and rewards of your goals. When you got stuck up, glance through them, you will surely overcome the difficult moments.Finally, your goal should be time bound. The reward of your goals is earned through the time. Hence, you can avoid paying high price for the goal by setting deadlines. You need proper and effective time management training. This way, you can get rid of procrastination and attain perfectionism.
Many would ask how goal differs from objectives. Objectives are nothing but sub goals, which serve as a mean to achieve the goals. When you set a goal, you then move onto setting of objectives. The objectives are as important as your goals are. The conditions you provide to reach a goal, resources you collect, skills you evolve, the knowledge to be acquired, and things that should be achieved before reaching the goals would be the various objectives.
Goals give you three advantages; keep you on track, let you be aware of when to celebrate, and provide a focused plan to work. Points to be noted in goal setting is, the goal should be better than your best, and it should be based on productivity rather than production i.e., getting things done right and fast.
Now, lets take a look at the essentials of goal setting. Firstly, you should set SMART goals, which implies that your goal should be
1)Specific
2)Measurable
3)Attainable
4)Rewarding
5)Timely
Here, why we say your goals should be specific is because you will have a better idea of what to be achieved and have specific standards to achieve those set goals. The vital point to be remembered in goal setting is, write your goals. Remember! If you have a specific goal, then the success in not far.
When you can say a goal is measurable is if its progress can be measured. The goal should have a specific criteria that intimates you on reaching the goal.
A goal is said to be attainable when you can see the realistic path of achieving it. This doesn't imply that you have to choose the simple and easy-to-achieve goals. It is definite that the best-working goals involve complexities, but, they are a great source of motivation and induce the sense of achievement.
If you have a clear reasons for achieving a goal, then it is surely rewarding. Even here, you need to write down the reasons and rewards of your goals. When you got stuck up, glance through them, you will surely overcome the difficult moments.Finally, your goal should be time bound. The reward of your goals is earned through the time. Hence, you can avoid paying high price for the goal by setting deadlines. You need proper and effective time management training. This way, you can get rid of procrastination and attain perfectionism.
Ways to avoid procrastination
When you put off things that you should be doing now is called procrastination, which is a major deviating factor in time management. While some procrastinate to a certain level, there are may who are habituated to this. When you come across a situation that you postpone vital tasks, thinking that you would get more time and better mood in future to optimally perform the particular task, then you are prone to procrastination. As a result, you would be bound to be in crisis when the deadline is nearing, you would experience low productivity, and finally, your career would be at stake.
The only possible mean to get rid of this habit is to recognize its reasons and take necessary actions to control before it creates chaos in your professional life. Here are some causes of procrastination; waiting for the right mood and for the right time. The other factors are lack of goals, underrating the difficulty of the task and the time required to complete it, ambiguity of the tasks, and feeling that a particular task is imposed on you. The other causes of procrastination are underdeveloped decision making skills, fear of failure/ success, and perfectionism.
Lets discuss the ways to overcome procrastination. As a first thing, you should recognize that you are procrastinating. For this, you need to analyze whether you are spending most of your work time in doing task which are of low priority, say reading mails and thinking what to do with them. Check whether a task is pending for a quite a long time in your To Do List. You wait for the right time and mood to do the important tasks.
On analyzing, you have to find out the reasons for procrastinating. You might procrastinate because of the given task, or you could be the sole reason for it. On identifying the irrelevant factor here, you apply the best approach and head on towards the success. If you find a job is monotonous, it is better that you wind it up quickly and get on to the interesting task. In case, you are disorganized, then you will be tempt to procrastinate. Organized people maintain a To Do List, where they prioritize their work. This way, they can have a clear idea of how important a work and when to be completed. Even if disorganized people try to get organized, they might tend to feel stressed with the task. You may feel they you have no enough skills or resources to accomplish a task.
You can avoid procrastination, only when you start avoiding it. Here are some tips to motivate yourself and get rid of this deep-rooted pattern of behavior.
1)Reward yourself when you accomplish a task on said time.
2)Ask your colleague to monitor your work.
3)Visualize those embarrassing consequences of not doing the work on time.
4)Maintain a To Do List.
5)Prioritize the work in your To Do List.
6)Set time-bound goals.
7)Concentrate on just one work at a time.
Hope, these time management training tips help you get rid of procrastination and be a master in getting things done on time.
The only possible mean to get rid of this habit is to recognize its reasons and take necessary actions to control before it creates chaos in your professional life. Here are some causes of procrastination; waiting for the right mood and for the right time. The other factors are lack of goals, underrating the difficulty of the task and the time required to complete it, ambiguity of the tasks, and feeling that a particular task is imposed on you. The other causes of procrastination are underdeveloped decision making skills, fear of failure/ success, and perfectionism.
Lets discuss the ways to overcome procrastination. As a first thing, you should recognize that you are procrastinating. For this, you need to analyze whether you are spending most of your work time in doing task which are of low priority, say reading mails and thinking what to do with them. Check whether a task is pending for a quite a long time in your To Do List. You wait for the right time and mood to do the important tasks.
On analyzing, you have to find out the reasons for procrastinating. You might procrastinate because of the given task, or you could be the sole reason for it. On identifying the irrelevant factor here, you apply the best approach and head on towards the success. If you find a job is monotonous, it is better that you wind it up quickly and get on to the interesting task. In case, you are disorganized, then you will be tempt to procrastinate. Organized people maintain a To Do List, where they prioritize their work. This way, they can have a clear idea of how important a work and when to be completed. Even if disorganized people try to get organized, they might tend to feel stressed with the task. You may feel they you have no enough skills or resources to accomplish a task.
You can avoid procrastination, only when you start avoiding it. Here are some tips to motivate yourself and get rid of this deep-rooted pattern of behavior.
1)Reward yourself when you accomplish a task on said time.
2)Ask your colleague to monitor your work.
3)Visualize those embarrassing consequences of not doing the work on time.
4)Maintain a To Do List.
5)Prioritize the work in your To Do List.
6)Set time-bound goals.
7)Concentrate on just one work at a time.
Hope, these time management training tips help you get rid of procrastination and be a master in getting things done on time.
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