Mastering Time Management and Productivity

This assignment provides a comprehensive guide to mastering time management and productivity. It covers strategies for avoiding procrastination, including breaking down large tasks into smaller ones, setting clear schedules, and using group unanimity to make decisions. The assignment also discusses the benefits of scheduling, including allocating equal time to important tasks, avoiding unnecessary interruptions, and limiting meeting times. With a focus on practical applications, this assignment helps students develop essential skills for managing their time effectively and achieving success in both personal and professional contexts.

Time Management
Faculty Guide
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Time Management
Contents
Ice Breaker...........................................................................................................3
Introduction to Time Management.....................................................................4
Importance of Time Management......................................................................6
Misconceptions about Time................................................................................9
Characteristics of an Ineffective Time Manager................................................12
Time Thieves......................................................................................................14
The Three Generations of Time.........................................................................16
Monochronic and Polychronic Views of Time...................................................19
Goal Setting.......................................................................................................20
Prioritization......................................................................................................22
The Compass and the Clock...............................................................................24
Time Management Matrix.................................................................................25
Managing Interruptions.....................................................................................29
Managing Procrastination.................................................................................30
Scheduling.........................................................................................................32
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Ice Breaker
1. Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no. 1):
2. ACTIVITY:
a) Ask the participants to open page no. 5 of their workbooks.
b) Show them the following slide (Slide no 2):
c) Now ask them to list all the activities that they would do before
leaving their house. For e.g. - brushing teeth, having breakfast etc.
d) In the other columns, ask them to list the amount of time consumed
by each activity on a working day and on a day off.
e) Give them 10 minutes to complete the exercise.
f) Now ask them to calculate the overall time for both.
g) Then give them another 10 minutes to answer the following
questions on page no. 6 of their workbooks:
 What is the difference between the times taken for the
activities? Would you like to take the same time on working
days as on days off? Or, would you like to be as punctual on a
day off as you are on working days?
 In what ways will you change your routine to have more time?
h) Discuss their answers and give them feedback.
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Introduction to Time Management
1. PROBE:
What do you understand by Time Management?
Or
What are the benefits of managing time?
Or
Are you able to manage your time well? Explain how. How has it helped
you?
DERIVE:
Discuss the answers that the students come up with and show them the
following slide (Slide no. 5):
Definition – Time Management is a process of monitoring or keeping a
check on the quantity of time spent on various activities in order to
increase efficiency, effectiveness and productivity.
Time management is not just about managing time but also about
controlling the use of the most valuable and undervalued resources we
have at our disposal. It also includes managing one’s activities in relation
to time, setting priorities, taking responsibilities and using time
efficiently.
Individuals have to prioritize their work and commitments while
avoiding distractions from external factors. This will help them to
become more efficient.
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Time Management
With effective time management, one can easily focus and manage both
personal and professional fronts. A good work-life balance is maintained
when an individual learns to manage time.
Time management is an endless cycle of making decisions which may be
big or small, but which can definitely bring about a change in one’s life.
Time management is about managing time efficiently, so that the time
saved can be used to make life richer and better.
Organizing and planning are the keys to effective time management.
Each person has her/his own priorities in life and they plan and
strategize their time accordingly.
Now show the following slide (Slide no. 6):
Managing time can help you to:
 Reach the targets
 Complete the most significant tasks
 Maintain a good work-life balance
 Meet deadlines of assigned tasks
 Decrease and manage tension and stress
 Work smart and not hard
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Importance of Time Management
1. PROBE:
What benefits are gained through effective time management?
Or
In what ways does effective time management improve your overall
performance at work and elsewhere?
DERIVE:
Ask the participants to share their views with the rest of the class.
Show them the following slide (Slide no 7):
Discuss the points on the slide in detail as mentioned below:
a) Prioritization: Whenever you are trying to manage your time, you
should always prioritize your tasks in hand that are more important than
other things. Prioritization is an important step as it helps you in saving
time that is prone to get wasted on trivial activities that you might get
involved in.
b) Inculcates Discipline: Discipline in time management enables you to
reach the optimal output of your time and energy. It gives you a clearer
vision on what needs to be done, and hence provides the right direction.
c) Improves Organizational skills: Effective time management helps you to
keep your stuff organized and prevents wastage of time on frivolous
tasks such as searching documents, looking for folders and other items.
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Time Management
It can help you in keeping your work zone or study station well-arranged
where all the things relevant to your work are organized. Therefore, the
next time, you are not in a situation where you need to search all over
the place to find a file.
d) Better preparation leads to improved self-confidence: Being prepared
gives you a sense of accomplishment even before you have completed
the tasks and this helps in boosting your morale and adding a sense of
satisfaction. Furthermore, it helps you to avoid working in the last
minute and the time saved then, can be used to relax.
Now, show the next slide (Slide no. 8):
Discuss the points in detail as mentioned below:
e) More Successful: When time is used appropriately and efficiently, the
best by-product is more free time. Individuals with good time
management skills are better at setting their goals and following through
with them. Moreover, completing tasks on time can give you a better
reputation among peers and bosses; hence, people take your work more
seriously.
f) Better time management – Improved forecast:When you become
better at setting goals, you have a clearer idea of what you want to
accomplish in your work. Same principle can be applied for long-term
plans, for example where you want to be in two or three years from
now, etc.
g) Less prone to stress: When you are well prepared, you have more time
to relax, sleep and be healthy. So, time management can benefit your
health and make you less prone to stress.
h) Working on Time: When you have a proper plan and schedule of the
tasks to be completed within time constraints, you tend to work on time
and complete the activities within stipulated time limits.
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Now, move on to the next slide (Slide no. 9):
i) Enhanced Efficiency: Efficiency can be defined as the number of things
achieved out of the total number of things done. Time management
helps you in achieving goals in a timely and efficient manner. However,
without a proper plan, you end up doing many unnecessary things and
that lowers your efficiency.
j) Motivation: Working with a proper time management schedule
motivates you to put in more effort and complete the task on hand in
time.
k) Improvement of Management Skills: When you perform many tasks
simultaneously with an effective disciplinary approach, your managerial
skills are honed and tasks become easy to accomplish. These
management skills are very helpful when you work in an office or any
other organizational places.
l) Confidence and Satisfaction: Time management is a serious issue, which
includes many things. When things fall into right places and work is done
quickly and efficiency, it boosts your confidence and satisfaction levels.
This enhanced level of confidence and satisfaction can be achieved with
the help of proper time management.
2. ACTIVITY:
a) Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 10):
b) Ask them to fill in the answers individually
c) Give them 5 minutes to complete the exercise
d) After 5 minutes, discuss the answers with them as mentioned below:
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Question No. Yes No
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
e) Tell them that each correct answer holds one mark.
A score, lower than five indicates that you need to learn time
management and a score of more than five shows that you know
how to manage time effectively.
f) Discuss their scores and give them feedback
Misconceptions about Time
1. ACTIVITY:
a) Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 11):
b) Ask the participants to open page no. 16 of their workbooks
c) Give them 5 minutes to complete the exercise
d) The exercise consists of statements with which the participants may
agree or disagree.
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e) They have to choose and tick an option that they think is appropriate,
in the space provided after each statement.
f) After 5 minutes move on to point no. 2
g) The answers will be discussed later
2. PROBE:
What are some common misconceptions that people have about time?
Or
‘Work is better performed under pressure’. Do you agree? Give reasons.
What are some other such misconceptions?
DERIVE:
Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 12):
Discuss the points on the slide in detail as mentioned below:
1. Managing time is simple – it just needs common sense:
It is true that the concept of time management is very easy to
understand but the attitude and efforts required to follow this practice is
not so easy. One has to constantly try hard to attain a level of proficiency
in this field.
2. Work is better performed under pressure:
Psychological tests have confirmed that the statement, “Work is better
performed under pressure”, is nothing but a procrastination excuse.
Nobody can work better under pressure because stress is harmful for a
person’s physical as well as mental health. Better performance is
achievable only if the environment is supporting and motivating. For
example, if in the last over of a cricket match, a team wins, then the
credit for winning does not go to the pressure through which players
were undergoing, but the strategies and skills they used while playing.
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3. I have a to-do-list and a secretary:
One needs to be self-organized and no other person can make it happen
for anyone. The problem faced in case of disorganized people is that
they neither have time to listen to their secretaries nor do they take a
look at a to-do-list.
4. I don’t have time:
Time management is a skill developed after a long period of practice.
Where a laggard would need a whole day to get a simple task done, an
effective time manager would get all the significant tasks done in the
early working hours of the day and then take rest and be calm and
composed to tackles the tasks that confront him in the latter hours of
the day.
5. My work is creative, so I don’t need time management:
Time management is not just related to the routine activities, it is about
self-discipline and saving more time to be spent on better things in life
rather than just wasting it away on frivolous activities.
6. Time management ruins fun:
If on one hand, someone has many important tasks to finish, but he/she
goes and has fun with friends and family, while on the other hand,
he/she has completed all the important tasks and got ample amount of
time to enjoy…Which one of the above two cases will be fun? Surely, the
second case sounds better. Therefore, time management makes room
for enjoyment as well.
3. Now show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 13):
Ask the participants to check the answers to the previous exercise.
Discuss and give feedback.
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Characteristics of an Ineffective Time Manager
1. PROBE:
What are the features of an ineffective time manager?
Or
How would you identify an ineffective time manager?
Or
Do you know any person who is an ineffective time manager? Explain
his/her characteristics.
DERIVE:
Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 14):
Discuss the points on the slide in detail as mentioned below:
a) Constant Haste: When a person is always in a rush without a pause and
always shows haste in every task, it indicates that the person is not good
at managing tasks efficiently and has loads of work pending that needs
to be completed. This clearly shows poor time management.
b) Habitual Delays: When people are unable to complete their tasks in
time, they tend to get late in each meeting or always keep postponing
their schedules. This shows inability of such people in managing time.
c) Low motivation, energy and productivity: When the tasks are delayed
or are pending, the motivation and energy of the person is lowered.
Moreover, it leads to lesser productivity.
d) Frustration: The worse a person is at time management, the more
frustration he/she will experience. They will feel as if the whole work is
stuck and nothing seems to move ahead.
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e) Impatience: People tend to get angry easily, because they experience
stress each moment due to the pending target that needs to be
accomplished before deadline.
f) Variation in Decision Making: A person who is poor at time
management, changes his/her decisions rapidly, because they think that
whatsoever option they choose, it is going to end up in loss. Thereby,
they feel depressed and lose self-confidence.
g) Inability to set Goals: People do not know how to set goals and because
of this, they end up in a complete chaos.
2. ACTIVITY:
a) Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 15):
b) Ask them to choose their reaction to each of the statements in the
exercise
1: Disagree completely 2: Neither agree nor disagree 3: Agree
completely
c) Tell them to try to choose either 1 or 3 and avoid the middle path.
d) Give them 15 minutes to complete the exercise.
e) After 15 minutes, ask them to score their answers based on the
points mentioned on the following slide (Slide no 16):
f) Discuss their scores and give them feedback
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Time Thieves
1. PROBE:
What factors contribute to unnecessary loss of time?
Or
Can you name some ‘time thieves’?
Or
Poor planning leads to waste of time. What other factors can you think
of?
DERIVE:
Ask the participants to share their answers with the rest of the class.
Ask them to open page no. 26 of their workbooks.
Show them the following slide (Slide no. 17):
Now discuss the points on the slide in detail as mentioned below:
a) Poor Planning: Poor planning results in impatience and haste to
complete tasks in limited time. Lack of proper planning leads to
improper initiation of task, resulting in unproductive usage of time.
b) Crisis Management: This is the result of absence of prioritization of
tasks. This results in doing unimportant tasks prior to the important
ones. Thus, managers are unable to find time to do the important things
in time.
c) Interruptions: Interruptions are a result of poor planning, lack of control
over environment and poor focus. Managers must learn to deal with
interruptions and avoid them if they wish to get work done in time.
Interruptions may be in the form of – drop-in visitors, telephone calls,
confusion and improper communication. Thus, managers should work in
areas without disturbances and inform others whenever they are busy.
d) Procrastination: Tasks in hand must not be put off for a later time, even
if it can be done later. This may lead to piling up of the workload and a
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chaos at the end. Sometimes, people are so busy in improving their
methods of getting jobs done that they are never able to finish these
tasks on time. Thus, managers should look into whether their
improvement methods are working towards progress or hindering the
path of getting tasks done in time.
e) Not assigning: Many people think that the work in their hands can only
be done by them and no one else can do it the way they can. Because of
the fear of failure, they hesitate to assign their jobs to junior employees.
They feel that a particular kind of task can be only handled by them and
if someone else is unable to do it properly, all blame has to be taken by
them solely.
f) Unnecessary Meetings: If a meeting is held without a proper and clear
motive then that meeting is a complete failure because it leads to no
productive results and is a sheer waste of time.
g) Disorganization: A proper organization leads to a good working
environment. Following a schedule, keeping things systematically
arranged and possessing all necessary information before starting a task
keeps the bad mood away from the managers.
h) Poor Setup: Sometimes, in organizations the environment for managers
is not so convenient, because the things that are frequently required by
managers are not within their easy reach. Because of a poor setup and
improper seating arrangement, whenever the managers pass by
someone they tend to pull that person aside and steal his/her time.
i) Inefficient Networking: If a manager does not have an open
communication with all his employees, he is unknowingly going through
a great loss in terms of time management because a proper
communication and an efficient network leads to better understanding
of work that is assigned to all members of an organization and this leads
to better productivity in lesser time.
j) Bad Attitude: Whenever a person is showing his/her bad attitude,they
waste their time. Instead of getting angry and complaining to their staff
they can utilize this time in working out on solutions to the problems
that have occurred.
k) Unpleasant People: Such people who are unproductive and interfere in
the success path of others should definitely be avoided no matter what.
When managers listen to such people, it leads to unnecessary depletion
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of useful time. Thus, unpleasant and negative people should always be
kept at a distance.
2. ACTIVITY:
a) Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no. 18):
b) Ask them to open page no. 27 of their workbooks.
c) Tell them that they have 10 minutes to complete the exercise
d) The exercise consists of some situations and each situation is
followed by two options. The participants have to circle the
appropriate option.
e) After 10 minutes, show the following slide to the participants (Slide
no 19):
f) Ask the participants to compare their answers with those mentioned
on the slide.
g) Discuss the results and give feedback
The Three Generations of Time
1. PROBE:
Explain the three generations of time management. What is the need for
a fourth generation?
Or
Explain each generation of time management. What did each of them
lack?
DERIVE:
Ask the participants to turn to page no. 30 of their workbooks.
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Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no. 20):
Explain the points on the slide in detail as mentioned below:
Long ago people began to realize that it is important to manage time in
order to enhance their productivity and life in general. Since then, there
has been significant improvement in the way each generation handled
the problem of time management. Each new generation recognized the
drawbacks of methods adopted by the previous one and improved on
them.
Time management techniques of the three generations are listed below:
First Generation
What it is: This generation tried to manage time by using checklists and
reminders. Now, people just had a list of the work that is to be done but
they did not know about the urgency and importance of the work.
What it lacked: Time was disorganized, in terms of complexity, urgency
and importance.
Thus, such techniques often caused people to miss out on some of their
commitments.
Second Generation
What it is: It was characterized by calendars and appointments’ books.
This generation’s time management was based on looking ahead and
planning. So, there was a proper planning and scheduling of events, and
a greater consciousness about deadlines.
What it lacked: The shortcoming of this type of management was the
lack of time and importance for human relationships.
Third Generation
What it is: This generation prioritized tasks and recognized the values. It
focused on setting goals and classified them into long, intermediate, and
short-term goals.
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So, there was a considerable increase in achieved goals and productivity
was enhanced. The principles this generation emphasized onwere
efficiency, control, and independent achievement, focus on quality of
work done rather than quantity.
What it lacked: This generation also did not realize the importance of
putting time into relationships and one’s personal life.
The Need for the Fourth Generation
It has been found that the third generation time management was very
restricted and mechanical. Human beings are not machines; we need
love and support to go on in life. So, there is a need to transcend the
idea of time management to relationship levels too. One must focus on
accomplishing results as well as enhancing relationships.
Points to remember:
 An approach is needed for time management that takes care of both
career and relationships.
 Any approach that does not satisfy the above will disturb the vital
balance needed and therefore will not work successfully.
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Monochronic and Polychronic Views of Time
1. PROBE:
What do you understand by monochronic and polychronic views of
time?
Or
Explain the characteristics of monochronic and polychronic managers.
DERIVE:
Discuss the following points with the participants:
The monochronic approach lays emphasis on spontaneity, brevity, agility
and punctuality. It is an efficient and focused way of managing time at
work and at home. People adopting this approach believe in detailed
planning and scheduling. They follow schedules strictly and work on one
task at a time. They do not like their schedules to be disturbed and do
not entertain extraneous matters that tend to divert them from their
path.
The polychronic approach on the other hand lays emphasis on the
aspirations, flexibility, imagination, intuition and commitment.
Now discuss the points on the following slide (Slide no. 21):
2. ACTIVITY:
a) Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no. 22):
b) Ask the participants to open page no. 33 of their workbooks.
c) Tell them that they have 10 minutes to finish the exercise
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d) In the exercise, there are two alternatives for each number and the
participants have to circle the appropriate choice according to their
opinion and guess whether the statement is polychronic or
monochronic.
e) At the end, they need to sum up the poly- and monochronic choices
that they have circled and know what type of person they are, using
the table given on page number 35.
f) After 10 minutes, show them the following slide (Slide no. 23):
g) Discuss the scores and give feedback
Goal Setting
1. PROBE:
Why is it important to set goals? What are SMART goals?
Or
Explain the acronym SMART with reference to goal setting.
DERIVE:
Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 24):
Goal setting is a performance booster that motivates the employees and
managers. As and when a goal is accomplished it gives a sense of
satisfaction and achievement. However, it is very important to set goals
in the right way.
Now show the following slide (Slide no 24):
Smart goals are the ones that are:
a) Specific: Set goals should be answerable to questions that start
with, What, Where, When, Why, and Who. Goal must be specific,
and you must clearly identify what is to be achieved.
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b) Measurable: Measurable goals are the ones that can answer the
questions starting with How much, How many, How often. For
example, if a company has to reach out to 750 customers in a
month, they can measure their daily workload based on the goal
they have to achieve.
c) Attainable: Before starting work on a project or a goal, it should
be clear whether the set goal is attainable or not. If the restrains
in the path do not allow the goal to be attained as desired, then
the level of difficulty should be lowered so that it becomes
attainable.
d) Realistic: Not every goal that is set need be simple, but it should
be a thoroughly researched goal. The questions that you can ask
yourself are:
 Do I have sufficient resources to achieve the goal?
 Do I have support of colleagues?
 What skills am I lacking and what do I need to learn?
 Have I rechecked the workload with supervisor to prioritize
this goal with other goals?
e) Timely: A time restriction is important in driving the employees
towards reaching a goal in given time-period. It generates a sense
of urgency to complete the task at hand. It also gives necessary
motivation to employees to complete the task in time.
2. ACTIVITY:
a) Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 26):
b) Ask the participants to open page no. 38 of their workbooks
c) Give them 15 minutes to complete the exercise
d) The exercise consists of some inefficient objectives and the
participants have to convert them into SMART goals
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e) After 15 minutes, discuss the answers and give feedback.
Prioritization
1. PROBE:
What do you understand by the term prioritization? What are the two
steps to prioritize?
Or
Explain the ABC method of prioritization.
DERIVE:
There are two steps to prioritize:
1. List down the tasks to be done
2. Prioritize the items on the list
The ABC Method
Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 27):
Now explain in detail as below:
The following are the categories that can help in prioritizing work:
 Priority A: “Must-Do” – these are the most critical tasks that need
to be at the top of a priority list. These tasks are very crucial
because these may include opportunities for advancement,
significant customer demands, or management directives.
 Priority B: “Should-Do” –these tasks hold a medium value. These
tasks do not have strict deadlines and may not be very essential to
do.
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 Priority C: “Nice to do” – these tasks hold the lowest value. These
tasks are not important, so they can be completely eliminated and
kept for free time.
2. ACTIVITY:
a) Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 28):
b) Ask the participants to open page no. 41 of their workbooks
c) Give them 10 minutes to complete the exercise
d) Ask them to list the tasks that they would do in that week under each
category
e) Discuss their answers and give them feedback
3. PROBE:
Explain the criteria for prioritization.
Or
Explain judgment, relativity and timing as the criteria for prioritization.
DERIVE:
Ask the participants to share their answers with the rest of the class.
Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 29):
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The Compass and the Clock
1. PROBE:
Explain the concept of the compass and the clock with reference to time
management.
Or
Describe the compass and the clock as tools to describe what to do with
our time.
Or
What are some problems that may arise when we are stuck between the
clock and the compass?
DERIVE:
Show the following slide (Slide no. 30):
The compass and the clock can be described as tools that help us decide
what to do with our time. The two factors that play key role in managing
time are – urgency and importance. These two factors are controlled by
two tools – the clock and the compass, respectively.
The clock represents:
 Goals
 Tasks
 Commitments
 Appointments
 Activities
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 Assignments
 Opportunities
 Schedule
 Routine
The compass represents:
 Vision
 Direction
 Conscience
 Values
 Priorities
 Mission
The problem occurs when we are stuck between the clock and the
compass.
Some problems that may arise from this are:
 Imbalance in one’s personal and professional work
 Feeling of being out of control, hence, entrapment
 Feeling as though we are constantly in some crisis
 Problems in personal relationships
 Making excuses and losing professionalism
Time Management Matrix
1. PROBE:
What do you understand by the time management matrix?
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Or
Explain how the time management matrix distinguishes between
Urgent/ Non- urgent and Important/Non-important factors that we
spend our time on.
DERIVE:
Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 31):
Explain in detail as mentioned below:
The matrix below, distinguishes between Urgent/ Non- urgent and
Important/Non-important factors that we spend our time on. The matrix
shows four quadrants; by placing your daily activity in these quadrants,
you can find where to allocate your time appropriately.
Quadrant 1: Urgent – Important
1. This quadrant is unavoidable.
2. It requires our immediate time and attention.
3. It is important to remember, that saving work for last minute can
land your work into this quadrant. This should be avoidable
because too many tasks in this quadrant will only cause havoc.
Quadrant 2: Not Urgent – Important
1. These are the activities that are important, but do not require
immediate attention.
2. This is a good place to be in, as it gives more time to manage and
organize the work at hand. With better planning, work can be
done more efficiently.
3. Although this includes more than just professional work, there are
also personal responsibilities that need to be met. They can be
better handled if they are important but not urgent.
4. Ignoring or delaying the activities in these quadrants can cause
them to shift to quadrant 1, which is not an ideal place to be in.
Hence, it is important to see this quadrant as an opportunity to
plan and prepare in a better way.
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Quadrant 3: Urgent – Not Important
1. This might appear to be confusing, because it is difficult to think of
a task that may not be important but urgent.
2. This refers to tasks that may be important to person A, but not to
person B. This is where our values clash with others.
3. This also makes us realize that just because things are urgent, they
do not become important. This could include activities such as
brainstorming, making phone calls, etc.
Quadrant 4: Not Urgent – Not Important
1. This quadrant falls to the bottom of our priorities. These are
neither important, nor urgent.
2. We are generally exhausted from moving between quadrants III
and I. So, we start focusing on these activities, as a break or
procrastination.
3. These activities then become ‘time pass’ or waste of time
2. ACTIVITY:
a) Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 32):
b) Ask the participants to complete the exercise on page no. 47
c) Give them 15 minutes to complete it
d) After 15 minutes, discuss the answers as given below:
Answers:
1. Quadrant 2
2. Quadrant 2
3. Quadrant 1
4. Quadrant 4
5. Quadrant 4
6. Quadrant 2
7. Quadrant 1
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8. Quadrant 2
9. Quadrant 4
10.Quadrant 2
11.Quadrant 4
12.Quadrant 1
13.Quadrant 2
14.Quadrant 3
15.Quadrant 2
16.Quadrant 2
17.Quadrant 2
18.Quadrant 4
19.Quadrant 2
20.Quadrant 4
21.Quadrant 2
22.Quadrant 1
23.Quadrant 1
24.Quadrant 2
25.Quadrant 4
26.Quadrant 3
27.Quadrant 2
28.Quadrant 2
29.Quadrant 2
e) Tell the participants that they may differ on some of the answers.
However,that isalright; what is important may differ from person to
person or from one type of job to another. The main point is to make
you identify what is important for you.
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Time Management
Managing Interruptions
1. PROBE:
What are some common interruptions that occur during work?
Or
How can we overcome interruptions when at work?
DERIVE:
Now-a-days, people are so accustomed to interruptions that they do not
even realize that they are being interrupted. Some interruptions are
unavoidable because the boss may not necessarily have the same
priorities as his subordinates. How many of these circumstances are
familiar:
 Using interruptions as excuses
 Trying to work on many tasks at once
 Procrastinating
 Getting distracted many times and easily
 Accepting calls that are not relevant to work at the time of work
 Chatting with co-workers frequently
 Replying to each email that appears in the email inbox
Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 33):
Well if these situations sound familiar then one is unable to avoid
interruptions. However, following measures can be taken to manage
interruptions:
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Time Management
 Not calling for a meeting unless it is truly necessary
If it can be done through e-mail or a phone call, it should be done
that way instead of wasting others’ time in unproductive meetings.
 ‘Do not disturb’ is necessary whether it is the phone or the door.
Whenever required, one must assure that no one disturbs while
he/she is involved in work.
 Learn to say ‘no’. Most of us tend to agree to everything that others
say. We wish to be seen as team players. However, sometimes it is
better to say no in order to control the workload.
 Prioritizing emails by telling everyone to put a subject because each
email is not urgent.
Managing Procrastination
1. PROBE:
What is procrastination? How can we avoid it?
Or
When you lay emphasis on things that are not so important according
to your organization’s goals and priorities, you are procrastinating.
How can you avoid this from happening?
DERIVE:
When you lay emphasis on things that are not so important according
to your organization’s goals and priorities, you are procrastinating.
Sometimes when you delay your work, it may not necessarily be the
case of procrastination because you may not have complete
information about the task.
Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 34):
Discuss the points on the slide in detail as mentioned below:
1. When the Task is Unpleasant:
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Time Management
 You should reflect on the fact, that if you do not do a task
then what will be its effects on you, your co-workers and
your customers.
 Keep in mind that you are paid for a task, as it is important
from your supervisor and organization’s point of view.
 Identify the ways you can reward yourself by completing
such tasks.
2. When You are Disorganized:
 Make it a routine to clear your desk before leaving for the
day.
 As and when papers and email come, you should attend and
complete them as soon as possible to avoid a pile up.
 Plan your day, based on the important tasks to be done that
day.
 Make use of a timer to keep a track of the time you have
spent.
 Pre-plan the next day before leaving.
Now show the following slide (Slide no 35):
Discuss in detail as mentioned below:
3. When the Project feels Overwhelming:
 Break a major task into smaller easily achievable tasks.
 Initiate by doing easier tasks first to get a feel of
accomplishment and satisfaction.
 You can feel more optimistic and motivated if you reward
yourself after the completion of each sub-task.
 Ask others to give an input, as this is your first time at
handling a big project.
4. When You are a Perfectionist:
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Time Management
 Constantly keep reviewing the project with the supervisor in
order to see if the progress is as desired by the supervisor
and ensure that you are on a right track.
 You can avoid any potential errors that tend to occur in
future if you keep discussing the task with your co-workers
and supervisor.
 Remember that no one is perfect and keeping this fact in
mind, take the tasks as a challenge rather than
procrastination.
 Adopt some stress management techniques to fight the
situations that call for more mental effort.
5. When You have Trouble Making a Decision:
 Use group unanimity to make a best decision.
 Ask you supervisors and others to give their input.
 When you do not have others to help you, make the best
choice according to your experience.
Scheduling
1. PROBE:
What are the benefits of scheduling?
Or
What are the ways in which scheduling can be done?
DERIVE:
Show the following slide to the participants (Slide no 36):
Explain the below mentioned points:
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Time Management
Many people do not understand the advantage of schedules; rather they
consider it restrictive. The schedules add to the benefits at work as it
allows you to:
 Allocate equal time to all important tasks.
 Avoid unnecessary interruptions by sticking to the schedule.
 Limit meetings within the time they are scheduled for, instead of
letting it go for as much people feel like.
 Allot time for intervals.
Scheduling Options
There are three options for scheduling:
1. Long Term Schedules: when people have long-term goals such as
quarterly or annual goals they should start with a master planner
where they can list the major targets to be achieved each week.
This way they should allot an important task to each week and
complete their quarterly or annual tasks efficiently.
2. Medium Term Schedules: a month’s period is considered
appropriate to schedule a medium term goal. This can be divided
into weeks and set a goal to be achieved each week. If your work
cycles every month then you can use it as a snapshot for next
month as well.
3. Short Term Schedules: daily schedules fall in this category. They
keep a track of what all has been accomplished successfully till
date. This is a specified schedule because you must make it very
clear about what you have to do each day of the week. With the
help of short-term schedule you may even identify where you lack
in your time management skills.
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