TimeManagement

BuildingConnections:
CommunityLeadership
Program

Improving Lives. Improving

Texas.

Where does your time

go?
Using the handout provided,
allocate where your time goes
each week and then answer the
following questions:
What activities do you spend the
least amount of time?
What activities do you spend the
most amount of time?
Does the amount of time you spend
on activities reflect what you value?

What if
What would you do if you had
2 extra hours each day? How
would you spend those 2
extra hours?
Why havent you made time
for this before?

Theory behind time

management
You only have so many hours
available in a day, so many
weeks in a year, and so many
years in your lifetimewhat
happens if you dont spend
your time wisely?

Time
Life is really about how you
spend your time and where
you place your priorities.
The key to time management
is NOT to work harder than
everyone else. The key is to
work smarter.

Work smarterhow do I
do that?
To work smarter than
everyone else, you must
determine whats important in
your life through visioning,
writing goals, and taking
action toward achieving those
goals.

Approaches to Time
Management
There are three approaches to
time management.
First approach increase amount
of available time each day.
Second approach do more work
in available time pack more work
in your day
Third approach do only the
important work in the time you
have available

Whats wrong with the

approaches?
First approach you will stretch
yourself thin will likely result in
fatigue, lack of efficiency, and
even depression in the work cases
Second approach doing more
work will result in high amounts of
stress (feeling as if you can never
get everything done) and burnout

Approaches cont
Third approach this
approach is the most effective
way of managing time
Forces you to prioritize tasks
to be completed during your
work day

So, where do I start?

The first step of effective time
management is to decide where
your priorities are.
This is often the most difficult
task of all and takes the most
time!

Stephen Coveys time

management matrix
Covey designed a time
management matrix to help
people manage themselves
through prioritizing tasks
YOU have to decide what is
important for you to do
YOU have to decide which things
are urgent and what can wait

Matrix
URGENT
I

IMPORTANT

Crises
Pressingproblems
Deadlinedrivenprojects

III

NOT
IMPORTANT

Interruptions
Manypressingmatters
Somephonecalls
Somemail
Someemail
Somereports
Somemeetings
Manypopularactivities

NOTURGENT
II
Prevention
Preparation
Relationshipbuilding
Recognizingnew
opportunities
Planning
Valuesclarification
Truerecreation
IV
Trivia
Busywork
Somephonecalls
Junkmail
Timewasters
Escapeactivities

Quadrant I Urgent &

Important
These activities should take first
priority
The activities in this quadrant
need to be dealt with immediately
and they are important
In the long term, time spent here
should be reduced with prevention
and preparation (Quadrant II)

Quadrant II Not Urgent

but Important
The activities in this quadrant need
to be the FOCUS!!!
You should begin to prioritize the
activities that fall into this category
If you are currently spending very
little time here, begin slowly and
build upon it

Quadrant III Urgent and

Not Important
The activities in this quadrant
are often the result of someone
elses sense of urgency
If you allow your priorities to
fall here, you will feel rushed to
get things done, followed by a
lack of satisfaction
These tasks are distractions!

Quadrant IV Not Urgent

and Not Important
Activities in this quadrant are
simply a waste of time
Should strive to minimize the
amount of time you spend on
activities falling into quadrant
IV

Now its your turn

Use the blank matrix and
write in your own specific
activities

10 Guidelines for
Effective Time
Management
1. Plan ahead must be able to plan and
follow through with the plan
2. Schedule leisure activities schedule
in blocks of time for your family,
friends, exercise, etc. If you dont, you
likely will spend little time doing these
activities
3. Under-promise and over deliver set
due dates that are not just meetable
but beatable. Get your work done
early!

10 Guidelines for
Effective Time
Management
4. Break big jobs into manageable
chunks break big projects into small
tasks and set deadlines for completing
the tasks.
5. Keep track of your progress If your
timeline is no longer realistic, make
sure your schedule allows for work in
progress
6. Delegate whatever you can if the job
can be completed by someone else or
with their help DELEGATE!!!!

10 Guidelines for
Effective Time
Management

7. Establish parameters for saying

NO learn what projects you
should say yes to and which
ones someone else should have
the opportunity to do
8. Make and follow a list of
priorities maintain a list or lists
of your priorities. Check your
progress each day

10 Guidelines for
Effective Time
Management

9. Group tasks according to the skills

required try doing the tasks that
are most difficult when you are at
your best
10.Keep your eyes open for shortcuts
learn and incorporate new and
better ways of doing things

From the book Beat Stress with Strength, by Stephanie

Spera and Sandra Lanto

Final Thoughts
Great time management is one of
the most important skills a person
can develop it takes practice to
effectively manage your time
Rememberwhats important to
you may not be important to
someone else they are your
priorities and only you need to
follow them