Staff Training on time management

1. TIME MANAGEMENT
What About it Causes Stress &
Strategies to Fix It
PRESENTED BY:
Cara Grassie, President
Cara A. Grassie Communications, Inc.

2. Be a Difference Maker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqX7pShNrt0&feature=BF&list=U
Lv7aWEKn_RKk&index=18

3. Introduction
• Service driven offices often have
challenging demands on staffs’ time
• Do you have days when you are
overwhelmed by your daily to-do list &
can’t complete the necessary tasks?
• How often does this happen?
• By managing time wisely you can reduce
your general stress level and positively
impact your health

4. Agenda
• Define areas where time stressors build
• Share strategies to avoid these stressors
• Open discussion
• Tips to reduce the stress of time
management

5. Vocabulary
• Stress (noun)
− the physical pressure, pull, or other force exerted on one
thing by another; strain
− physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension
• Time (noun)
− the system of those sequential relations that any event has to
any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and
continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed
one another
− a limited period or interval, as between two successive events
• Manage (verb)
− to handle, direct, govern, or control in action or use
Reference: http://dictionary.reference.com/

6. Time is Fixed – How We Use it Is Not
• There are seven days in a week
• 28-31 days in a month, depending on the year
and month, and
• Approximately 365.24 days in a year.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_days_in_a_week_month_and_year#ixzz1IPdrrlho
• 1 day= 86,400 seconds
• 1 week=604,800 seconds
• 1month=2,629,743.83 seconds
• 1 year=31,556,926 seconds
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_seconds_are_in_a_day_a_week_a_month_and_a_year#ixzz1IPdaq9br

7. Exercise – Part 1
• Take a moment to think about ALL your tasks
during your day
• Write down on a sheet of paper:
− things you do on a daily basis aside from tasks you
are supposed to carry out as part of your job
− i.e. classes, tea/coffee breaks, social media, etc.
• Scribble on different parts of the sheet rather
than making a list

8. Exercise – Part II
• Now start tearing off bits of paper each
containing one “time waster”
• What is left of the paper after tearing
off all the “time wasters” is the actual
time to carry out your tasks

9. Exercise – Part III
• How does that make you feel?
• Which of the slips of paper on the table
are your worst time bandits?
• Why?
• What are some possible solutions?

10. Tips to Reduce Time Management Stress
• What are these areas?
• Incorporate one of these strategies for 2-4
weeks
Prioritize Delegate
• Does it work? Plan Say No
• No? Quality 10 min. Time Sleep,
Diet,
Exercise
• Try another
(Mayo Clinic, 2008)

11. Simple Stress Test
• Hand out
• Stress Test Scores
1. you could be stressed
2. you are probably stressed
3. you are almost certainly stressed
4. or more - you are definitely stressed
NOTE: If you score high in this simple test you should seek help. It's a simple
test which for some people will be a bit of fun. If it's not fun for you
do something about it.

12. Effective Time Management
• By managing your time more wisely, you
can minimize stress and improve your
quality of life.
• How do you stay on track when
organizational skills don't come
naturally?

13. PLAN each day
• Accomplish more, feel more control of
your life
• Write a to-do list, putting the most
important tasks at the top
• Keep a schedule of daily activities
• One project on your desk at a time
(Mayo Clinic, 2008)

14. PRIORITIZE your tasks
• Spend time on what’s important
• Time-consuming, but relatively
unimportant, tasks can consume your
day
• Block out time on your calendar for big
projects
• Close your door, turn off your phone,
pager and e-mail (Mayo Clinic, 2008)

15. Say NO to nonessential tasks.
• Consider your goals and schedule before
agreeing to take on additional work
• DELEGATE
− Take a look at your to-do list and consider
what you can pass on to someone else
− Be thoughtful in what you delegate and who
you delegate it to
(Mayo Clinic, 2008)

16. QUALITY over Quantity
• Take the time needed to do a quality job
• There’s never time to do it right – But
there’s always time to do it over
• Break large, time-consuming tasks into
smaller tasks
(Mayo Clinic, 2008)

17. 10 MINUTE Rule
• Commit to giving 10 minutes to the
projects you don’t want to start
• That’s usually enough to get interested
in a project
• You may find you can finish it
(Mayo Clinic, 2008)

18. Where is your TIME spent?
• Log everything you do for three days to
determine how you're spending your
time
• Look for time that can be used more
wisely and free up time to exercise or
spend with family or friends
(Mayo Clinic, 2008)

19. Pay Attention to Your Health
• Simple steps lead to great strides
− Get plenty of sleep, have a healthy diet and
exercise regularly
− A healthy lifestyle helps improve your
efficiency
• When you need a break, take one.
− Take your lunch away from your desk
− Take a walk
− Do some quick stretches at your
workstation. (Mayo Clinic, 2008)

20. Summary
• Know where your “time bandits” are
lurking
• Once identified apply one or more of the
strategies to take the knock them out of
your day
• Be assertive and mindful of your
personal needs

21. STAY FOCUSED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-
EpuP8p870&feature=related

22. References
Answers.com. (2011). How many days in a week month and year? Retrieved from:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_days_in_a_week_month_and_year#ixzz1IPfyfAn6
Answers.com. (2011). How many seconds are in a day a week a month and a year? Retrieved from:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_seconds_are_in_a_day_a_week_a_month_and_a_year#ixzz1I
PgFShrs
Be a Difference Maker. YouTube. 12 Jan. 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqX7pShNrt0&feature=BF&list=ULv7aWEKn_RKk&index=18
Chapman, A. (2006). The “Poor Workplace Health”. Retrieved from
http://www.businessballs.com/stressmanagement.htm#stress%20test%20questions
Dictionary.com, LLC. (2011). Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/
Hicks, T., & Miller, E. (2006). College Life Styles, Life Stressors and Health Status: Differences along
Gender Lines. Journal of College Admission, (192), 22-29. Retrieved from http://www.nacacnet.org
Mayo Clinic. (2009). Being assertive: Reduce stress, communicate better. Retrieved from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/assertive/SR00042/METHOD=print#
Mayo Clinic. (2008). Time management: Tips to reduce stress and improve productivity. Retrieved from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/time-management/WL00048/METHOD=print
Slater, R. (2006). Time Bandits. Retrieved from http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/149676
Stay Focused. YouTube. 26 Aug. 2007. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-EpuP8p870&feature=related