TIME MANAGEMENT
LCOS-111:
LANGUAGE AND
COMMUNICATION
STUDIES
Introduction
“We all have time to either spend or waste
and it is our decision what to do with it. But
once passed, it is gone forever.” –Bruce Lee
Every individual on earth has the same
amount of time - 60 seconds in a minute; 60
minutes in an hour; 1,440 minutes in a day;
and 525,600 minutes in a year.
Make the most of your time!!
Lecture Overview
What is time management?
Time management tools.
Importance of time management
Symptoms of poor time management
Time thieves
The time management matrix.
How to get an extra hour out of each day
Goal setting in time management
What is time management?
What is time management...
Various definitions
The use of procedures that are designed to help the
individual to achieve his or her desired goals (Hall and
Hursch, 1982)
A technique for effective time use, especially having
enough time to accomplish many required tasks
(Orpen, 1994)
Ways to assess the relative importance of activities
through the development of a prioritisation plan (Kaufman-
Scarborough and Lindquist, 1999)
What is time management...
According to Centre for Good Governance
(2002) Time Management is ...
about controlling the use of the most valuable
- and undervalued - resource.
It is managing oneself in relation to time.
It is setting priorities and taking charge of the
situation and time utilization.
What is time management...
It means changing those habits or
activities that cause waste of time…and
Itis being willing to adopt habits and
methods to make maximum use of time.”
What is time management...
“Behaviours that aim at achieving an
effective use of time while performing
certain goal-directed activities” Claessens
et. al (2007)
Claessens et al.
The use of time is not an aim in itself and
cannot be pursued in isolation.
The focus is on some goal-directed activity,
such as performing a work task or an
academic duty, which is carried out in a way
that implies an effective use of time.
Three behaviours (Claessens et. al)
Time assessment behaviours
Planning behaviours
Monitoring behaviours
Three behaviours (Claessens et. al)
Time assessment behaviours being aware
of the here and now or past, present, and
future and self-awareness of one’s time use
which help to accept tasks and
responsibilities that fit within the limit of one’s
capabilities.
Three behaviours (Claessens et. al)
Planning behaviours include…
setting goals
planning tasks
Prioritizing
making to-do lists and
grouping which aim at an effective use of time.
Three behaviours (Claessens et. al)...
Monitoring behaviours, which aim at
observing one’s use of time while performing
activities, and
generating a feedback loop that allows a limit to the
influence of interruptions by others
The focus of time management
Mercanlioglu (2010):
“Time management is focused on solving
problems. Examples of common problems are;
being unable to deal with distractions, deadline
pressure, procrastination, lack of self discipline,
ambiguity of personal goals, not being able to say
“no”, excessive social relations, indetermination,
perfectionism, messy desk...”
Time Management Tools Exercise
Listdown the
tools you use to
manage your own
time.
What is the
specific purpose
of each of the
tools that you
have mentioned?
Why is time management important
to students?
Increased academic performance.
Important academic tasks are completed leaving
spare time for you to spend on other things that are
important to you.
One is in control of his/her time, stress and energy
levels.
Symptoms of poor time
management
Constant rushing (e.g. between classes or
tasks)
Frequent delays (e.g. in attending classes,
meeting deadlines)
Low productivity, energy and motivation
(e.g. ‘I can’t seem to get worked up about
anything’)
Frustration (e.g. ‘Oh, things just don’t move
ahead)
Symptoms...
Impatience (e.g. ‘where the hell is that book
I’ve asked him for?’)
Difficulty setting and achieving goals (e.g.
‘I’m not sure what is expected of me’)
Time thieves
Time thieves...
Poor planning: “Failing to plan is planning to
fail.” leads to Crisis management. Most
often, crisis management is an offspring of
lack of prioritization of tasks.
Solution: Distinguish between the urgent, the
important, and unimportant tasks in order to
decide what needs to be done first.
Time thieves...
Procrastination: It is easy to put off tasks if
they are not due right away. The trouble is,
tasks pile up and can force students to run
into a time crunch later.
Solution: Never put off till tomorrow what you
can do today.
Time thieves...
Interruptions: Interruptions and distractions arise
due to lack of planning, poor concentration and
lack of control over environment.
Interruptions come in many forms e.g. drop-in
visitors, telephones, e-mails unscheduled
meetings, poor communications etc.
Solution: work in areas where you are less likely
to be disturbed and tell friends when you are busy
and do not wish to be disturbed.
Time thieves...
Unnecessary Meetings: If a meeting is held
without a specific agenda and nothing
productive comes out of it, clearly that
meeting was unnecessary.
Solution: Always ensure that there is a clear
agenda for any meeting you are planning to
attend.
Time thieves...
Disorganization: Students will often waste
much time because of disorganization.
Solution: Ensure that you keep the things
that you need in a specific place, make sure
that you have all the materials or information
you need before starting on a task.
How to get an extra hour out of
each day
Get up earlier.
Watch less TV.
Avoid allowing others to waste your time.
Organize your work; do it systematically.
Spend less time on unimportant things.
Think first, and then do the task.
How to get an extra hour...
Work hardest when you’re the most mentally
alert.
Always do the toughest assignments first.
Learn how to sleep. Sleep soundly, then work
refreshed.
Be punctual for all appointments.
How to get an extra hour...
Lay out your clothes the night before.
Learn to read more rapidly.
Avoid interruptions.
Know your limitations.
Work to your full capacity.
The time management matrix
The time management matrix enables
individuals to prioritize their activities and use
their time more effectively.
With the help of the matrix, you can evaluate
your activities in terms of importance and
urgency.
Time management matrix...
• Submitting • Studying for an
homework exam
• Personal care
• Answering a phone • Internet surfing
call from a friend • TV
• Drop-in visitors • Gossip
• Day dreaming
etc.
Time management matrix...
Tasks can be categorized as urgent/not
urgent or as important/not important as
shown in the matrix above.
Each of your activities can be distinguished
as one of four types, represented by the four
quadrants of the time management matrix.
Time management matrix...
Categorizing your activities in these
quadrants helps you identify what is
important and avoid unimportant tasks and
activities.
It also helps you prioritize important tasks
and activities.
Quadrant 1
The activities in Quadrant 1 are both
important and urgent.
These include deadline-driven tasks and
important daily chores.
If you have too many tasks that are urgent
and important, it results in stress, fatigue and
“fire fighting.”
Quadrant 2
The activities in Quadrant 2 are important but
not urgent.
These activities are characterized as
preparation, planning, crisis prevention, and
deadline-avoiding tasks.
Operating in this Quadrant results into
discipline, control, few crises and less stress.
Quadrant 3: Busy going nowhere
Quadrant 3: Busy going nowhere...
The activities in Quadrant 3 are not important but
urgently press upon us and interrupt our more
important activities.
These include responding to drop-in visitors, phone
calls, meetings, and mail that do not increase
productivity and effectiveness.
Operating in this Quadrant will mean short-term
focus, crisis management, worthlessness of goals
and plans, feeling of victimization and broken
relationships.
Quadrant 4: Aspiring to mediocrity
The activities in Quadrant 4 are neither
important nor urgent. Busywork, time
wasters, junk mail, and some phone calls are
the type of activities that are a part of this
quadrant.
Operating in this Quadrant will mean total
irresponsibility and over-dependence on
others in addition to outcomes in Quadrant 3.
Goal setting in time management
Goal setting is a powerful tool that can be
used to motivate and challenge yourself.
Knowing that you have achieved a goal gives
you a sense of accomplishment and gives
you a way to keep track of what you have
completed in your course work.
S.M.A.R.T Goals
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound
Specific goal(s)
When a goal is specific, it means you have
clearly identified what you expect to be
accomplished.
A specific goal will answer the following
questions:
Who? Who is taking action or is affected?
What? What is the result I want to achieve?
Where? Is there a specific location?
Specific goal...
When? When do I want to complete this
goal?
Which? Are there any restraints or
requirements that need to be met?
Why? Why is this important? What
specifically is the benefit of achieving this
goal?
Measurable
Each goal you set for yourself should have a
means of ascertaining how far along you
are in reaching your goal as well as when
the goal will be met.
To find the goal you have set for yourself is
measurable just answer the question: ‘How
will I know when I’ve reached my goal?’
Attainable
Before you begin working on your goal, you need
to ascertain that the goal is truly
attainable/achievable. Given the resources
required, the workload and the time limit, do you
see yourself achieving the goal(s) you set for
yourself?
If the goal is not attainable given the constraints
that you face, you either need to work towards
removing the constraints or lowering the level of
the goal so that it becomes achievable.
Relevant
Is the goal worthwhile and will it meet your
needs?
Is each goal consistent with the other goals
you have established?
Does the goal fit your short and long term
plans?
Relevant…
Some of the questions you could ask yourself
during this analysis include:
Do I have resources to reach this goal?
Do I have the support of my lecturer or head of
department?
What knowledge or expertise am I lacking that I
will need to learn?
Have I reviewed my existing workload to prioritize
this goal with the existing goals?
Time-bound
Without adding a time restriction to your
goal, you don’t have the necessary
motivation to get going as soon as possible.
Adding a realistic time boundary lends a
sense of urgency to your goal and will help
you keep focused.
“We all have time to either spend or waste
and it is our decision what to do with it. But
once passed, it is gone forever.” –Bruce Lee
Thank you for your attention.
