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Coordinating Against The Clock

Learn effective time management strategies for English coordinators and directors of studies at the ABS International Conference. Explore the challenges of time management and discover techniques for prioritizing, delegating, and reducing time-wasting activities.

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Coordinating Against The Clock

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  1. Coordinating Against The Clock Neil McMahon ABS International Conference for English Coordinators and Directors of Studies August 28 2008 Neil McMahon International House

  2. Why is it so difficult? • Time is unlike any other resource utilised by an organisation, possessing as it does, unique and frustrating qualities: Williams, GL (1988) Getting Results With Time Management. p.1 PAVIC Publications Neil McMahon International House

  3. Why is it so difficult? • you cannot store it, • you have to spend it as it comes, • and it keeps coming at the rate ofsixty seconds per minute, • you cannot turn it on or off, • it cannot be replaced; yesterday will not come again, • it is involved in every aspect of the management process Williams, GL (1988) Getting Results With Time Management. p.1 PAVIC Publications Neil McMahon International House

  4. Introduction ‘When no plan is made, when the disposal of time is surrendered merely to chance, chaos will soon reign’ Victor Hugo Neil McMahon International House

  5. How do you manage your time now? Which aspects of time management do you want to improve: • Work/life balance. • Goal setting. • Prioritising. • Delegating. • Meetings. • Emails. • Interruptions. Neil McMahon International House

  6. Time Wasting • inefficiency • (“doing things wrong”) • ineffectiveness • (“doing the wrong things”). Neil McMahon International House

  7. Lack of planning Lack of priorities Trying to do too much Coping with crises Indecision Paperwork and bureaucracy Procrastination Badly organised routine Too many meetings Constant interruptions Too many phone-calls Lack of competent staff (i.e. lack of training, delegation and trust) Lack of information The desire for control Unwillingness to “let go” Time Wasting Neil McMahon International House

  8. The Time Management Matrix Stephen Covey, Seven Habits of Effective People Neil McMahon International House

  9. The Time Management Matrix Stephen Covey, Seven Habits of Effective People Neil McMahon International House

  10. To Do Lists Neil McMahon International House

  11. To Do Lists Neil McMahon International House

  12. Selecting and Prioritising • decide if all the activities are really necessary. • identify all the things you do that could equally well be performed by another member of your team. • assign priorities to the tasks and activities you are left with Neil McMahon International House

  13. To Do Lists Neil McMahon International House

  14. Breaking it up,Breaking it down Neil McMahon International House

  15. Breaking it up,Breaking it down • Fit • Essentially, fit is the congruence of the requirements of a task (location, financial investment, time, etc.) with the available resources at the time. Neil McMahon International House

  16. Breaking it up,Breaking it down Neil McMahon International House

  17. Breaking it up,Breaking it down Neil McMahon International House

  18. Delegating • analyse and break down the task in hand • choose the right person for the job • clearly communicate the task requirements • set realistic targets and deadlines • devolve appropriate measures of authority and responsibility • give incentives, encouragement and support • monitor and evaluate the results Neil McMahon International House

  19. Planning • A daily plan should: • be flexible • include uninterrupted “quality time” • include scheduled times when you are “available” • include a balance of activities • take into account the times of the day when you are at your best • contain personal targets and deadlines • realistically allocate time for each activity. Neil McMahon International House

  20. Time Auditing • list all the activities performed during the day • the amount of time each activity occupied • measure the results or benefits of each activity Neil McMahon International House

  21. The Seven Fundamentals • Time management systems are essentially quite simple, and they are easy to understand and to learn once the fundamentals are appreciated. Francis Wade, The New Time Management Neil McMahon International House

  22. The Seven Fundamentals • Capturing • Key Principles • The mind is the worst capture point to use, and should be employed to store information as infrequently as possible. • A capture point should be kept nearby at all times, just in case it’s needed • Capture points should be limited in number. • Time demands should be stored in capture points for a short a time as possible. • In the case of an email Inbox, messages should be allowed to enter upon demand, rather than automatically. Francis Wade, The New Time Management Neil McMahon International House

  23. The Seven Fundamentals • Emptying • Key Principle • Empty capture points as often as possible, and make immediate decisions about their disposal on an individual basis. Francis Wade, The New Time Management Neil McMahon International House

  24. The Seven Fundamentals • Tossing • Key Principle • Aggressively delete items once and for all instead of allowing them to sit in the time management system weighing things down. Francis Wade, The New Time Management Neil McMahon International House

  25. The Seven Fundamentals • Storing • Key Principles • Never use personal memory. • Store only the minimum information, and store it in a place that is fully backed up in case of an emergency. • Use as little physical space as possible. • Use a portable storage device, but use only one. Francis Wade, The New Time Management Neil McMahon International House

  26. The Seven Fundamentals • Acting Now • Key Principles • Choose a time limit between 2-5 minutes and use it as a rule. • If Acting Now exceeds the time limit, stop and make a decision whether to continue or to plan it for a different time. Francis Wade, The New Time Management Neil McMahon International House

  27. The Seven Fundamentals • Scheduling • Key Principle • Schedule in slack time to account for interruptions and for time estimates that are overly aggressive. • Look for recurring events to schedule each week, e.g., the regular Monday morning meeting. • Before committing to due dates or meetings, check the schedule. Francis Wade, The New Time Management Neil McMahon International House

  28. The Seven Fundamentals • Listing • Key Principle • Listing is carefully balanced with Scheduling, according to the needs of a professional. • Lists must contribute to peace of mind, rather than subtract from it. • When they get to be too long, and start to hide their contents from the user, they probably need to be scheduled in the calendar. Francis Wade, The New Time Management Neil McMahon International House

  29. Procrastination • In a nutshell, you procrastinate when you put off things that you should be focusing on right now, usually in favour of doing something that is more enjoyable or that you’re more comfortable doing. Neil McMahon International House

  30. Procrastination • Feeling overwhelmed by the task • Doubting that you have the skills or resources you think you need • Waiting for the “right” mood or the “right” time to tackle the important task at hand • A fear of failure or success • Underdeveloped decision making skills • Poor organizational skills • Perfectionism Neil McMahon International House

  31. Procrastination • Step One • Recognise that you’re procrastinating Neil McMahon International House

  32. Procrastination • Symptoms of Procrastination: • Filling your day with low priority tasks from your To Do List; • Reading an e-mail or request that you've noted in your notebook or on your To Do List more than once, without starting work on it or deciding when you're going to start work on it; • Sitting down to start a high-priority task, and almost immediately going off to make a cup of coffee or check your e-mails; • Leaving an item on your To Do list for a long time, even though you know it's important; • Regularly saying "Yes" to unimportant tasks that others ask you to do, and filling your time with these instead of getting on with the important tasks already on your list. Neil McMahon International House

  33. Procrastination • Step Two • Work out WHY you're procrastinating Neil McMahon International House

  34. Procrastination • Why? • You find the task unpleasant • You find the task overwhelming Neil McMahon International House

  35. Procrastination • Step Three • Get over it! Neil McMahon International House

  36. Procrastination • Getting over it – ways to help yourself: • Make up your own rewards. • Ask someone else to check up on you. • Identify the unpleasant consequences of NOT doing the task. • Work out the cost of your time to your employer. • Break the project into a set of smaller, more manageable tasks. • Start with some quick, small tasks if you can, even if these aren't the logical first actions. Neil McMahon International House

  37. Interruptions Neil McMahon International House

  38. Interruptions • Preventing self-interruptions: • Lessen visual distractions. • Change of scenery. • Set yourself time limits. • Break big projects into smaller and more manageable chunks (short-term wins?). • Break time into 15 minute chunks. • Plan breaks into long tasks. • Bank your time – allow so long for each task. Neil McMahon International House

  39. Interruptions • Preventing / avoiding / mitigating interruptions by others: • Go somewhere else. • Surgery hours, not open door. • Work early / late when there is no-one else around. • Decide whether you are lark or owl and work when you can get things done. • Re-schedule some interruptions. • Find out the issue and possibly redirect to someone else. • To have regular (brief and effective) meetings. • Go to their office because it’s easier to leave. • Stay standing. • Be assertive. Neil McMahon International House

  40. SMARTER objectives • Specific *** • Measurable • Agreed • Realistic • Time-bound *** • Evaluated • Reviewed and recorded. Neil McMahon International House

  41. The Seven Fundamentals • In today’s world, there is an increasing pull to abandon the fundamentals for new tips and gadgets that seem to be more exciting. Francis Wade, The New Time Management Neil McMahon International House

  42. Useful Websites • www.mindtools.com • www.businessballs.com • www.changethis.com Neil McMahon International House

  43. The End Neil McMahon International House

  44. Thank you all very much... ...it’s been a pleasure! Neil McMahon International House

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