A SELECTION OF TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN IMPROVING THEIR PRODUCTIVITY AND LOWERING STRESS IN THEIR WORKPLACE AND PERSONAL LIVES

12 IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF TIME:

1. It is an economic resource
2. It cannot be expanded or contracted
3. It is irrecoverable and irreplaceable
4. It is expensive and precious
5. It is highly perishable
6. Most of what is called 'cost' is the cost of time
7. It is a flow from past to present to future in the context of experience
8. It is a flow from future to present to past in the context of planning
9. The flow is one way and irreversible
10. It is quantifiable (seconds, days, years)
11. All processes that we manage are time processes
12. Time is the dimension in which change takes place
    (space is the dimension in which motion takes place)

HOW AND WHY WE WASTE OUR TIME

1. You cannot really 'SAVE' time ... you only buy/spend it
2. 'SAVED' time is bought or spent by REINVESTING it in other activities
3. How We Waste Our Time:
   • we do our own photocopying/filing.
   • make our own plane/hotel reservations.
   • find it 'easier' to do things personally than train someone else in repetitive tasks.
   • Socializing instead of communicating.
   • Work at tasks for satisfaction of physical accomplishment.
   • Haven't courage to say no nicely - take on too much.
   • Don't distinguish between important/urgent - To Whom?
   • Procrastinate and/or indecisive.
   • React to constant external impacts with no system to shield ourselves and to get results.
4. Why We Waste Our Time/Our Personality Orientation:
   • Task/Achievement - personally doing (working) versus managing and delegating
   • Leadership/Dominance/Decision - taking charge and doing (working)
   • Impulsive/Physically Energetic - doing (working) and not planful
   • Socially Warm/Gregarious - people not task oriented
   • Theoretical/Detail/Structure - paralyses by analysis
   • Change/New Experience/Feeling - bored with routine, unstable, not team worker
   • Fellowship/Defensive/Aggressive - to please others, bureaucrat, performance for accolade, argue with others
   (Top)

HOW TO DISCOVER YOUR TIME WASTERS

• You discover that you waste time in the same way every day.
• You must discover for yourself where and how you waste time. It is not enough to learn from others.
• You need the amazing revelation of the great portions of time that you are WORKING AND WASTING, but not achieving GOALS AND RESULTS.
• Discovering them is very easy. You need to use a simple TIME LOG for a couple of weeks to make a MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH IN YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT.
• Take an 8 1/2 X 11" sheet of paper and organize it in columns as described and shown below. Photocopy a number pages of the blank form once laid out for coming days. Take a page and write in your typical daily activities across the top and break up the horizontal rows into quarter hours from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight. As you work through the day from the time you get up to the time you go to bed, place a dot in each quarter hour of the relevant activity throughout the day. At the end of the day add up the quarter hours and enter this total at the bottom of each column. Then add up all column totals across the bottom of the page. If you covert each column total into a percentage you will factually and quickly discover where and how you spent your day. DO THIS EVERY DAY FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED TO DISCOVER THAT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY DO WITH YOUR TIME IS NOT WHAT YOU BELIEVED. You then can start applying the tips and methods coming up to GREATLY INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY AND RELIEVE SOME OF/OR MUCH OF THE STRESS IN YOUR DAILY WORKING/PERSONAL LIFE.
  
• The follow chart is an example of the TIME LOG:

			    DAILY  ACTIVITIES

	     I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I L I   I   I   I
	     I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I e I   I R I   I
	     I   I   I   I S I   I   I   I   I t I   I e I   I
	     I   I   I   I t I B I   I   I   I t I   I a I e I
	     I   I   I T I a I r I J I J I   I e I   I d I t I
	     I P I   I e I f I e I o I o I   I r I A I i I c I
	     I e I C I l I f I a I b I b I R I s I I I n I . I
	     I r I o I   I   I k I   I   I e I   I A I g I   I
	     I s I m I C I M I s I 9 I 9 I p I M I   I   I   I
	     I o I m I a I e I   I 5 I 5 I o I e I A I m I   I
	     I n I u I l I e I E I 6 I 2 I r I m I C I a I   I
	     I a I t I l I t I a I 0 I 3 I t I o I E I g I   I
	     I l I e I s I . I t I 1 I 3 I s I s I C I s I   I
       6 AM--I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-------
	    -I * I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I
	   --I-*-I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-------
	    -I   I   I   I   I * I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I
       7 AM--I---I---I---I---I-*-I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-------
	    -I   I * I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I
	   --I---I-*-I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-------
    H       -I   I * I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I
    O  8 AM--I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-*-I---I---I---I---I-------
    U       -I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I * I   I   I   I   I
    R      --I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-*-I-*-I---I---I---I-------
    S       -I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I * I   I   I   I
       9 AM--I---I---I-*-I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-------
	    -I   I   I * I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I
	   --I---I---I---I-*-I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-------
	    -I   I   I   I * I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I
      10 AM--I---I---I---I-*-I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-------
	     I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I

       etc.  I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-------
	to   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I
   midnight  I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I---I-------
	     I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I


	     I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I=======
   TIME UNIT I 6 I 3 I 6 I 3 I 7 I14 I12 I 6 I 7 I 6 I 3 I   I  TOTAL
     TOTALS  I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   73
	     I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I===I=======

   % TOTALS    8%  4%  8%  4%  10% 19% 17% 8% 10%  8%  4%       100%

CONTROLLING DEMANDS ON YOUR TIME

A. Delegation:

1. Our inability to delegate creates the biggest bottleneck in our work and personal lives ... achieve results through others.
2. The me-do-it-myself syndrome may result from:
   • preference for operating not managing
   • demand to know all details
   • refusal to allow mistakes - perfection syndrome
   • disinclination to develop subordinates
   • lack of organizational skill
3. Major Delegation Benefits
   • Extends results from what a person can do to what a person can control
   • Releases your time for more important work
   • Develops subordinates initiative, skill, knowledge, and competence
   • Maintains the decision level
4. What to Delegate
   • Duties that can be assigned on a temporary basis
   • Fact-finding assignments
   • Preparation of rough drafts of written material, such as reports, resumes, policies, procedures
   • Problem analysis and possible solutions
   • Routine tasks
   • Collection of data for reports and/or presentations
   • Tasks that will challenge the subordinate
   • Tasks to test your subordinate's ability in specific areas of responsibility
   • Small units of work assignments from your responsibilities and functions
5. How to Delegate
   • Consider gradually increasing authority and responsibility.
   • Set clear, realistic goals for the task to be delegated.
   • Communicate the assignment clearly.
   • Give your support person complete information on organizational policy and procedure as it relates to the assignment.
   • Define the limits of responsibility as it relates to the assignment. After the delegatee thoroughly understands the limits of authority, allow him/her to go ahead.
   • When a subordinate has the responsibility for a decision, allow him/her to make it. Resist making decisions for your support staff.
   • Take enough time to help a delegatee solve an emergency problem, so when it comes up again, s/he can go ahead without interrupting you.
   • When a support person comes to you with a question concerning a delegated task, do not answer the question but help him/her think it through.
   • Set up a system that requires interim reports or checkpoints so you can review progress.
   • Establish a realistic completion date.
   • Delegate to the lowest level that can do the task, within your jurisdiction. If the subordinate of your subordinate could do the task, then say so, but delegate to your own subordinate. Let your subordinate redelegate the task is s/he so chooses.
   • If a subordinate's decision must be reversed, permit him/her to reverse it. Never openly countermand your subordinate's orders. Back up your support person in their relations with their subordinates.
   • Give the delegatee the authority needed for carrying out the assignment, and inform others that s/he has this authority. This will lessen the resistance of co-workers when the delegatee seeks information and/or help from them in carrying out the assignment.

B. Interruptions in your workplace:

1. Interruptions probably rate next to poor delegation practices as major time wasters.
2. They are number 1 as stress generators.
3. Interruptions are not only caused by others ... we frequently interrupt ourselves:
   • by losing concentration
   • got to find out what's going on in the office
   • in-basket curiosity
4. The three major interrupters are:
   • The Telephone:
     • To get results and relief you must control the 'phone.
     • Use your support person to buffer you.
     • Return calls in batches when you plan to do so after initial preparation.
     • Don't be a slave to the 'phone.
     • Re long distance calls ... an LD call is just another 'phone call. Where is the priority in being in another city ? There could be exceptions, but most people are slaves to "the apparent urgency of LD calls". Learn the difference between the IMPORTANT and the URGENT.
   • Internal Visitors:
     • To get results and relief you must control access to your office or workspace.
     • Closed door technique - you can't manage anything with open access to your office or workspace. At certain periods close the door or close off the entrance area to your workspace ... a chair with a sign hung on it or swing a plant into the entrance space with a partition mounted hanger.
     • Learn to say no nicely. You're busy, sorry, come back after a specified time.
     • If you are interrupted and must meet with a person, go to their office or workspace ... this gives you better control over when you can leave.
   • External Visitors:
     • Again, to get results and relief you must control access to your office or workspace.
     • Don't meet unknown visitors who don't have an appointment. Get the receptionist/support person's perception of the individual if you're in doubt.
     • If the person is known and no appointment, meet them in the reception area.
     • If they manage to get into your office/workspace, hold a stand-up meeting. Don't ever sit down.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS AND MEETINGS

A. Communications:

1. The communication process embraces 5 basic elements of communications: - thinking, acting, observing, talking and listening.
2. Of these 5 basic elements there are 4 primary communication skills:
   1. reading
   2. writing
   3. speaking
   4. listening
3. Behavioral and human resource specialists clearly state that the most important skill of these 4 is LISTENING. Most of us are poor listeners. If a reasonable communication time distribution for one person in a two person typical conversation/discussion is 50% talking and 50% listening time ... what % distribution would you estimate for yourself ? How would your closest associates rate you as a listener ?
4. The following 10 rules for good listening are classic:
   1. Stop talking
   2. Put the talker at ease
   3. Show you want to listen
   4. Remove distractions
   5. Empathize with the talker
   6. Be patient
   7. Hold your temper
   8. Go easy on interruptions/Don't argue
   9. Ask some questions as encouragement
   10. Stop talking

B. Meetings:

1. Many of us spend up to 50% of our time in various kinds of meetings.
2. Mastering knowledge of the function, structure and process of a meeting is essential to improving time management skills. There are three major elements - how many are attending ?, what is the process ?, what is the content ?
   • This expands to:
     • How many attending ?: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.
     • What is the process ?: typically attendees do one or more of the following:
       1. feedforward (information/reports/ideas)
       2. feedback (evaluative/reactive)
       3. creative/brainstorming (planning/proposals)
       4. decision (decision-making)
     • What is the content ? (This is the meeting agenda)
     • If you consider the above permutations and combinations that escalate with the number of meeting attendees, it is obvious that meeting function and process must be well understood, planned and organized.
   • 18 Steps To A Better Meeting:
     1. Plan the meeting carefully: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How Many.
     2. Prepare and send out the standard agenda, fully completed, in advance.
     3. Come early and check-out or set up the meeting room as you want it organized.
     4. Start on time. Begin the moment you have a quorum.
     5. Get participants to introduce themselves, if they are not already known to each other, and state the expectations for the meeting. What are you there to accomplish ?
     6. Clearly define roles.
     7. Review, revise, and order the agenda, if required.
     8. Set clear time limits in the agenda, if necessary, revise.
     9. Review action items only from previous meeting.
     10. Focus on the same problem in the same way at the same time. Do not evaluate when you are brainstorming, or fall into further reporting information when you are decision-making.
     11. Establish action items: Who, What, When.
     12. Review meeting notes to see if anything overlooked.
     13. Set the date, place and time of next meeting, if required, and develop preliminary agenda.
     14. Evaluate progress of the meeting just completed.
     15. Close the meeting on time crisply and positively.
     16. Clean up and, if required, rearrange the room.
     17. Prepare the meeting memo or minutes. Most meetings can be written up in a simple memo form - long detailed minutes are not required. What was the point considered, what was the outcome - ideas, information reviewed, decisions taken, what action by whom required when.
     18. Follow-up action items before the next meeting, and begin to plan the next meeting agenda. Get input from probable attendees on agenda items before the next meeting.

GETTING STARTED ON YOUR PERSONAL PROGRAM

1. BECOME AWARE OF TIME. We only have time and skill to manage and offer clients.
2. ACCEPT THAT YOU CANNOT BEAT THE CLOCK. Work smarter NOT harder and longer.
3. START TO MANAGE YOURSELF AND THEREBY YOUR TIME. You will accomplish more in the workplace and have more time for your family and leisure.
4. USE THE TIME LOG TO DISCOVER YOUR UNPRODUCTIVE AND UNPROFITABLE TIME WASTERS. Keep using it and watch the weekly hour totals increase for productive priority type tasks. Allocate time periods into workable "do-able' portions.
5. START OR IMPROVE YOUR "TO-DO" LIST BY PLANNING AND USE IT EVERY DAY. Use a priority 1, 2, 3, or A, B, C system and reschedule as necessary.
6. IDENTIFY YOUR PRIORITIES BY TASKS THAT OFFER THE HIGHEST RETURN ON INVESTED TIME - NOT - BY THEIR REPORTED OR APPARENT URGENCY.
7. FINISH A TASK BEFORE YOU START ANOTHER. If interrupted, return to finish it.
8. AFTER ONE - TWO MONTHS, SET A GOAL TO DOUBLE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY. Block out more time to do like things. Delegate more to others. Plan longer periods of uninterrupted time. Hold shorter productive meetings. Work in the car, plane, train.
9. MAINTAIN AS MUCH OF A CONTROLLED DAILY SCHEDULE AS POSSIBLE. Use your "To-Do" list, quiet hour, follow-up files, time reminder by alarm on your PC, clock, or support person.
10. TRY TO CUT DOWN ON INTERRUPTIONS - INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL. Close your door or obstruct the entrance to your workspace for privacy. Cut off the telephone for at least 2 hours during each day. Organize and persuade those about you of the critical importance of time planning. Control your environment - do not let it control you.
11. PLAN AND ALLOW SHORT PERIODS OF TIME FOR "CRISES" AND EXTERNAL INTERRUPTIONS. As you improve your time planning and control techniques, you will discover that there will be fewer of both. We frequently generate our own crises.
12. DO NOT SCHEDULE "JUNK WORK" (volunteer organization involvements). Give it to your support person or do it at home.
13. DELEGATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO OTHERS. Use delegation as a primary training technique for yourself and your subordinates. Most routine work is delegable. Delegate the right to be wrong. Experience is a series of mistakes, hopefully made not more than once.
14. WHEN YOU FEEL "BOGGED DOWN" AND YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES DO NOT SEEM TO BE WORKING ... HANG IN THERE. Review these 14 points to see where you may be slipping back. PROGRESS IN TIME MANAGEMENT IS A SERIES OF WINS AND LOSSES - YOU CAN'T WIN IF YOU DON'T PLAY AND TRY.

The foregoing has been prepared from Hoyles' "Time Management For Design Professionals" seminars. They have been presented throughout North America and overseas at annual/special meetings of national, state and local architectural, consulting engineering, surveying, environmental science, interior design, landscape architectural institutes/associations and for in-house client training. (C) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995. All rights reserved.