 |
 |
 |
Time Management Courses
These are just a few of the issues we target on our tailored time management training courses. We address the reality of every day life at work and at home. We focus on each person's specific time management challenges and deal with them.
Some people put themselves under pressure by taking on too much, others breeze through life without any sense of focus; the time management course covers both ends of the time management spectrum. Each person leaves with a plan of attack; a personal effectiveness action plan that can start straightaway to make their work and personal life more organised, focused and enjoyable.
Our time management courses in a nutshell
 |
Prioritise their workload |
|
Say No to requests when required |
|
Handle interruptions politely and professionally |
|
Set realistic objectives and deadlines |
|
Organise themselves more efficiently |
|
Consider using delegation as a time management tool |
|
Planning ahead and organising your day/week/month with discipline |
|
Prioritising tasks and sticking to your plan |
|
Setting challenging, realistic and measurable work and personal objectives |
|
Achieving a healthy work/life balance |
|
Saying NO to requests which don't warrant your attention |
|
Dealing with procrastination tendencies |
|
Managing stress associated with time pressures |
|
Identifying and dealing with people or work practices that waste your time |
|
Preparing for and running meetings professionally and efficiently |
|
Sharing your workload and using delegation to improve your time management |
|
Dealing assertively with unnecessary interruptions |
|
Creating a time record to monitor your workload and using it to plan ahead |
|
Managing and organising your email so that it helps not hinders you |
|
Putting in place some simple changes to improve your desk management |
Find out more about time management
Why do some people seem to be better at organising their time than others?
There's no doubt that some people are naturally more organised than others. But don't panic - everyone can do it! Our Time Management courses don't just help you with the tools of good time management - they also make sure you have the self-discipline to be able to put them into practice.
I'm quite organised with my time but I struggle with saying No to people. Is this something you address on your Time Management courses?
This is very common. Saying No when appropriate is one of the primary principles of good time management. There's a huge amount of time to be saved by saying No. However, there's a time and a place for saying No. You'll learn how to identify requests quickly that require a No rather than a Yes. You'll learn how to actually say No politely and, believe it not, positively. Saying No positively means you won't lose respect, be seen as negative, unaccommodating or unfriendly.
I'm continually being interrupted during the day. This wastes so much of my time - Do you cover this on your Time Management courses?
Having the ability to manage interruptions is a critical aspect of good time management. On the course you'll learn how to identify which interruptions are 'fair' and to be expected during the normal course of your work and which interruptions are 'unfair' and therefore wasting your time. We call people who interrupt you unfairly 'Time Robbers' because that's exactly what they are. Dealing with them isn't difficult. We'll make sure you can eradicate 'Time Robbers' and make the most of the huge time saving you'll
gain.
Is time management about having lots of jobs on at the same time and knowing how to prioritise them?
We call it multi-tasking. This is an issue we deal with on our Time Management courses. Your personal effectiveness will deteriorate significantly if you have too many jobs on the go at once. Having said this, the reality of your work and home life requires that you will need to multi-task. We understand this, we don't hide from it. The key is prioritisation - identifying which tasks come first and sticking to your plan with discipline. This way, you stand more chance of keeping your time management under control
and ensuring that you meet the deadlines you set yourself.
How can setting goals and objectives help my time management?
People who have clear and focused objectives in both their work and personal life are normally good at time management. In fact, studies have proved that these people achieve more, have a more positive outlook and enjoy life to the full. On our Time Management courses we make sure you have a good system for goal setting. Be careful though - don't bite off more than you can chew! Yes, your objectives should be challenging but they also need to be achievable, realistic and in some way measurable. That way, you'll
have more control over them and you'll know whether or not each one has been completed on time.
Realistically, is it ever possible to have a satisfactory work/life balance?
You're right to ask 'realistically' because being realistic about your work/life balance is they key to achieving it. Some people wish forever that they don't have to go to work - this, in most cases, is unrealistic. Most people do have to go to work. You are probably one of these people. On our Time Management courses you get a chance to reflect constructively on your work/life balance as it is now. If you're not happy with it, we'll give you some great ideas that will help you to achieve a better balance. It's
amazing how your attitude to life, your personal enjoyment, your motivation levels and your personal effectiveness can improve - simply by adjusting some small elements of your personal and work life.
Some quick tips for improving your time management
Self-Discipline
This is the key to successful time management. We've set out some really useful top tips below. They all require self-discipline in order for them to work. If you want to improve your time management, you'll need to come to terms with this. People who are good at time management possess the characteristic of self-discipline.
Time Log
One of the best ways to improve your time management is firstly to find out where your time goes. You can do this simply and easily by creating a time log. This means listing on a daily basis what you have done. You'll need to persevere with this for two weeks. Once you know how you are spending your time, ask yourself what is wasted time, what can be cut out, and what can you do more efficiently?
To Do List
This may seem a bit of a cliché but it really does work. Try writing your 'to do' list in the evening or when you finish work for the next day. You’ll be surprised what a difference this makes. You’ll feel more motivated to get it done when you see it the next day. Make sure you organise your tasks according to priority – this will really improve your time management skills. You will also feel a real sense of satisfaction and achievement as your tasks are ticked off during the day.
Effective Communication
Good time management is all about effective communication. If you don’t get your message across clearly, you will waste a lot of time trying to clarify your message at a later stage. Leave clear and concise telephone messages and ensure your emails relay exactly what you want to say.
Managing Meetings
Have you ever attended a meeting and felt that you've achieved nothing or that perhaps someone else from your organisation would have been better suited to attend? Meetings can be a big time waster. Better time management can be achieved by ensuring that you only attend meetings which are advantageous. Furthermore, be prepared. If you have to attend a meeting, make sure you’ve prepared thoroughly for it so that you can make the most of your time there and that you achieve your objectives. Unnecessary follow-up
meetings can be a big time waster and lead to poor time management.
Organisation
Be organised. 'A tidy desk means a tidy mind' - you’ve probably heard this saying a thousand times. Well it’s true and it does work. Your time management will be more effective if you have a tidy desk, an organised email filing system, a tidy in-tray and a neat and tidy 'to do' list. Be organised and see your time management improve.
Prioritisation
Most people have more than one task which they need to complete during the day. Good time management means prioritising your tasks. A clearly defined list of tasks will help you to focus on deadlines and keep you on top of things. As new tasks become apparent during the day – ensure that you prioritise them – don’t let them take over what you were already doing. Prioritisation is a vital component of successful time management.
Delegation
Ask yourself whether it is really necessary for you personally to complete the task. Could you ask someone else, perhaps more junior to you, to complete it on your behalf? Delegate tasks wherever possible and your time management will be improved.
Saying ‘No’
Do you find saying No difficult? Do you find that well-meaning colleagues sometimes make demands on your time unnecessarily? It is possible to say No politely – if done professionally, people will in fact respect you more because they know where they stand and that they are not being promised something you can’t deliver. This will also help you to keep control of your time which in turn will lead to good time management.
Stay Focused
Time management is only effective if you stay focused on the tasks that will bring you success. Regularly check that you are on target and that you have achieved what you set out to do.
Objective setting
People who are good at time management know what they want to achieve. They have a focus. You’ll need to set yourself personal and work objectives. You’ll achieve much much more if you know what you want out of life and work
