Time Management
 |
| Our approach to time management is based on the observation of managers within a diverse range of business sectors who all share one common experience, that of working under often intense pressure and facing increasing demands on their time from all levels – often to deliver more while using less. Over the last decade we have developed a highly practical and user friendly approach to helping individuals in these circumstances. |
|
Workshop Style
We use a workshop style format which allows us to draw on the participant’s experiences, introduce and explore key principles, and to jointly investigate useful ideas, tools, and techniques. Where possible we will include practical learning activities to help reinforce and develop key points, and where appropriate these programmes are supported by personal coaching sessions to help individuals to get to grips with the particular issues and situations they face within their work.
Our programmes include single day workshops, workshops which incorporate a break between the first and last days to try out new ideas and approaches, and multi day modules, length and content are tailored to match the needs of each client.
Where appropriate we will work with teams / departments to help them develop solutions together (the most effective approach wherever team member’s actions have a significant impact on their colleague’s use of time). We provide open programmes, suitable for individuals to attend, for those situations where the individuals are able to address issues primarily through their own actions.
Key Principles
Key principles / thinking which influence our work include:
- Time itself is unchangeable – a constant factor – we cannot increase the number of hours in the day only the way in which we use those hours - therefore effective ‘time management’ is about how we manage ourselves and the activities which fill our time and how we influence and deal with the people and circumstances which impact on our use of time.
- Prioritising is key - the aim of effective time management is not to fit everything in but rather to ensure that we give clear and consistent priority to those things that matter most – and learn to let go of those things which matter least.
- ‘Big picture’ and ‘specifics’ – we have found that lasting improvements in our time / self management are most powerful when they are drawn from two complimentary perspectives:
- Understanding the ‘big picture’ of how precious our time is in relation to all aspects of our lives – a truly balanced and realistic overview helps us to grasp where our true priorities lie and to see just how much there is to be gained by ensuring that those priorities are given their rightful place within our use of time
- Tackling the nitty-gritty ‘specifics’ of our time use – how we do (or do not) plan each day, dealing with interruptions, managing our manager, organizing our work space, reducing stress, finding those five and ten minute gains of time which together can free up precious hours in every week.
Balancing Empathy & Challenge
With time management programmes we find it is particularly important to offer both empathy and challenge.
- We will take the time to acknowledge and listen to the often very difficult circumstances in which our course participants are required to ‘manage their time’ – allowing us to respond to their personal circumstances and unique difficulties.
- We provide a sensitive degree of challenge because it is often all too easy to leave things as they are – to complain about the lack of time, to work extra hours, to loose sleep, to blame all of our difficulties on those around us and yet to stick to old habits and to avoid tackling the issues which lead to lasting change.
|
