Leadership Skill Development

Program

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Program DesignProgram Design• Objectives:

– To provide focused hands-on learning opportunities to build practical leadership skills

• Design:– 2 hour format offered 1/month– 2 or 3 specific practical skills/session– Skill Building - practice– Topics defined based on needs analysis– Follow-up

Respironics Inc.Respironics Inc.

Three Secrets of Three Secrets of

Time ManagementTime Management

Leadership Skill Development

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Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

At the end of this workshop the participants will be able to:

• Identify and leverage practical tools for dealing with conflicting time demands and priorities

• Demonstrate practical tools for maximizing performance within a time-crunched workplace

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• "There is not enough time to do everything that is expected of me."

• "Everybody keeps changing my priorities."

• "How can I say 'no' without getting in trouble or losing my job?"

• "I never get anything done because of all the interruptions."

• "There is so much to do, I'll never get it all done."

• "Everything seems to be urgent and due tomorrow."

• "How do I know the deadline is real?"

Today’s WorkplaceToday’s Workplace

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The 3 SecretsThe 3 SecretsThe 3 secrets of effective time management are:

Clarify Expectations – know exactly what is required of you and to plan accordingly

Take Control of your Time – the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves

Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize – build/apply a method of priority setting

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Clarify ExpectationsClarify Expectations

"Nothing is more terrible than

activity without insight"

- Thomas Carlyle

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Clarify ExpectationsClarify ExpectationsClear expectations provide 3 significant advantages:

Targets performance – know exactly what is required of you and to plan accordingly

Avoid wasted time – working against incorrect or incomplete expectations

Supports foundation for plan – without expectations of a task it is difficult to plan and prioritize against other tasks.

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Clarify ExpectationsClarify ExpectationsApplication – 6 question to clarify expectations:

1. What are the desired results (what must be accomplished)?

2. What are the roles involved in this task (accountability)?

3. What resources are available (i.e. people, technology, money, etc.)?

4. Within what boundaries must I operate (i.e. deadlines, formidable restrictions, potential danger spots, previous experience, etc.)

5. What are the standards of performance (how will the results be measured)?

6. What are the consequences of success and failure?

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Clarify ExpectationsClarify ExpectationsApplication – additional techniques:1. Create a project description based on your understanding of

the project and ask the project sponsor to review and revise

2. Take the time to compare your understanding of the project with others assigned to the project

3. Give short, regular project updates to interested parties to verify project direction and priority

4. Check to see if the deadlines are real?

• Ask "what other tasks are contingent upon on-time completion of this task?"

• Ask "how was the deadline established for this task?"

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Take ControlTake Control

"Work expands so as to fill the time

available for its completion“

- Parkinson's Law

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Take ControlTake ControlTaking control requires:

Managing Self – challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves.

Allocating Time – Tasks tend to fill the time allotted to them so allocate properly

Avoiding Interruptions – unexpected/expected

Learning when/how to say ‘No’ – Just because you are asked…

Determine proper ownership – delegate

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Take ControlTake ControlApplication – planning time more effectively:1. Establish overarching goals for your work performance to

provides a context for performance planning

2. Set goals and plan to-do list for 1 week at a time - then adapt

3. Establish specific time limits for conversations, meeting and social interactions and stick to them

4. Schedule meeting for the length of time you believe it will take to address the issue – avoid traditional 1 hour chunks

5. Always use agendas and/or topic outlines to keep meeting and conversations on track

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Take ControlTake ControlApplication – avoiding interruptions:1. Close the door to your office/post a note not to disturb for a

certain period of time. It is important for them to know when you will be available.

2. Decide not to take telephone calls during certain times - voicemail or admin filter

3. Establish a "quite time" for your work area - no meetings

4. Arrange your work space so that you are not easily distracted

5. Meet unwanted visitors outside of your workspace and discuss issue there

6. Find an isolated spot where no will look for you. Tell only those individuals who need to know where you are.

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Take ControlTake ControlApplication – managing interruptions:1. Establish a time frame for the interruption (i.e. "I can only

give you five minutes.")

2. Postpone the interruption to another time and establish a time frame for that discussion. (i.e. "Can we meet 10 minutes before the staff meeting tomorrow to address this issue?")

3. Use non-verbal clues to communicate your time constraint (i.e. glance at your watch, stand-up rather than sit down, etc.)

4. If you are not the right person to help with the situation, say so – delegate - and avoid being sucked into helping the individual solve their problem (i.e. "I'm sorry, but I don't have the information you need. You might try Bob.")

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Take ControlTake ControlApplication – saying "no" without guilt or

losing credibility:1. Clearly understand the request before turning it down (i.e.

"I not sure I am the best person to help you meet your need. Fill me in a little more so I can determine if I am.").

2. Empathize and decline with a polite ‘no’ (i.e. "That sounds like a worthwhile project. I am honored that you asked me to be part of it. For a number of reasons, I will not be participating myself, but I want you to know how much I appreciate your asking.")

3. Recommend other solutions without taking accountability to solve their problem (i.e. Have you tried Bob for gathering that information?)

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PrioritizePrioritize

"If every thing is important...

nothing is important"

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PrioritizePrioritizeTime Management Matrix:

Urgent - requires immediate action

Important - results in action to reach high priority goals

Urgent Not Urgent

Important

crises,

deadline-driven problems

planning,

building relationships, problem prevention

Not

Important

interruptions,

some phone calls, some meetings, some reports

trivia,

some phone calls, some mail,

busy work

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PrioritizePrioritizeApplication – set & maintain priorities:1. Organize the requests you get for your time into the four

quadrants of the Time Management Matrix, - do the important things

2. Track your daily activities for one week then plot against the time management matrix

3. Organize your time and set your priorities on a weekly bases

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PrioritizePrioritizeApplication – manage conflicting priorities:1. Ask yourself the question "If I could only do one, which

would it be?"

2. Go back to each party and test the importance and urgency of each task

3. Bring the individuals involved in the conflicting priorities together and use them to help resolve the conflict

4. Evaluate each priority/demand against the time management matrix

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The 3 SecretsThe 3 SecretsThe 3 secrets of effective time management are:

Clarify Expectations – know exactly what is required of you and to plan accordingly

Take Control of your Time – the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves

Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize – build/apply a method of priority setting

Three Secrets of Three Secrets of

Time ManagementTime Management

Leadership Skill Development