Time Management: How to Get the Most Out

of a Scarce Resource

Fellowship Director’s Conference May 2014

Susan Bostwick Hilary Haftel Su-Ting Li Franklin Trimm

Pair Share • What are your challenges in time management?

Large Group • What would you like to get out of this workshop?

Objectives • Understand importance of your goals in

prioritizing your To-Do List • Utilize Covey’s important/urgent matrix to

prioritize To-Do List • Identify strategies for time management

Goal setting exercise Determine your Goals • Complete worksheet

To-Do List On the form write down your current To-Do List

o Include short and long term items o Include Program, Scholarly Activities, etc

Matrix Matrix helps one think through “what do I really need to focus on?” You can get caught in the trap of trying to do too much. This tool helps identify the 20% of the things that will get 80% of the results. This tool can be used anytime there are too many items, of anything, to deal with. Can also be used with a group.

High

Low

Low High

Matrix

Importance

Urgency

Matrix • Take your To-do list and place each of the

items on the Matrix

Pair Share Review your goals, to do list, and matrix

Prioritizing Your Commitments

• Your efforts should align with your goals • You can’t be everything to everyone • Where would this fall on the importance/urgency

matrix?

Time Management • What ever you do make it count twice

o Make sure that your efforts receive recognition and that you turn some (not all) your work into scholarly product

• What can you delegate o Use situational management skills to determine to who and

the support they need • If you say yes to something

o First “consult” your mentor o Do you have room on your plate? o What will change to compensate for the new

role/responsibility? • Learning to say no

o Be cognizant of goals/mission of your superiors/institution o Negotiation skills

Key Questions When Asked to Do Something

• What are the questions/problems that this task addresses?

• What are the expected outcomes? • How can this be designed in such a way as to:

o Produce scholarly product(s) o Be useful to my department, institution, etc o Be useful to me in my career

Okay, now repeat after me: • NO! • No, I just don’t have the time to commit to this

project right now • No, I can’t, but thanks for thinking of me • No, I can’t, but I think you should ask _____, he/she

might be interested • Maybe, can you tell me more about it?

Suggestions for each box Important Goals Critical Activities Distraction Interruption

Strategies • Harried Harry Case • At your table break into groups of 4 and help Harry

with his calendar and to do list

Strategies • Harried Harry Case Part 2 • In your groups of 4 help Harry determine how to

address his new opportunities

Technology Tools • Technology & Time Management

o Tech tools should save you time and/or improve follow-through

o Task managers / To-Do lists o Entering tasks should be able to be done at any time using

whatever device you have available • Just-in-time task entry and review

o Technology aids but doesn’t replace self-discipline o Hey, it’s cool!! Why not have some fun while getting your

work done!

A few of my favorite things… • Wunderlist

o Free on iOS, Mac, Android, Windows and Web

• Syncs across all devices o Specifications

• Recurring • Work categories • Sub-tasks • Due dates / reminders • Attachments / web content • No priority label

Technology ∧

www.wunderlist.com

A few of my favorite things… • Toodledo

o iOS (app), Android, Blackberry (mobile web site) and Web

• Syncs across all devices o Specifications

• Recurring • Work categories • Sub-tasks • Due date / reminders • Scheduler (time required) • EmailTask • Priority labels

Technology ∧

www.toodledo.com

Q&A/Wrap up