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TIME MANAGEMENT
TIME IS MONEY 
• You can make money; you can’t make time. 
• An inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time.
WHY TIME MANAGEMENT ? 
• To utilise the available time in 
optimum manner to achieve one’s 
personal and professional goals.
TIME FOR EVERYTHING 
• Take time to work,it is the price of success 
• Take time to think,it is the source of power 
• Take time to play,it is the source of youth 
• Take time to read,it is the source of wisdom 
• Take time to love, it is the privilege of Gods 
• Take time to serve,it is the purpose of life 
• Take time to laugh,it is the music of soul
HOW TO LIVE ON TWENTY-FOUR 
HOURS A DAY 
• Arnold Bennett’s book published in 1907. 
• Henry Ford gave 500 copies of the book to 
his managers. 
• President of another American motor 
company issued 18000 copies – one to each 
employee.
TIME AWARNESS – TIME 
TRACKING 
• Peter Drucker : “Make sure you know 
where your time goes.” 
• Don’t depend on memory. Keep a time log. 
• See that your time is spend as per your 
priorities or your core responsibilities.
MANAGERS TIME 
• Planning is key managerial function but 
research shows that less than 5% of 
management time goes on planning. 
• Pareto Principle : Twenty percent of your 
time will produce 80% of your productive 
output. Can you afford not to manage at-least 
that 20% ? 
• Parkinson’s Law : Work expands to fill the 
time available for it. Beware !
TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIX-CLASSIFICATION 
OF ACTIVITIES 
URGENCY/ 
IMPORTANCE 
URGENT NOT URGENT 
IMPORTANT 1 2 
NOT 
IMPORTANT 
3 4
EFFICIENCY vs EFFECTIVENESS 
• Often worst performers are those who seem 
to be working hardest and longest. They are 
very busy but not necessarily effective.
COMMON TIME MANAGEMENT 
PROBLEMS : PROCRASTINATION 
• Procrastination : Putting off the doing of 
something intentionally and habitually. 
• If you suspect yourself; ask yourself – why 
am I putting this off?. If there is no reason. 
Do it. Do not confuse reason with excuse. 
• PROCRASTINATION is world’s number 
one time waster. Banish it from your life. 
There is no time like present to do any 
work.
COMMON TIME MANAGEMENT 
PROBLEMS : POOR DELEGATION 
• Do not spend time on a work that can be 
done ,to a satisfactory level, by your 
subordinate. 
• Delegation saves your time and develops 
subordinates 
• Delegation improves results by making fuller 
use of resources 
• Delegation implies transferring initiative and 
authority to another
THE ART OF DELEGATION 
• Delegation begins with a deep sense of the 
value and limits of your time. 
• Managers often complain that they are 
running out of time when their subordinates 
are running out of work. 
• Delegating the more routine or predictable 
part of ones job is only the first step. 
• Delegation is not abdication. Some degree 
of control needs to be maintained.
DIFFICULTIES IN DELEGATION 
– It’s risky. 
– We enjoy doing things. 
– We don’t sit & think. 
– It’s a slow process. 
– Like to be “top of everything”. 
– Will subordinate outstrip us? 
– Nobody can do it as well as I can. 
• Delegation is a great motivator. It enriches 
jobs, improves performance & raises morale 
of staff.
COMMON TIME MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS 
OFFICE MIS-MANAGEMENT 
• Develop an efficient system of office working. 
• Muddle makes work and wastes time. Strive 
for good order in your office. 
• Utilise all resources fully. 
• Handle telephone properly. Don’t let it 
become a nuisance. 
• To the extent possible, handle a piece of paper 
only once.
TIME EFFECTIVENESS IN OFFICES 
• Time can be wasted imperceptibly if your work 
area is not organised well. Your desk should be 
clear of all paper except the specific job on hand. 
It invites you to think about one thing at a time. 
Concentration is a great time saver. 
• Paper work : Recommended principle is “to 
handle each piece of paper only once.” 
• Sort papers under : FOR ACTION/ 
FOR INFORMATION/ FOR READING/ FOR 
WASTE PAPER 
• BOTTOM DRAWER
EFFECTIVE WRITING 
• Clarity, simplicity and conciseness are 
essentials of good writing. 
• Think, List and then Arrange. 
• Do not cover too many subjects in one 
letter. 
• Strive to write one page letters. These are 
more digestible.
MAKE THE TELEPHONE WORK FOR 
YOU 
• Telephone is a great time-saving tool in 
right hands. 
• Plan your calls. 
• Set aside a period of time for making and if 
possible, receiving calls 
• Timing for each call.
HOW TO CONTROL INTERRUPTIONS 
• Set a time limit and stick to it. 
• Set the stage in advance : You are very busy with a 
deadline in light. 
• With casual droppers-in, remain standing. 
• Meet in other person’s office. 
• Get visitors to the point. 
• Be ruthless with time but gracious with people. 
• Have a clock available . 
• Use a call-back system for telephone calls.
YOUR PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANT 
• Transform your PA/Secretary into 
Professional Assistant . 
• Your PA can help you save time by 
– Keeping unwanted callers at bay – by diverting 
them to appropriate person. 
– Minimizing interruptions; can arrange 
interviews suitably. 
– Dealing with routine correspondence.
COMMON TIME MANAGEMENT 
PROBLEMS : MEETINGS 
• Meetings are potential time wasters. 
• Meetings are necessary evil; distractions from 
one’s regular work. 
• Try to say ‘No’ to a meeting where you are not 
required. 
• Agenda should be definite. Every one should 
receive the agenda and relevant papers well in 
advance. 
• There should be a finishing time for meeting.
DOs/ DON’Ts FOR 
BOSS/CHAIRPERSON/ADMINISTRATOR 
• Do not call a meeting unless it is necessary 
• Do not call a meeting if the task can be handled by a call 
or by a small group through formal/ informal discussion 
• Meetings are not required to: 
 ‘Boss around’ or give ‘messages’ 
 Socialise 
 Rubber stamp decisions 
 Pass on information 
 Promote private or hidden agenda 
 Continue the habit
DOs/DON’Ts FOR 
BOSS/CHAIRPERSON/ADMINISTRATOR 
• Call only those who are involved 
• Have a written agenda and circulate to all 
along with supporting papers 
• Do not over-pack the agenda 
• Agenda should not have ‘Any other item’ 
• Start on time 
• Stick to agenda 
• Beware of ‘Hijackers’
DOs/DON’Ts FOR PARTICIPANTS 
• Come prepared (with facts and figures) 
• Come on time 
• Talk to the point.Do not try to divert the 
discussion 
• Do not try to hijack the meeting
BOSS-IMPOSED TIME 
• Time spent doing things we would not be 
doing if we did not have bosses. 
• Keeping bosses satisfied takes time, but 
dealing with dissatisfied bosses takes even 
more time. 
• Failing to invest sufficient time to satisfy 
bosses always results in more & more boss-imposed 
time. With lesser time for others.
ROLE OF BOSS:BOSS MUST REALISE THAT- 
• The time of the subordinate is also important for the 
organisation. 
• The tasks monitored by you are only part of duties of 
subordinate. 
• If subordinate is hard pressed for time the quality of 
output is bound to suffer. 
• System improvements are essential responsibilities of 
bosses-particularly those which reduce time being 
spend on unimportant/ unnecessary activities 
• You can do only one persons work. 
• Perfection, at times, becomes counterproductive.
ROLE OF SUBORDINATE 
• Realise that Boss has a wider vision 
• Devote time as per organisational objectives 
and your goals 
• Go to Boss after doing your home work 
• Manage the problems which can be tackled 
at your level
PLANNING THE DAY 
• Prepare a list of priorities for the day based on 
urgency and importance. 
• Get the timing right. 
• Morning is the time for hard work. 
• Interesting work, meetings and social events can 
take place in off-peak time. 
• Have work-breaks to over come fatigue. 
• Living 100% in the present improves your work 
output.
OTHER TIME SAVERS 
• Concentration, Avoid interruptions 
• Use of committed time 
• Good Health 
• Do not let your subordinate come to you 
with problems unless they bring their 
proposed solutions.
PROBLEMS OF OVERWORKED 
MANAGER 
• Why some managers are typically running out 
of time while their staff is running out of 
work. 
– They pick up staff’s job. They enjoy & are good 
at it. 
– They try to do things efficiently which are not 
worth doing at first place. Efficiency Vs 
Effectiveness. 
• It can be explained by ‘Monkey-on-the-back’ 
analogy. Monkey is ‘next move’ or problem 
or opportunity that comes to us.
WHAT IS A MONKEY? 
• A monkey is a next move or 
an opportunity, or problem 
which comes to us. 
• ‘Monkey Management’ 
helps to transform from a 
manager under time pressure 
to an effective one.
MONKEY-ON-THE-BACK 
• Some ‘Monkeys’ belong to us. However, greatest 
proportion belongs to subordinates. 
• Once we pick up ‘Monkeys’ from subordinates 
they get message that we want Monkeys. 
• By allowing ‘Monkey’ from your subordinates on 
to your back you volunteered for two things: 
– Accepted responsibility for the problem from him. 
– Promised him a progress report. 
• Now he will pressurise you to do what actually is 
his job.
MONKEY-ON-THE-BACK 
• Sometimes colleagues also try to pass on 
their monkeys. 
• Many Bosses are in habit of passing their 
monkeys to subordinates. 
• This snowballs to upward, sideward & 
downward leaping ‘Monkeys’. These take 
our all available time with no time to work 
on our own ‘Monkeys’. 
• So be careful.Do not accept others 
monkeys.
RECAP 
• Yesterday is a cancelled cheque, Tomorrow is a 
promisory note,Today is ready cash. Use it. 
• When feasible, delegate. 
• Don’t let paperwork pile up. 
• Do not postpone work. 
• Identify your time waster and resolve to eliminate 
them. 
• Add times for relaxation and recreation in your 
schedule.
RECAP 
• Identify and make use of “up” and “down” time. 
• Learn to say “NO.” It is not a crime. 
• Make use of committed time – travel time, waiting 
time etc. 
• Plan the day. 
• Set goals and work towards achieving them. 
• Keep the Boss happy.
THANK YOU