Soft Skills Module 9. The Time Management Framework

Soft Skills Module 9 The Time Management Framework

Soft Skills Module 9 The Time Management Framework Summary Goal: To understand the need to manage time efficiently and balance work and personal needs. SMART Objectives: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive By the end of this module, students should be able to: Objective SS9.1: Recognize what good time management means and looks like. Objective SS9.2: Understand and use a time management assessment as a mechanism for assessing personal time use. Objective SS9.3: Comprehend how to organize time using a time log. Objective SS9.4: Have a collection of time management strategies and techniques to try as they build a successful home-based business. Instructor: Delivery Method(s): Self-exploration, facilitated discussion Length: Three Lessons A total of 2 hours 45 minutes Any Applicable Business and/or Soft Skills? Business Skills Developing time management tactics Understanding and recognizing the importance of time management in a contracting/service delivery business environment Corresponding NLS Lesson # Take Away Message(s): The purpose of this module is to assist students in evaluating the necessary work and personal time management skills and needs when running a home-based business as a braille transcriber. Soft Skills Module 9-1

Instructor Preparation Title of Module: The Time Management Framework Instructor: As students complete the braille transcriber training program and get ready to exit the prison, the subject of time management will be important. When beginning a home-based microenterprise contracting business a strong time management framework is essential. The effectiveness and efficiency of the business rests on this framework and will drive work dependability, attention, focus, and delivery. This module should be taught in the future tense and references to non-prison examples should be made clearly to allow students to adequately connect what is presented to what will need to be applied in the future. Agenda topics to be covered in the module and length of each item Topic: Time Management Time Allotted: 2.75 hours A. Assessing Time and the Management of Time (1 hour) B. Organizing Time Using a Time Log (1 hour) C. Time Management Strategies and Techniques (45 minutes) Materials & Supplies items needed in order to carry out the agenda and classroom activities 1. Handouts: Time Management Future Assessment (9.A.1), Computer-Based Time Management Survey (9.A.2), Time log (9.B.1) 2 copies per student, Time Savers (AKA Organization Strategies and Techniques) (9.C.1), Daily Grind (9.C.2) Classroom Preparation steps to follow when setting up the learning environment 1. Flip chart/pad with markers or board/markers for instructor 2. Access to computers with Excel 3. Configure room for dyad/triad discussion groups Soft Skills Module 9-2

Curriculum Content A. Assessing Time and the Management of Time (1 hour) Objective SS9.1: Recognize what good time management means and looks like. Objective SS9.2: Understand and use a time management assessment as a mechanism for assessing personal time use. CONTENT PRESENTATION AND LEARNER PARTICIPATION Present some statements to students about time and ask students if they are facts or fiction. Some examples are: o Time flies. Answer: Fiction Time actually moves at a predetermined fixed rate. o No one else manages my time but me. Answer: Fact We let others change our decisions about time and schedule. o We save time. Answer: Fiction One cannot put time in the bank, postpone it or overspend it. o Time is against us. Answer: Fiction Time is on our side once we organize it. Write on one piece of chart paper or the board Time Savers. Write on another chart paper or the board Time Wasters. Have students share examples from their past and present (as applicable) that fall under either heading. Have each student create a pie chart using Excel software showing how he/she currently spends his/her day (the instructor may need to assist with an example). NOTE: This exercise may be coordinated with the Time Log (9.B.1) in Topic B. Have students complete the Time Management Future Assessment (9.A.1), and think of how they will try to use their time in the future after exiting the prison and beginning their contracting work. Soft Skills Module 9-3

After all students have completed the activity, group students into teams of three to four; have them discuss what areas of time management they are concerned about. After a suitable discussion time ask each team to share their top two or three concerns. Write those on chart paper and use later when describing different time management techniques and strategies. An additional Computer-based Time Management Survey (9.A.2) is attached with a website for entering student responses and scoring. Students should take the survey, again thinking about the future. Make sure students are aware that they can access the survey free of charge when they are on their own if they want to re-assess their time management skills. B. Organizing Time Using a Time Log (1 hour) Objective SS9.3: Comprehend how to organize time using a time log. CONTENT PRESENTATION AND LEARNER PARTICIPATION Have students complete a Time Log (9.B.1) for current functions/time regiments just to become familiar with the log. Then have students create a Perceived Time Log (9.B.1) the kinds of time they believe they will spend once they have exited the prison and started their business. Have the students keep the log for future reference. Have each student create a pie chart using Excel software showing how he/she may need to spend his/her day in the future as a sole proprietor/contractor (the instructor may need to assist with an example). Lead a discussion addressing differences between the two pie charts (current and future). Have students identify what the pitfalls and stumbling points could be for future. Write the pitfalls and stumbling points down on chart paper and place them next to the concerns to use when describing different time management techniques and strategies. C. Time Management Strategies and Techniques (45 minutes) Objective SS9.4: Have a collection of time management strategies and techniques to try as they build a successful home-based business. CONTENT PRESENTATION AND LEARNER PARTICIPATION Soft Skills Module 9-4

Have students review the applicable Time Savers (AKA Organization Strategies and Techniques) (9.C.1) listed that pertain to the two lists done earlier on chart paper as time savers/time wasters charts, time management concerns charts after prison. The Daily Grid (9.C.2) Have the students complete independently and compare their answers with other students; facilitate a discussion about their choices and responses. Soft Skills Module 9-5

Soft Skills Module 9 The Time Management Framework Handouts Soft Skills Module 9-6

Time Management Future Assessment (9.A.1) Questions About My Perception of Traits that I Will Put Into Place When I Am a Sole Proprietor/Contractor I know and will take advantage of my learning style; I know strategies that help me to learn better and I able am able to put them into action. Perceived Trait = 2 Points I will use a monthly calendar to keep track of activities and obligations. I will use a weekly calendar to keep track of activities and obligations. Every morning I will create a list of the things I have to do for the day. Every evening I will review the list of things that needed to get done for the day, cross off those completed, and create a new list for the next day. When I feel there are too many things to do I will take a few minutes, sit down and organize myself. When I first begin work, I will take a few minutes to determine the things I have to do throughout the day, especially the priorities. I will have all my phone numbers and contacts in one place. I will have stacks of paper which will represent things I have to do. I will rely on sticky notes to remind me of the things I have to do. I will carry a calculator so I can do the math needed faster and with accuracy than in my head. I will not be afraid to ask for information that I need to do the work. I will schedule tasks I don t like to do between tasks I like so I work faster on things I don t like to do in order to get to tasks I enjoy doing. I will do two tasks at the same time when one of them requires waiting. I know my environmental preferences and will make sure I work under Soft Skills Module 9-7

those conditions whenever possible. Questions About My Perception of Traits that I Will Put Into Place When I Am a Sole Proprietor/Contractor Perceived Trait = 2 Points I will make a budget to manage my business and personal money so I will know how much money to put in the bank and what bills to pay right off when the checks come in for the work completed. I will get enough sleep, exercise and eat right; I will work to stay in good health. I will review my business plan and future goals and obligations often to ensure I am staying on track. Add a time management strategy: Add a time management strategy: Total Points Questions About My Perception of Habits that I Might Have When I Am a Sole Proprietor/Contractor Perceived Habit = 2 Points I am concerned about being sleepy when working; I am more of a night owl than a morning person. I think I will get to work and get busy; I doubt that I will have time to think of my daily obligations or plan ahead. I like to do one thing at a time; if I am waiting for a phone call I am likely to just take a rest. I will probably watch television, do my social networking and be on the cell phone three to four hours per day should cover it. If I have a personal or professional problem more than likely it will occupy my mind; I won t get much done work wise because I will be worried about the problem; I can spend hours worrying about things. Soft Skills Module 9-8

Questions About My Perception of Habits that I Might Have When I Am a Sole Proprietor/Contractor Perceived Habit = 2 Points I have never been the most organized person; I can see my future with unorganized drawers, piles of stuff and me hunting around for things. I can keep lots of stuff in my head so I don t think I will need or use a calendar to schedule my time. I smoke and drink coffee/tea so I suspect I will take a break every chance I get to have a cigarette and drink a cup of coffee/tea. Since it is a home-based business, I will probably take personal calls during my scheduled work time. In the past when someone has wanted to meet with me I have scheduled it, only to realize later that I am already busy at that time; then I have had to call or email and reschedule. Add a time waster of you own. Add a time waster of you own. Total Points Final Tally Part I Points Part II Points Subtract Part II from Part I for a Final Score What your final score may mean based on your perceptions of the traits and habits you might have when you are a sole proprietor/contractor. Score between 30-36 Score between 22-28 Score below 20 You perceive you will be excellent at managing your time. You perceive you will be like most people, needing some time management improvement. You perceive you might need to work a lot on your time management skills; you have time wasters and do not see yourself as organized. 9.A.1 Soft Skills Module 9-9

Computer-based Time Management Future Assessment (9.A.2) Time Management Survey Question Computer-based Not Some Rarely at all times Often Very Often 1 Are the tasks you work on during the day the ones with the highest priority? 2 Do you find yourself completing tasks at the last minute, or asking for extensions? 3 Do you set aside time for planning and scheduling? 4 Do you know how much time you are spending on the various jobs you do? 5 How often do you find yourself dealing with interruptions? 6 Do you use goal setting to decide what tasks and activities you should work on? 7 Do you leave contingency time in your schedule to deal with "the unexpected? 8 Do you know whether the tasks you are working on are high, medium, or low value? 9 When you are given a new assignment, do you analyze it for importance and prioritize it accordingly? 10 Are you stressed about deadlines and commitments? 11 Do distractions often keep you from working on critical tasks? 12 Do you find you have to take work home, in order to get it done? 13 Do you prioritize your "To Do" list or Action Program? 14 Do you regularly confirm your priorities with your boss? 15 Before you take on a task, do you check that the results will be worth the time put in? Soft Skills Module 9-10

Score Interpretation: Students receive 1 point for not at all and up to 5 points for very often, scoring 1 to 5 in order. Please ask students to tally their individual scores. Score Comment 46-75 31-45 15-30 You're managing your time very effectively! Still, check the sections on the website to see if there's anything you can tweak to make this even better. You're good at some things, but there's room for improvement elsewhere. Focus on the serious issues listed on the website, and you'll most likely find that work becomes much less stressful. Ouch. The good news is that you've got a great opportunity to improve your effectiveness at work, and your long term success! However, to realize this, you've got to fundamentally improve your time management skills. Start by reviewing suggestions in your notebook and on the website. 9.A.2 Soft Skills Module 9-11

Time Log (9.B.1) As you begin your business, track your past week. How did you spend your time? Mark how much time in minutes and hours you spend doing the following: Sleeping Eating Transcribing Marketing Goal Setting Prioritizing Organizing Customer Services Banking Budgeting Paying Bills Television Social Networking Phone Relaxing Exercising Cleaning Visiting Doing Nothing With Family Partying Shopping Errands Other Other Other Other Other Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 9.B.1 Soft Skills Module 9-12

Time Savers (AKA Organization Strategies and Techniques) (9.C.1) Goal Setting, Scheduling, Planning Meetings and Appointments Set up goals and priorities. Conduct purposeful action planning. Schedule time to do long range planning with goals, objectives, steps and deadlines for completion. Create a daily to-do list and group related tasks together. Prioritize the items on a task list. Highlight priority items. Post sticky notes and signs in your workspace to remind you of your identified priorities. Establish clear expectations. Frequently ask, What is the best use of my time right now? Ask, What would happen if I did not do this? Know when to stop working on a task; don t overdo it. Get the proper tools to do the work right the first time. Do one thing at a time unless you are waiting for something else; then have a secondary task to work on. Set aside some time to do nothing. Set aside time for uninterrupted focus and concentration. Let others know your scheduling needs and allotted times to interrupt as applicable. Use time-logs and idea files to capture work flow and innovation. Use yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily calendars. Take deadlines seriously and plan for them at the beginning of a project. Examine current use of time one to two times per month. Expect things to take longer than anticipated. Leave early for appointments and know where you are going. All meetings need a clear purpose. Schedule meetings before lunch or near the end of the day. All meetings should have set time limit. Listen carefully and take notes in a spiral notebook or journal. If other people should attend the meeting limit to only those needed. Most meetings expand to the time allowed; reduce time scheduled and send an agenda. Email / request agendas with specified timeframes per subject matter. Always start the meeting on time. Close the door when meeting is to start. Place all priority items at the beginning of the agenda in a rank order of importance and information items last. Redirect discussion back to the topic. Ask all to put electronic devices on silent mode so the work can get done without interruption. Do not require everyone to talk unless necessary. Spend a few minutes prior to the meeting reviewing the agenda, understanding the issues/requests, formulating some responses, and thinking about who will be present. Review all papers, reading, or anticipated discussion prior to the start of the meeting. Only hold a meeting or attend if necessary. Filing Color code by label, pendaflex or folder. Clean files out regularly both efiles and paper. Back up electronic data regularly. 9.C.1 Soft Skills Module 9-13

Design and keep an organized record system. Phones and Emails Before making return or cold calls, plan out what you want to say. Identify yourself by full name and state your purpose of the call early. Group calls and emails; address in morning, immediately after lunch and at end of day. Use voice mail system to record / screen calls. Arrange specific times to call or get back to customers and callers; mark on the calendar. Write responses on the letter or phone message; e-responses can be added to the note on a task list. Create templates and form letters with standard paragraphs. Keep letters and emails short. Use diagrams/charts where information is better displayed than with words. Keep the paperwork and forms to a minimum; only do what is absolutely necessary. Touch items once read, respond, file or toss. Use technology as needed (voice to text, text readers, etc.). Set specific time to address. correspondence; use email and the phone when appropriate. Environment and Work Space Keep work space for work; socialize on neutral ground or non-dedicated work zones. Keep desk top clear, except for current work. Toss what you don t need; a work space is not the place for clutter or storage. Ensure all work items have a set place. Keep items off work space until you are ready for them. Ensure the work space is arranged in a way that works best for you and work flow. Design a comfortable, pleasant space with easy access to necessary tools. Remember, your work space is specifically for receiving and processing contracts. Eat light lunches. Exercise at lunch. Correspondence and Paperwork Decision Making / Avoiding Procrastination Set realistic deadlines and then challenge yourself to meet or beat them. Understand the benefits of doing unpleasant tasks and functions. Be interested in your work, every day. When problems exist make or get clear statements of the trouble/difficulty to be solved. Think ahead; do not needlessly complicate tasks or problems. Avoid perfectionism. If you find you are avoiding an aspect of a job, make appointment to discuss with customer. Ask, What am I avoiding? or Am I avoiding anything? Put reminders of a task or job in the center of your desk on a special color sticky note. Do unpleasant tasks at the same time each day. Write out a plan to get unpleasant task done. Identify the consequences of not doing the task. 9.C.1 Soft Skills Module 9-14

Before ending the day or taking a break, set up the next step. Slow Times When things begin to get jammed up, slow down and evaluate. Write down the problem and clarify what is blocking progress. Try working on a project that give you satisfaction or a sense of accomplishment. Have a list ready of things that can be done while waiting or during the slow time. Interruptions and Excessive Talkers Express your limited time availability and ask for a summary. Resources Utilization YOU Don t reinvent the wheel; research existing possibilities. Say no skillfully. Access additional training if needed. Other Points Specific to You 9.C.1 Soft Skills Module 9-15

The Daily Grind (9.C.2) It is 7:30 a.m. and you are trying to drink one more cup of coffee/tea before you hit the work room/office. You want to get an early start because yesterday you took off to be with friends to relax and just catch up. Listed below are the messages from voice and email that are screaming to be done. Put numbers 1-9 next to the tasks in the order you would do them 1 being first. A school contact wants to meet with you at 10:00 a.m. You are not sure of the agenda and wonder if they have work to contract out or just want to get to know you and see your portfolio. The contract you are currently working on wants you to call as soon as you get a minute. One of the jobs you bid last month is concerned about the cost of the job and wants to talk about a reduced rate or a discount. There is an email from a friend who heard you were doing braille transcribing and wants you to talk to a parent who has a child who is blind. You have a message to call your bank; they said it was urgent. The customer who contracts with you a lot is interested in discussing a glitch that seemed to appear in the workflow. It seems things are hung up in the contracts office, budget and finance and you might have a delay in payment for services completed, but they want you to keep working on the current project and they have two more. You really need to review your calendar and get organized for the week, and maybe even the month so you know what your schedule looks like and what kind of time you have. Your quarterly taxes are due tomorrow and you are behind with the bookkeeping. You need to schedule your annual check-up with your primary care provider. 9.C.2 Soft Skills Module 9-16