SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Effective Time Management

Effective Time Management

Time goes by at the same rate no matter what one does. One can not speed it up or slow
it down. Unlike the other resources that one manages, there is no way to control time. The
best one can do is take charge of oneself in the framework of time, investing oneself in
those things that matter most in one’s life.

Effective time management requires reducing the impact of the time stealers and increasing
the effectiveness of an individual in getting the things done that need to be done. The following
are the important elements that combine to enable a manager eliminate distractions,
interruptions and inefficiencies in the work process to make the most of time management.

A. Evaluating How Time is Used

The first step of effective time management is identifying how a manager is using his time.
This can be done by –
I. Activity Time Log: The first step for individual to time better is to find out how people
are currently spending their time. Keeping a Time Log is a very effective way to do this.
Through an Activity Time Log, individuals can make a list of the activities or tasks that they
spend time on. The very act of measuring is often enough to raise their unconscious habits
into their consciousness, where they then have a chance to scrutinize and change them.

Time Log requires that individuals track all the tasks – including the routine tasks such as
commuting, reading a newspaper, eating and attending telephone etc. - in a systematic way and
note the successive sequence from the start through the end of the day.

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-How can you get an extra hour out of each day?

How can you get an extra hour out of each day?

Here are some tips to help you squeeze those extra minutes out of your day. Of course,
you can adapt these so that they will fit in with your situation.
1. Get up earlier
2. Watch less TV (I mean how many Law & Order spinoffs does one need to
watch?)
3. Avoid allowing others to waste your time
4. If you don’t have to drive to work, use that time to study or plan. If you do
drive to work listen to a motivational tape on the way to work instead of
that mindless dj talk.
5. Organize your work; do it systematically.
6. Make creative use of lunchtime.
7. Delegate authority if, possible.
8. Spend less time on unimportant phone calls.
9. Think first, and then do the task.
10. Do what you dream about doing, instead of just dreaming about it.
11. Work hardest when you’re the most mentally alert
12. Eliminate activities that make the smallest contributions to your life.
13. Always do the toughest jobs first.
14. Before each major act ask, “Is this really necessary?”
15. Choose interesting and constructive literature for spare time reading.
16. Learn how to sleep. Sleep soundly, then work refreshed.
17. Skip desserts.
18. Stop smoking.
19. Write notes or letters while waiting for others.
20. Always carry an envelope with paper in it and a few stamps.
21. Combine tasks that are done in the same area.
22. Be prompt for all appointments.
23. Lay out your clothes the night before.(I need to remember this myself)
24. Call on specialists to do work that you cannot do efficiently
25. Learn to read more rapidly.
26. Take a nap after dinner. Then take a shower. Begin the evening hours
relaxed and refreshed.
27. Avoid interruptions.
28. Avoid making a big production out of tiny tasks.
29. Search out job shortcuts.
30. Know your limitations.
31. Work to your full capacity. I know it’s tough to break bad habits. However,
it is necessary to make sacrifices so that your business can be successful.
Don’t try to implement all of these ideas at once. Implement them one at a time and
repeat them until they become a part of your daily routine.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=DeAnna_Spencer

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Time Styles

Time Styles

The other aspect is self-inflicted thieves – ‘saboteur time styles’ that steal time. Based
on the typical patterns of behaviour that tend to sabotage people’s attempts at effective
time management.

The Firemen - For them, every event is a crisis. They are always seen busy dousing
the fires. They find scarcely any time for anything else and do not spare a thought on
time-management. Tasks keep piling up around them, while they are seen rushing
from fire to fire all day.

The Over-Committers – They just cannot say ‘No’ to anybody. They oblige and try to
please everybody. All that anyone has to do is just ask, and they will chair another
committee, take on another project, or organize yet another community event.
Consequently, none of the tasks receives complete attention and they remain halfdone.
The Aquarians - There is such a thing as being too “laid-back” - especially when it
starts interfering with their ability to finish tasks or bother to return phone calls. Getting
to things that is when they get to them is not time management; it is simple task
avoidance.

The Chatty Kathys - Born to socialize, they have astounding oral communication
skills and cannot resist exercising them at every opportunity. Every interaction becomes
a long drawn out conversation - especially if there is an unpleasant task dawning that
they would like to put off.

The Perfectionists – Exactitude is their watchword, and they feel that no rushed job
can be a good job. Finishing tasks to satisfaction is such a problem; they need more
time zones, not just more time.

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-TIME STEALERS

TIME STEALERS

How much time do your spend each day on the following time stealers?

• Watching TV
• Reading Newspapers / Magazines excessively
• Idle chat, gossip and telephonic talk
• Opening and sorting mail
• Returning telephone calls
• Meetings
• Paying bills
• Day-dreaming
• Fretting over personal problems
• Caught in traffic snarls
• Planning how to change things
• Waiting for things to happen
• Taking naps
• Eating snacks between meals
• Drinking
• Smoking
• Shopping
• Wagering money

Why do/will I have so little time ?

• Managing by crisis
• Lack of Planning
• Incomplete information
• Personal disorganization
• Attempting too much
• Inability to Say No
• Responsibility unclear
• Ineffective delegation
• Paperwork
• Poor communication
• Poorly organized meetings
• Leaving tasks unfinished
• Inadequate controls
• Lack of self-discipline
• Socializing
• Drop-in visitors
• Telephone interruptions

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-TIME MANAGEMENT

How can you get an extra hour out of each day?

Here are some tips to help you squeeze those extra minutes out of your day. Of course,
you can adapt these so that they will fit in with your situation.
1. Get up earlier
2. Watch less TV (I mean how many Law & Order spinoffs does one need to
watch?)
3. Avoid allowing others to waste your time
4. If you don’t have to drive to work, use that time to study or plan. If you do
drive to work listen to a motivational tape on the way to work instead of
that mindless dj talk.
5. Organize your work; do it systematically.
6. Make creative use of lunchtime.
7. Delegate authority if, possible.
8. Spend less time on unimportant phone calls.
9. Think first, and then do the task.
10. Do what you dream about doing, instead of just dreaming about it.
11. Work hardest when you’re the most mentally alert
12. Eliminate activities that make the smallest contributions to your life.
13. Always do the toughest jobs first.
14. Before each major act ask, “Is this really necessary?”
15. Choose interesting and constructive literature for spare time reading.
16. Learn how to sleep. Sleep soundly, then work refreshed.
17. Skip desserts.
18. Stop smoking.
19. Write notes or letters while waiting for others.
20. Always carry an envelope with paper in it and a few stamps.
21. Combine tasks that are done in the same area.
22. Be prompt for all appointments.
23. Lay out your clothes the night before.(I need to remember this myself)
24. Call on specialists to do work that you cannot do efficiently
25. Learn to read more rapidly.
26. Take a nap after dinner. Then take a shower. Begin the evening hours
relaxed and refreshed.
27. Avoid interruptions.
28. Avoid making a big production out of tiny tasks.
29. Search out job shortcuts.
30. Know your limitations.
31. Work to your full capacity. I know it’s tough to break bad habits. However,
it is necessary to make sacrifices so that your business can be successful.
Don’t try to implement all of these ideas at once. Implement them one at a time and
repeat them until they become a part of your daily routine.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=DeAnna_Spencer

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-The Eleven Time Thieves

The Eleven Time Thieves

Dr. Donald E. Wetmore ( “Time Thieves: The 11 Biggest Time-wasters Revealed”) lists out
the eleven ‘inconsiderate troupe’ of eleven thieves that gang up to steal some of the precious
time away from productive use of individuals.

1. Poor Planning: Failure to see the value of planning and getting impatient to get
something done are the causes of poor planning. Absence of a plan of action is likely to
trigger off a false start, resulting in unproductive time utilization on the critical path of the
task they have undertaken. Consequently, the managers might not find enough time for
completing the task.

2. Crisis Management: Most often, crisis management is an offspring of lack of
prioritization of tasks. As a result of the inability to identify between the urgent, the important
and the unnecessary tasks, unimportant tasks are likely to get done first at the cost of
important tasks. Consequently, the managers are not likely to find enough time to get around
to the important things.

3. Procrastination: It is easy to put off tasks if they are not due right away. The trouble is,
tasks pile up and can force managers to run into a time crunch later. Procrastination is
generally triggered off by the fear of failure / success, perfectionism, wanting to do it all or
incorrect priorities. It is a virtue to want to do a good job. But some people become so
anxious about getting a job done perfectly that they never complete it. Managers should
examine whether their efforts to get the job done perfectly are really improving things or
preventing them from getting the job done.

4. Interruptions: Interruptions and distractions arise due to lack of planning, poor
concentration and lack of control over environment. They are unnecessary thieves of a
manager’s time and come in many forms – drop-in visitors, telephones, e-mails
unscheduled meetings, poor communications and confused chain of authority etc. Managers
should be less willing to automatically give away their time just because they demand it.
They should learn to avoid distractions if they are to get work done. They should work in
areas where they are less likely to be disturbed and tell people when they are busy and
cannot be disturbed.

5. Not Delegating: Wanting-to-do-all by oneself is yet another thief that could let the
managers get time out of control. They feel that employees can never do anything as well
as they can. They fear that something will go wrong if someone else takes over a job. They
lack time for long-range planning because they are bogged down in day-to-day operations.

6. Unnecessary Meetings: If a meeting is held without a specific agenda and nothing
productive comes out of it, clearly that meeting was unnecessary. Obviously, such meetings
are thieves as the time is wasted and things just do not get started.

7. The “shuffling blues”: Managers often waste much time because of disorganization.
Keeping things that they need in a specific place, eliminating clutter, making sure that they
have all the materials or information that they need before starting on the task and following
a day-planner or schedule will help keep the ‘shuffling blues’ away at the work place.

8. Poor Physical Setup: Not having the things that the managers need frequently within
easy reach and having a lot of the things that they seldom require close-by results in wastage
of a lot of time, wearing out the carpet, retrieving what they frequently need. And of course,
as they pass others they will often pull them aside to steal some of their time.

9. Poor Networking: Quality relationships with employees and others can be a substantial
time-saver as they open doors for the managers with all kinds of opportunities. Failing to
develop a good network base will cause them to waste time creating what they might have
had through their network.

10. Bad Attitude: Nothing sinks a day more effectively than having a poor attitude. It
causes the managers to dwell on the problems and not the solutions and makes it possible
to throw the day away. When they are burdening others with their problems and complaints
they are forfeiting their valuable time.

11. Negative People: Being surrounded by negative people could mean the managers
are spending a lot of their time listening to them but getting nothing much or purposeful
from them. Obviously, avoiding such people will help the managers to minimize wasted
hours and get some of their productive time back.

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Poor Time Management

Poor Time Management

Poor time management shows up by way of one or a combination of typical perceptible
symptoms. Individuals would do well to look for and reflect on whether they are subject to
any of those symptoms with a view to take necessary corrective actions.

The following are some of the indicators of poor time management:

· Constant rushing (e.g. between meetings or tasks)
· Frequent delays (e.g. in attending meetings, meeting deadlines)
· Low productivity, energy and motivation (e.g. ‘I can’t seem to get worked up
about anything’)
· Frustration (e.g. ‘Oh, things just don’t move ahead)
· Impatience (e.g. ‘where the hell is that information I’ve asked him for?’)
· Chronic vacillation between alternatives (e.g. ‘whichever option I choose it is
going to put me at a big disadvantage. I don’t know which way to jump’)
· Difficulty setting and achieving goals (e.g. ‘I’m not sure what is expected of me’)

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Misconceptions about Time

Misconceptions about Time

There are several misconceptions which we all have about time. They affect everyone
including those persons who may be considered quite successful and effective. Here are
some of the misconceptions identified by Dr. Mackenzie:

· Time management is simple - all it requires is common sense. While it is true
that the concept is simple, the self-discipline required to practice effective time
management is not easy.

· Work is best performed under pressure. Psychological studies show this to be
no more than an excuse for procrastination. One does not work well under pressure
- only does the best one can under the circumstances. Pressure and challenge
must not be confused. Lara’s performance when the West Indies Team is in trouble
has more to do with application and determination rather than pressure.

· I use a diary, a to-do list and have a secretary to keep me organized. One
has to keep oneself organized - no one can do it for others. The trouble with the
disorganized person is that he hardly has time to listen to his secretary or look at
his diary.

· I do not have the time. The effective worker or manager often gets more work
done in the first earlier hours of the morning than most laggards get done in the
whole day. He then no longer has to work against tight deadlines and under stress
which contributes to heart problems and not unusually the ultimate reduction of time
on this earth.

· Time management might be good for some kinds of work but my job is
creative. Time management is not about routine: it is about self-discipline. Lack of
discipline prevents one from being great instead of simply good.

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Understanding Time Management

Understanding Time Management

“We all have time to either spend or waste and it is our decision what to do with it.
But once passed, it is gone forever.”

Every individual on earth has the same amount of time - 60 seconds in a minute; 60
minutes in an hour; 1,440 minutes in a day; and 525,600 minutes in a year. While a
vast majority of people confesses faltering to come to grips with it, extremely few can
claim to have made the most of it. How is it that they have got it all done? It’s because
they have managed a way to figure out how to manage their time effectively.

Time Management is more than just managing time. It is about controlling the use of
the most valuable - and undervalued - resource. It is managing oneself in relation to
time. It is setting priorities and taking charge of the situation and time utilization. It
means changing those habits or activities that cause waste of time. It is being willing
to adopt habits and methods to make maximum use of time.

With good time management skills one is in control of one’s time, stress and energy
levels. One can maintain balance between one’s work and personal life. One finds
enough flexibility to respond to surprises or new opportunities. It is not how much time
one has, but rather the way one uses it.

The bottom line is how well one manages time. Internationally known authority on time management Dr. Alec Mackenzie in his book
The Time Trap argues that the very idea of time management is a misnomer because
one really cannot manage time in the way other resources can be managed: financial
capital, physical capital, human capital, information and time. While each of the first
four can be augmented, reduced, transferred or otherwise controlled, Time cannot be
manipulated. Dr. Mackenzie contends that when it comes to time, one can only manage
oneself in relation to it. One cannot control time as one can control other resources –
one can only control how one uses it. In the world in which we live, time cannot be
replaced or re-created. It is therefore not for us to choose whether we spend or save
time but to choose only how we spend it.

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-DONTs of Effective Communication contd.,

DONTs of Effective Communication contd.,

 5. Do not overestimate the potential of communication

Research has shown that the way people perceive situations and problems, strongly
depends on their perspective, values and previous experiences. It is also clear that it
is often very difficult to change people’s perception and that it can be a long term
process. It is more effective to regard other points of view as valuable instead of ‘untrue’.
Communicators should realize that in some situations the changing of perceptions is
unrealistic or may have negative side effects. If this is the case, the perception of the
people involved should be regarded as ‘reality’.

6. Do not underestimate the potential of communication

It is impossible to ‘not communicate’. If for instance a new industrial plant is installed
without communication with people living in the area, the message they will get might
be: ‘we are ignored, they don’t value our opinions, they just do as they like’.

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-DONTs of Effective Communication contd.,

DONTs of Effective Communication contd.,

3. But don’t over focus on strategies either
Another potential pitfall is the opposite of all that has been just mentioned above, that
is, to spend much energy and time on developing a communication strategy, then quickly
producing the communication means. This can result in a sound strategy implemented
with means which do not appeal or lack the necessary quality to be credible for the
target group.

4. Do not disregard communication barriers
Communication seems easy, but experience shows it is actually hard to communicate
effectively. Often, ambitions of communication are not met. Even worse, communication
can have negative side effects when used in the wrong way.
Why communication does seem so easy? It is our second nature. But often the person
or organization that communicates does not realize how the message will be interpreted
by the people for whom it is meant. Even worse, the message often does not even
reach the people concerned. There are many potential obstacles in the communication
process. Taking these obstacles into consideration, the effectiveness of communication
can be increased. The following barriers should be considered when one wants to
communicate:

• Said is not necessarily heard
• Heard is not necessarily understood
• Understood is not necessarily agreed upon
• Agreed is not necessarily acted upon
• Action is not necessarily repeated

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-DONTs of Effective Communication

DONTs of Effective Communication

1. Don’t only send, listen!
When the changing of knowledge, attitudes and behavior is the aim of communication,
the ‘sending’ of messages is often the main concern of the communicators. In most
cases, listening to the people involved is more important than the sending of messages.
One must know the perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of the target groups, the language
they use and the way they can be reached. This implies that a great deal of listening is
an integral part of effective communication.

2. Don’t jump to means
A potential pitfall - which happens frequently - is starting to invest in means before
essential questions concerning the strategy have been answered. When this happens,
it is very likely that communication efforts will not be effective. There is a high risk that
either the wrong people are addressed with the right message or the right people are
reached with the wrong message.

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-DOs of Effective Communication contd.,

DOs of Effective Communication contd.,

6. Always pre-test: Ensure that the target group understands the messages and detect
unexpected interpretations of your message by pre-testing it. If there is no time,
personnel or budget available for a pre-test, conduct at least a ‘disaster-check’:
confronting a small number of people who were not involved in the development of the
communication plan.

7. Evaluate results: Evaluation is aimed at assessing the effects of your
communication efforts. Furthermore, evaluation can also be aimed at judging the
processes during the preparation and execution phase. After evaluation it becomes
clear which methods are most effective and most efficient. Furthermore, you learn how
you can organize and manage the communication process more effectively in the future.
Justification of communication efforts for the leaders of your organization and its’
stakeholders is another reason to evaluate. The results of an evaluation will point out
which future steps are necessary to be initiated.

8. Define the medium for the message: Since each medium has its own advantages
and disadvantages, one should define which medium can most effectively relay
messages. For example, the Internet may reach a worldwide audience and therefore
may seem to be the perfect medium to reach audience around the world, but the Internet
penetration in some countries is low. People who do not have access to the Internet
will not be able to receive the message. TV has a higher degree of household
penetration, but most TV broadcasts are local; in this case, TV may be a good medium
to reach a wide range of audience within a country, but not worldwide.

9. Establish a budget: Almost everything takes money or staff or support resources.

10. Think creatively: It is a sad truth that while conservation is important, it isn’t always
interesting. Communicators need to add sparkle dust to bring issues alive.

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-DOs of Effective Communication contd.,

DOs of Effective Communication contd.,

4. Define communication targets: Targets should make clear which results one wants
to achieve. It is essential that communication targets are SMART: Specific, Measurable,
Acceptable, Realistic and Time related. Communication targets can range from
involvement in problem-solving, to attention, knowledge, awareness, motivation,
behavior and skills. In most cases, communication will be used in combination with
other instruments to achieve the desired results.

5. Identify partners and intermediaries: In many cases it is costly, complex and
time consuming to communicate directly with the target group, especially when a large
audience has to be reached and when many different target groups are involved.

Communication in co-operation with partner organizations and through intermediaries
can have the following advantages:

• It can be more economical.
• Intermediaries/ partners can have databases with addresses and figures
of the target group so they can be reached effectively.
• Intermediaries can have support from a large audience or can have grass
root support.
• Intermediaries can have a reliable, solid image for the target group and
authority based on expertise.

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Some DOs of Effective Communication

Some DOs of Effective Communication

1. Analyze the issue at hand thoroughly before developing a plan: Find answers
to the following questions (within constraints of planning & budget):
• What is the character and extent of the issue?
• What are the causes of the issue? Try to distinguish technical from human
factors.
• What are the targets of the policy?
• What are the possible solutions?

2. Identify the role of communication in an early stage: In many cases this role is
regarded after plans are made, thereby, reducing the potential benefits of
communication greatly. Even though often communication alone cannot solve the
problem, it can be a supporting instrument in most situations when integrated in the
strategy during initial planning.

3. Know the target groups and stakeholders: Effective communication requires
knowledge of the parties involved. Find out the target groups and stakeholders and
study their knowledge, attitude, behavior and interests in the issue at hand. Experience
shows that if you don’t know the ones you want to reach, chances are high that
communication will fail to have the desired effects.

SHARMAS COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Actions for Effective Communication

Actions for Effective Communication

Action6. Express more appreciation. To build more satisfying relationships with the people
around you, express more appreciation, delight, affirmation, encouragement and gratitude.
Because life continually requires us to attend to problems and breakdowns, it gets very
easy to see in life only what is broken and needs fixing. But satisfying relationships (and a
happy life) require us to notice and respond to what is delightful, excellent, and enjoyable,
to work well done, to food well cooked, etc. It is appreciation that makes a relationship
strong enough to accommodate differences and disagreements. Thinkers and researchers
in several different fields have reached similar conclusions about this: healthy relationships
need a core of mutual appreciation.

Action7. Make better communication an important part of your everyday life. In order to
have your new communication skills available in a wide variety of situations, you will need
to practice them in as wide a variety of situations as possible, until, like driving or bicycling,
they become “second nature.” The seventh action is to practice your evolving
communication skills in everyday life, solving problems together, giving emotional support
to the important people in your life, and enjoying how you are becoming a positive influence
in your world. This action includes learning to see each conversation as an opportunity to
grow in skill and awareness, each encounter as an opportunity to express more
appreciation, each argument as an opportunity to translate your complaints into requests,
and so on.

One deeper level of this seventh step concerns learning to separate yourself from the
current culture of hatred, animosity and violence, and learning how to create little islands of
cooperation and mutuality.