Google time management
 
Web Site
      Home | Products | Site map | Sell on site | Site use | About us | Contact | Links


Other useful links:

project management
project management basics.com.

risk management
risk management basics.com.

time management
time management basics.com.


The Complete Project management package

Topics include

Definitions
What is a project and Project Management?
What is a Project Management system?
Human, culture, planning...


General Project Structure
Project visualisation
Start and end
Size, costs, time...


Breaking down a project
Milestones, management
Costs and budgets...


Phases of a project
Concept, feasibility
Specification, design
Installation...


The Project notebook
What is it?
Assumptions, problem statements, mission statements
Strategy, scope, objectives
Customer analysis, deliverables
Exit criteria...


Product specification, work break down structure (WBS)
Schedules, resources, control system
Authority, roles and resonsibilities
Risk areas and benefits ...


Planning overview
Why plan?
Work breakdown structures
Task characteristics
Information and milestones...


Detailed planning
Overview
Procurement
Estimation

initial
overview
too long
too short
budgets...

Dependencies
PERT analysis
Slack or float, elapsed time
Roles and responsibilities
Resources
Gantt charts
Constraints
Critical paths and how to manage them...


Control
Why?
Monitoring, general, what...

Time, cost (terms, overspend, cash flow), quality
Progress reporting...
General, committees, data


Taking action
Assessing the situation
Impact analysis
Resolving issues and problems...


Review
Contingency
Change
Documents and procedures
Project completion...


Quality
Plan
Statistical control


Risk
Overview
Impact analysis
Risk versus impact
Automated planning tools
Consideration of time...

Responsibilities
Documentation
General approach
Identification and costing...

Assess chances and impact
Measures
Contingencies
Records and review
Health and safety...


Reviews
Project audits


Human factors
The role of the Project Manager
Overview
Project teams
Recruitment...

Communication
User expectations
Systematic approach
Empowerment
Appointment of a Project Manager...


Project organisation
Project office and documentation

What is a problem?

A.P.I.M.A.
(assess)
problem definition
analysis of data
objective definition


(plan)
identify causes
select the most likely cause
devise potential solutions
selection of the most appropriate solution
plan for implementation


(implement, monitor and act)

Problem solving techniques

problem identification
prioritisation
analysis of problem causes
identifying key causes
data gathering
evaluation and finalising options


brainstorming

method and system


Pareto analysis

what is it?
method and system


data collection

fact and opinion
documentation
method and system
interviews


cause and effect diagrams

effect vs cause
identification and selection of cause
taking action
method and system


process analysis

examine the steps in the work process
method and system


six word system

what, why, when, how, where and who?
method and system


presentation

histogram, barchart and pie chart
scatter diagram
organisation charts


Time saving templates e.g.

audit reports, customer analysis
deliverables, estimation of cost
mission statement, objectives
problem statements...

project numbering
project progress
strategy and S.W.O.T. analysis
timesheets and work breakdown and many more...


Fully Worked Example

Download the product



The complete
Risk management package

Topics include

What is risk?
Uncertainty
Risk versus issue
Risk versus reward
Margins versus contingency
Will a project succeed?
Key areas of concern...


6 basic questions to answer
Who?
Why?
What?


How?
Resource?
When?...


Why carry out a risk assessment?
Is the project too risky?
The threat intensity
Decision making
Helpful documentation...


What should risk analysis provide?
Time factor
Prioritisation
Summary of risk
Decision making
Realism...


How does risk management integrate with project management?
Risk management is key?
Permeates all projects?
Supporting role?...


Accountability
Sharing of risk
Who is accountable?...


Stakeholders
Identification
Customer and supplier
User priorities...


Success measures
How do you measure it?
Assumptions
Clarify objectives
Suppliers versus customers


Basic steps
What are the core process steps to assess a risk?

Identification
Proactive planning
Reactive planning
Monitoring and control
Triggers

A simple process outline
What is the basic overall process steps?

Identifying stakeholders
Success criteris
Plan preparation
Identify and assess risks
Ownership and planning
Aggregation, monitoring and review...


Human relations
Pressure
Timing
Bid and budget control
Risk focus
Planning confidence
Price versus cost
Client versus stakeholder driven...


The Project LIfe Cycle
Overview
Concept
Design
Plan


Allocate
Execute
Deliver
Review


Support
Different areas
Working in parallel
Milestones
Contracting
Decision points...


Cost terminology
Expected cost
Target cost
Provision
Contingency
Commitment


Statistical terminology
Mean or average
Median
Mode
Variance
Standard deviation


The risk management process
Overview
Timing
Defining the project
Defining the risk management process...


Identifying risks and responses
Organisng the risks and responses
Ownership (risks, responsibilities and contractors)
Estimating technique...


Evaluating the estimates
Planning (integrating risk and project management)
Managing (the risk management process)


Estimating detail
Overview
Simple estimating of risk
Cumulative probability graphs
Simple estimating of risk detail...


Simple estimating problems
Obtainng the estimates
Breakdown of variables...


Evaluating detail
Overview
Independent correlation
Cumulative probability graph
Positive correlation
Cumulative probability graph...


Negative correlation
Conditional correlation
Cumulative probability graphs...


Planning detail
Types of plan

Initial
Reference
Base
Contingency
Horizon
Action

Ways to modify plans
General comments


General points to consider
Resource level
Control
Contractors
Customer...


Managing the risk process
Overview
Identifying risk issues
Other issues and the project life cycle
Other aspects

Cost and resources
Effectiveness of risk management
Modelling
Managing the process...


The contractor
Overview
Risk assessment positioning
The contract
Cost plus fixed fee
Fixed price
Screening
Transferring risk...


Risk combination
The issues involved...


Common methods of risk assessment
Overview
The timing, prioritising, summarising and decision making virtues
Issue based
Checklists
Qualitative
Quantitative...


Quantitative risk assessment
Overview
Simple example and detail
Simple cost model
Cost model including uncertainty
Cost model including likelihood...


Monte Carlo distribution
Overview
Monte Carlo simulation
Monte Carlo simulation output
Monte Carlo distribution
Monte Carlo risk distribution
How do we carry out the simulations?
Probability Density Function (PDF)
Triangular Probability Density Function (PDF)...


Uncertain events
Overview
Simple pathway likelihood and frequency versus cost graph
Detailed calculations
A basic risk assessment
Probability versus total cost graph...


Correlated events
Overview
Ranges of correlation
Process summary
Risk assessment versus a traditional approach
How will the level of breakdown structure influence the result?
How do we estimate probability simply?...


General points
Collecting task information
Documentation
Other areas to consider when reviewing risk


Data handling
Overview
Monte Carlo risk distribution
Multiple variables


Budget versus contingency
Overview and setting the contingency
Alternative setting of contingency


Schedule risk assessment
Detailed planning, 4 basic types
Detailed planning, in software


Simple network
Simple network (no lag) duration calculations
Simple network (with lag) duration calculations


Branching
Overview (simple branching)
Complex branching
Complex branching duration calculations
Multiple branching
Multiple branching duration calculations
Multiple probability branching
Multiple probability branching duration calculations
Production example
Production example, one step further
Production model output interpretation graph
Nodes and branching networks
Nodes and branching networks graphical output


Markov chain
Events and transitions
Benefits
When do you use it?


Business forecast
Overview (types of operation, activity, timing and correlation)
Business schedule risk
Business revenue and profit risk distribution
Business profit yearly forecast
Business profit simulation graphical output


Download the product



The Complete Time management package

Topics include

Resources
Capital
Physical
Human
Information
Finite time...


Workaholic
Long hours
Work enjoyment
Ambition


Personal life
Routine and mundane
Addiction


Result orientation
Old values
Tiredness and mistakes
Signs...


What is time management?
Problem time solving
Goals or objectives and targets
Strategy and tactics...


Goals
Road to success
Hurdles
Basic tactics
Types
Setting goals


Refining goals
Control
Short and long term
Quality
Flexibility...


Objectives
List of tasks
Dependent and non dependent
Strategic v urgent
Prioritise...


Prioritising objectives
Priority ranking
Multiplication ranking
Tabular matrix...


Urgent v important
Urgent - deadline
Important - time
Matrix
Rank
Category detail
Job needs
Job order...


Human nature
Pleasing people
Avoidance of challenges
Fear of position
Ambition


Pride of ability
Being a perfectionist
Retaining control
Preconceived ideas...


Blame culture
Interruptions
Phone calls
Meetings


Lacking data
What are the goals?
Objectives...


Productivity
Output v input...


Also...

Time log
Prioritised objectives
Weekly plan
Recording the log
Analysis


Identify 'time destroyers'
Identify actions
Implement plan...


Key time destroyers
Action chasing
Being disorganised
Can't say no
Crisis management
Friends


Large reports
Low energy levels
Meetings
Multiple tasks
Other's errors


Other's jobs
Paperwork
Perfection
Poor communication
Poor control and reporting


Poor delegation
Poor information
Poor leadership
Poor planning
Poor preparation


Poor self discipline
Putting things off
Resource issues
Responsibility v authority
Socialising
Staff issues


The boss
The telephone
Travel time
Unfinished tasks
Unwanted callers
Work overload
Your own errors...


Typical process
Review your personal time log
Audit
Decide on your time destroyers
Rank them in order of priority
Review the causes


Consider solutions
Generate action steps
Decide on the time scale
Create deadlines
Teamwork...


Strategies for getting on with it
Visibilty
Rank review
Minimise
Tick off


Your time
Challenge
Delegate
Routine


Desktop
Measure
Check
Negative


Fear
Start
Exposure
Mentality


Others
Positive
Benefit
Part


Reward
Energy
Confidence...


Positive thinking
Positive mindset
Attitudes and beliefs
Self belief
Modifying attitudes
Record the goals
The road to success...


Commitment
Winning
Definition
Not knowing


Meetings
Less interruptions
Resource
Resource...


Delegation process
Monitoring
Review
Problems
Tough personnel
Towards independence...


Information collection
Part of time management
Everything
How and where to?
The purpose


Projects
Delayed tasks
Delegated tasks
Processing information
Other...


Processing the information
Define the purpose
Prioritise
Decide on the action and format...


Filing notes
What should you file?
What system should you use?
Agree
'A' to 'Z'
Day files
Other...


Day files
Detail...


Decision PATH
Priorities
Activity
Time
Health
Decision is not action...


Capturing ideas
Record
Techniques
Computer folders
Software...


Brain storm
Record
Do not criticise
Ideas
Consider


Stepwise procedure
Simple voting procedure
Ranking technique
What next?...


Mind mapping
Brain styles
Mond mapping...


Checklists
Task list of reminders
Yesterday's mistakes
Not exhaustive
Ignored
Orientation
Lacking detail...


Reminders
Processing complete
Delegated tasks
Delayed tasks
Projects
Triggers
Diary...


E-mails
General
Message rules
Back up
Spam
Action...


What not to do
General
Would it matter if you didn't do it?
How to tackle it?
Perfectionist?
Time runs out
Bottle it up
Education...


Projects
General
Plan
Meetings
Decisions and data...


Irritating tasks
Benefits
Get started
Atmosphere
Putting them off...


Combining tasks
Areas to consider
Criteria
Culture...


Time
Historical view
Passing time
Quality time
Culture
Mono and polychronic time...


Monochronic time
Attitudes
Definition
Culture
Plans
Other
Issues
Flexibility...


Polychronic time
Attitudes
Definition
Culture
Plans
Other
Issues
Flexibility...


High and low context culture
High and low
Information transfer...


Divergent thinking
Sees the big picture
Flexibility
Free space...


Convergent thinking
Takes a narrow view
Methodical
Free space...


Blending styles
Ideas
Sharing
Good will
Brain use
Assess, plan implement, monitor and act...


Assessment and planning
Best v easy
Work area ideas
Take a break
Taking notes
Prioritising...


Implementing
Combining tasks
Goal posts
Delay
Scheduling...


Prioritising
Visual sorting
Communication and flexibility
Resource
Restructuring
Inclusion...


Scheduling
Diary or calendar
Visual aids
Odd items
Personal energy
Bits and pieces
Assistant
Overload
Visible
The telephone
Proative...


Review
General
Delayed tasks
Delegated tasks
E-mails and voice mail
Diary
Collection
Projects...


Personality drivers
Faster
Please
Perfection
Try hard
Be strong...


Assertiveness
General
Assessment
Process...


Stress
General
Signs
Sources
Problems
Not enough time
Leading to tension
Tempers being lost
Stress escalates
Coping techniques?
Legal redress...


Coping with stress
General
Personality driver
Experience
Techniques
Ideas...


Playtime
General
Reasons for avoidance
Things to try
Little bits
Imagination...




Download the product



Leadership - prioritisation basics

Leadership requires plenty of skills and some will be prioritisation basics...
Leadership
The aim of leadership is to cast a vision and achieve an aim or goal.
If you don't learn to prioritise you will fail.

One of the key aspects of prioritisation is to use the Pareto 80/20 ruleand spend 80% of your time on the 20% of areas that will bare the most fruit.
As referred to earlier it is a good idea to know the difference between a task that is 'urgent' and one that is just 'important'.

The Pareto rule is reflected in many examples:
  • The classic is that 20% of your time and effort will produce 80% of the results.
  • 20% of your product range will give you 80% of your profits.
  • 20% of what you say will lead to 80% of the impact on the listener etc.
Many leaders might intrinsically realise that 20% of the personnel are responsible for 80% of the output.
It is because of this that you should identify the tops 20% of your staff and spend 80% of your time trying to develop them.

The Pareto rule is very important and can be 'passed down the line'.

For example:

It doesn't only refer to time.
You should spend 80% of your budget on the top 20% to develop them.

By identifying all of your tasks and ranking them in terms of the value they achieve you can determine the top 20%. If you can do this delegate the rest.

Having identified the top 20% ask them to do the same for the staff below them. They can then carry out on-the-job training for this group.

Identifying the top 20% may not be easy and you may need to consider your own criteria.
Put simply if their contribution is so valuable you can't do without them put them at the top of your list.

It is likely that the top 20% know their value and if your ignore their latent talents there will be plenty who will not.
They will leave causing you greater problems.

Remember, you are not a leader with no followers.
Organise
This is covered in a little more detail in 'The Complete Time management package'.

Having spoken about 'urgency and 'importance' it is good practice to rank tasks in this manner.

The definitions are:

Urgent

Urgent tasks are deadline based. This is usually independent of yourself and is often driven by others. The sooner the task needs completion the more urgent it is. This has no relation to importance. It is a simple matter to rank any jobs that you have in terms of their deadlines.

Important

The importance of a job drives how much 'time' you want to spend on it. Notice that this is independent of 'urgency' and is what you want to do not what you actually spend on it. For any task the quality of your output will often relate to the time you spend on it. Again, it is a simple matter to rank the importance of the same tasks, for example, 'high' 'medium' or 'low' or a simple numerical ranking.

Each quadrant of the square in the diagram below represents one state of a possible four.

Important and urgent (1)

These tasks should be at the top of your list.

Important and not urgent (2)

For these tasks you have decided that you will spend the necessary time to give a high quality result but you need to establish your own deadline as none apparently exists at the moment. Once you have a deadline schedule the task in to your diary.

Not important and urgent (3)

These have deadlines but you don't really want to spend any time on them.
Get them out of the way quickly by delegating them. Make sure you tell the person the deadline and the level of their input required.

Not important and not urgent (4)

These are little items that have no deadline and which you don't want to do particularly.
Try and put off for as long as possible or delegate.
These may include items like filing which you can give to an assistant.

Forms

It is an easy matter to generate a form to make some aspect of organising your tasks a little easier and to act as a reminder.

As tasks come in rank them as above.
Consider phone calls and any note you may wish to make.
Each day in your diary could have a list of tasks ranked according to the above with others delegated.
If you delegate tasks make sure you have some form of control and feedback on their progress.
After all, you will still be accountable for them if not directly responsible.
Distinctions
The leader is always proactive and initiate items.
He or she will telephone people to sort out a problem rather than wait for others to telephone.
They will plan instead of just tripping over activities.
A leader will prioritise and a follower will just create a list.

When a leader receives a task he or she will evaluate it and decide if they are able to delegate it or not. If you can delegate then do so.

A leader will evaluate what he ought to be doing for the organisation and whether he is achieving these aims.

Some of the key leadership training problems in an organisation are:
  • Many personnel are not doing enough.
  • Others are doing too much.
  • Others are doing the wrong thing.
If you have the advantage of doing something that you like doing this is a big bonus.
In theory, this should be the case for the leader as he or she should be guiding their own career.

If a leader can match a person's strengths with their tasks it is quite likely they will enjoy it more and flourish.

Many people actually plan for neglect.
In this case put off things for as long as possible. Eventually, these items will drop off of the radar and may well become irrelevant.
Equal priorities
Sometimes putting the tasks into boxes will inevitably end with one or more on equal footing.
You can then use a few techniques that will help prioritise these further.
  • If in doubt ask someone else higher up the chain what they want completed first. Asking your boss moves the decision making and keeps them aware of the areas you are working on.

  • Do you really need to do it yourself? If not delegate it.
  • Which one would afford the greatest benefit for the customer?
  • Which one fits best into the organisational values.
  • Attempt to do both until one shows as the dominant task and then focus on that.
  • Clarify each of the tasks and then reassess them.
Having a lot of high urgency and high importance tasks can lead to a paralysis as you fail to know which way to turn.
Re-evaluate them. Have you really put them in the correct boxes?

Another really good leadership training technique is to learn to say 'no'.

At the end of the day a nice list of tasks may look impressive and neat but will ultimately prove your own downfall.
Others will not be impressed with your system if you fail to deliver the right result at the right time.
Force
If you have only a few tasks it is usually the way that they will inevitably take up the available time.
This is Parkinson's law. Often, having a lot of tasks and little time is the driving factor for prioritisation.
For a true leader this should not be the case.
You should prioritise in any case.

It is well known that when an extreme emergency occurs an individual's priorities will change dramatically.

Click the image to enlarge
leadership management prioritise

Get the full details
leadership arrow
The Complete LEADERSHIP package


Links on this site:



Other useful links at project management basics.com:



Other useful links at risk management basics.com:



Other useful links at time management basics.com:

 

Home | Products | Site map | Sell on site | Site use |About us | Contact | Links

Definition | Being positive | Business | Career progress | Change | Confidence | Communication
Influence | Integrity | Insight | Leadership training | Leadership qualities | Loneliness
Motivation | Personal direction | Personality | Personality indicators | Prioritising | Problem solving
Relationships | Strategy | Style spider | The three Cs | The vision | Miscellaneous

Top buy:
Complete
project management package