Courses

Time and stress management

General duration

1 day

Target group

Life balance is important for everyone in an organisation, regardless of function or seniority. Everyone is working under extreme pressure. Invariably they say there is not enough time to complete the tasks that are necessary. Further, they have difficulty assigning priorities to tasks and are often not sure what to do first. You will also learn how to identify stressors in your job, differentiate between good stress and bad stress, change stress and your reaction to it, keep your focus and stay cool and utilise techniques for co-operation and balancing competing demands. This program looks at how to address these issues. You’ll learn how to make time work for you so you will remain energetic and positive, and balance competing demands.

Learning objectives

At the completion of this course participants should be able to:

• analyse the use of your time
• identify and deal with timewasters
• more effectively prioritise
• avoid the tyranny of the urgent
• communicate workload issues
• use technology and not have it abuse you
• balance competing demands

Course content

This course includes:

Time management Issues

• Take action or influence; Time management = self management
• Analysis of time bandits – either self-inflicted or caused by other people
• The Pleasure-Pain Principle

Planning and prioritising

• Distinguishing between urgent and important
• The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)
• Tips for ‘Quality’ rather than ‘perfection’
  
  

The Covey Quadrants: The Time Management Matrix

• Differentiating between urgent and important
• Living in the four quadrant
• Becoming a ‘Quadrant 2’ time manager
  
  

Personal values

• Identifying your personal values
• Setting boundaries

Assertively negotiating with interruptions

• How to control interruptions using body language and assertion
• Saying ‘No’ politely
• Activity practising ‘being ruthless with time but respectful with people”

 

Managing your telephone time

• Preparing for the call
• Getting to the point politely
• Terminating the call professionally and efficiently
• Managing voice mail and messages more effectively

 

Managing time in a team

• Asking for support and co-operation
• Delegating and allocating tasks: the key to multiplying your time
  
  

Streamlining your desk and organising your work area

• Clearing the clutter
• The five ‘D’s’ of paper warfare

 

The electronic work environment

• Using technology to control – not waste time
• Email etiquette

 

Time management strategies to reduce stress

• Optimising your energy cycles
• Eating patterns, rest and energy
• Nutrition
• Physical fitness
  
  

Smooth out the ride

• Achieving balance between work and personal dimensions
• The Wheel of Life

 

SMART Goal- setting

• The power of goals
• Secrets of successful goal-setting

Juggling multiple priorities

• Tips for balancing competing demands

 

Action plans

• Putting key learning points into practice