Some Unfortunate
Time Management Wasters

Pitfalls To Avoid
- Time Management Wasters -

There are so many time management wasters to avoid.

Try reading through the following like a checklist and name the four you are most guilty of.

These are then the ones to work on to have most effect. ( Going by the 80:20 Rule)

• Doing what you like to do before doing what you don’t like to do

• Doing things you know how to do faster than the things you don’t know how to do

• Doing things that are easier rather than things that are difficult.

• Doing things that require a little time before things that require a lot of time

• Doing things for which the resources are readily available

• Doing things that are scheduled (i.e. Meetings) before non-scheduled things

• Sometimes doing those things that are planned before those things that are unplanned

• Responding to demands from others rather than demands for ourselves

• Doing things that are urgent rather than doing things that are important

• Readily responding to crises and emergencies

• Doing interesting things rather than uninteresting things

• Doing things that advance our personal objectives or that are politically expedient

• We wait until a deadline before we really get moving

• Doing things that provide immediate closure

• Responding on the basis of who wants it.

• Responding on this basis of the consequences to us of doing or not doing something

• Tackling the small jobs before large jobs

• Working on things in the order they arrive.

• Working on the basis of the squeaky wheel principle. The wheel that makes the most noise gets the most grease.

• Working on the basis of consequences to the group.

This list was sourced in the book “Developing Management Skills for Europe” by David Whetten, Kim Cameron and Mike Woods.

Detrimental Multitasking

Multitasking, contrary to common beliefs is more detrimental to our health and peace of mind, than it is worth it. 

Watch this 2 minute video and see if you can recognize yourself: 

How effective is this chap? 

And try this short video from TED talks on the topic of "MONO-tasking" 

Now we have reached the end of the Tutorial. 

I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. 

If you would like to leave a motivating comment in the box below, please feel free! 

Best Wishes 

Martha

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