EFFICIENCY AND IMPROVEMENT
Prioritising and Time Management
The behaviours in the table below show how you can demonstrate the skill of Prioritising and Time Management at each of the competency levels in which it appears. Click on the plus sign to show the behaviours at that level.
Level 1
- Efficiently manages own time and keeps diary up to date; schedules and prioritises to ensure urgent and important tasks are completed within deadlines.
Resources
Below you will find learning resources to help you develop the skill of Prioritising and Time Management. Click on the links to access the resources.
This PDF covers a technique to help you and your organisation take control of your priorities and clarify the situation, so you can have a good discussion about initiatives, priorities, and responsibilities. You can also use this technique to help your team members. It can be scaled for a team, for parts of an organisation, or for a whole organisation. The larger the scope, the more people need to be decision makers in the process.
How To Say No
Use this technique when allocated new tasks or a new role, so that you can confidently pause and, possibly, raise objections e.g. to ask for necessary time and/or resources. It will help you get the space you need to adjust properly and adapt to new challenges.
Managing Time Effectively - Role Profile
This PDF covers a technique to help you get a clearer sense of your role and what your responsibilities are. It is helpful if there is ambiguity or crossover in terms of who is responsible for what, or if you are not sure about what is expected of you or what you should prioritise.
VIDEOS
'Initiativeitis'
This video shows you a technique to help you and your organisation take control of your priorities and clarify the situation, so you can have a good discussion about initiatives, priorities, and responsibilities. You can also use this technique to help your team members. It can be scaled for a team, for parts of an organisation, or for a whole organisation. The larger the scope, the more people need to be decision makers in the process.
Autonomy Questions
This video identifies useful questions to ask in order to clarify task requirements more effectively. It can help you if you are confused about the level of autonomy you want or have; or if you are unable to make decisions in situations that affect you. Also if you are having difficulty managing your time effectively, or where you are experiencing a feeling of inability to cope. The questions show you a process to help yourself or your team members who might also be experiencing some of these problems.
ON THE JOB ACTIONS
Clarity
Start by gaining clarity about your role. Lack of clarity can contribute to wasted time and frustration. Read Managing Time Effectively – Role Profile for an easy-to-use technique using a pie chart to identify all you need to do and if there is anything you need to change, handover, re-organise.
Read How to Say No to use a process for saying no without causing you extra stress. This might be necessary for reducing a feeling of overwhelm. When accepting tasks ensure they are part of your role and be prepared to say ‘no’ to tasks appropriately.
Many organisations suffer from ‘initiativeitis’ where the balance of new initiatives versus business-as-usual activity is wrong and causes overwhelm. Read and/or watch ‘Initiativeitis’ for a technique to work out if this is the case and ideas about what to do to change for the better.