Managing Multiple Priorities: Work Smarter, Not Harder

Course Overview

Do you have enough time? More and more people are encountering stress, overwork and the pressure of time constraints at work; even the most organized person can sometimes feel overwhelmed and frustrated. Workloads seem impossible and chaotic; handling multiple assignments and demands from several people is the norm rather than the exception. It’s no secret that highly successful people are those who have learned to control their days. Time is our most precious and important resource; the ability to manage it effectively is a critical factor of success in today's workplace. This workshop will introduce you to practical “how-to” techniques in helping you achieve better results both at work and in your personal life.

Target Audience

• Managers, supervisors, section heads, and team leaders
• Secretaries, clerks, administrative and support staff
• Coordinators, assistant directors, payables and receivables clerks
• Purchasing officers, production personnel, sales and marketing representatives
• Anyone who finds themselves juggling multiple tasks and deadlines

Course Objectives

• Identify top time-wasters and discover how to manage your job instead of letting your job manage you
• Analyze your personal time log to increase efficiency
• Overcome procrastination

Course Content

Getting organized/planning for results

• Differentiating between reactive and proactive planning
• Identifying/dealing with time wasters and interruptions
• Utilizing to-do lists to keep you on track
• Applying Murphy’s Laws: the art & skill of planning for the unexpected
• Protecting the most productive part of your day
• Clustering common tasks for greater efficiency/ effectiveness
• Managing the paper flow more effectively

Juggling multiple/competing priorities

• Identifying the difference between procrastination and justifiable delay
• The 80/20 rule: using Pareto’s principles to identify key result areas
• Identifying priorities when everything seems important: the ABC’s
• The priority matrix: distinguishing between urgent and important tasks
• Handling the pressures of juggling multiple tasks, deadlines and bosses
• Accommodating shifting priorities and last minute projects
• Ensuring your priorities are in sync with organization priorities
• Negotiating shifting priorities: getting understanding and agreement

Personal time and self-management skills

• Understanding the relationship between time and choice
• Dispelling some common myths and misconceptions about time usage
• Using time logs to better understand your time management challenges
• Learning when and how to say no without offending others
• Conquering the “I can do it better/quicker myself” syndrome
• Understanding the difference between excellence and perfection
• Tips/techniques in overcoming and conquering procrastination

Further Information

• Structured group exercises are used to enhance the learning experience
• Group size is limited to 18
• Participants will receive a Global Knowledge Certificate of Completion