Time and Task Management

Question 1

What are the skills required for time and task management?

Answer 1

• prioritisation
• organisation
• delegation
• assertiveness
• negotiation
• control
• evaluation
• resource management
  (People often dance around nervous cats eating rats)

Question 2

What is a SMART target?

Answer 2

• Specific (well defined)
• Measurable (what will the measurement unit be?)
• Agreed (target is discussed with line manager)
• Realistic (do you have the necessary skills and knowledge)
• Timed (when will the target be completed?)

Question 3

What are different methods of setting targets?

Answer 3

• personal development plan
• action plan
• to do list
• gannt chart

Question 4

What are examples of when priorities would need to change?

Answer 4

• a member of staff failing to show up to work
• a network crashing
• a manager changing a deadline for a piece of work

Question 5

What are the solutions to dealing with changing priorities?

Answer 5

• extending deadline
• offering over-time
• being assertive and saying no to additional work
• calling on additional help from others

Question 6

What are methods of monitoring and evaluating progress?

Answer 6

• sample checks
• line manager (checking ay regular times how the work id progressing)
• buddy manager (where an employee is paired with a more experienced staff member)
• mentoring system (where an employee is assigned a more senior member of staff)
• gannt chart (chart that monitors progress)
• audit or system check (current procedures are reviewed and changes made to improve efficiency)
• regular meetings (between staff and line managers)

Question 7

Types of time stealers?

Answer 7

• Lack of forward planning
• interruption from the telephone
• interruption from visitors
• taking on too much work
• desk stress
• procrastination
• meeting overrunning
• making unnecessary journeys
• communication problems

Question 8

What are the benefits of effective time and task management?

Answer 8

• increased productivity and better quality of work
• increased morale and motivation
• increased job satisfaction and lower staff turnover
• lower stress levels, among staff, which will reduce absenteeism
• better relationships with management
• good customer relations as deadlines will be met

Question 9

What are the consequences if time is not managed effectively?

Answer 9

• staff being stressed which leads to absenteeism
• lower productivity and poor quality of work
• lower staff morale and motivation
• poor job satisfaction and high staff turnover
• poor customer relations and an increase in customer complaints
• poor relationships with management
• increased costs to the organisation