Introduction

 
Welcome to your online Time Management with Outlook Training. For over 20 years our trainers at Total Success Training have taught thousands of our delegates to become more effective by teaching them practical tips and techniques that can be used immediately.
 
We’ve designed all of our courses to be both practical and easy to follow and have included topics that we feel will help you to learn quickly and easily.
 
To get the best out of this on-line training course please complete all of the topics but go through each one at the pace you feel comfortable with. You may decide to do it in one go or in stages. It’s all up to you. We have included lots of exercises and quizzes to get you thinking, planning and using the course information in the most practical way.
 
Delegates will learn skills which will improve planning, assertiveness, setting priorities, decision making, e-mail management, and communication skills. They will have the skills to manage their priorities; manage themselves to get things done on time; co-ordinate meetings, be assertive with colleagues and learn how to say 'no'; gain sufficient time to complete their most important tasks; effective daily planning; prioritise and schedule tasks; learn to allocate time to each task in its order of priority; enhance team productivity and performance.
 
By the end of this course you will get the foundation needed to become a perfect leader.  It will allow you to:

• increase work effectiveness and productivity
• use Microsoft Outlook as an essential time tool
• manage deadlines more effectively
• enjoy a more balanced lifestyle
• feel more in control of their daily activities

Chapter 1 - Recognising Time Management Challenges

This chapter enables you to understand the processes which will make you more effective whilst minimising the “Thieves of Time” which plague our personal productivity and sense of achievement.

It will not only teach “Time Tips” but will introduce you to classic tips and techniques that will enable you to use your time more effectively to achieve both organisational objectives and increase your quality of life.

In this chapter you will learn how to:

• Set positive objectives
• Identifying your time stealers
• Learn simple tips to overcome common time stealers
• Identify the internal dialogues that inhibits our ability to manage our time

Chapter 2 - Establishing Priorities

What are your job priorities? How do we decipher between the vital few and the trivial many? We will look at setting short and long term priorities; how to decide between multiple urgent and important tasks ensuring promises are kept and objectives met.

In this chapter you will learn how to:

• Establish long term business and personal priorities
• Plan mid and long term priorities using a priority planner
• Plan to eliminate ‘time stealers’ whilst achieving your short term priorities
• Understand the balance between Urgency and Importance when planning priorities
• Use the 4 D’s for making effective priority decisions

What is a priority? We all have priorities whether or not we carry them out and complete them. A priority is a task that MUST be carried out within a given time period. This chapter will show you how to identify your long-term goals, identify & rank your priorities etc.

Chapter 3 - Daily Planning

“Under promise and over deliver” is a phrase often used in Customer Service. It should also be a mantra for Time Management. Customers are dissatisfied when they are given a time for a delivery and are let down at the last minute. When we set expectations and then don’t deliver  it causes stress and frustration not only for our clients but also our colleagues, our staff, our managers and directors; not to mention the stress caused to our friends and family.

In this chapter we will examine the techniques and also the benefits of short term planning to ensure you complete what is needed and necessary. We will cover:

• What items on our task list needs prioritising
• How to plan and schedule your day effectively
• Using your prime time
• Making use of your contingency or interruption time
• Benefits of daily planning
• Using a time planner

Do you ever start the day with clear intentions of what you are going to achieve, only to end the day feeling frustrated and negative because you weren't able to do everything you had planned? It’s quite natural that you are going to encounter unexpected situations during the day such as interruptions, unforeseen events, and so on. Working life is full of unpredictable events and crises - but when it happens on a regular basis it can be as a result of poor diary and Calendar control.