Workshop 26: Time Management & Productivity Hackathon
-3 Minute Read
Welcome to our Organisational Excellence Workshop Series. This series seeks to provide a launch pad for building professional skills and organisational success. Each workshop provides a jumping-off point for a different theme, exploring innovative strategies and practical exercises to enhance work and team dynamics. See more in the series here: https://blog.hptbydts.com/organisational-excellence-workshop-series
The objective of this workshop is to develop and share practical strategies for effective time management and productivity enhancement.
Full-Day Workshop (8 hours)
Materials Needed:
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- Materials for time audit (worksheets or digital tools).
- Templates for the Priority Matrix and SMART goals.
- Instructions and timer for the Pomodoro Technique.
- List of productivity tools and apps.
- Feedback forms.
Facilitator's Note:
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- Create an interactive and engaging environment that encourages participation and sharing of personal experiences.
- Be prepared to offer personalised suggestions and guidance based on individual participant needs and challenges.
- Focus on practical, actionable strategies that participants can readily implement in their work and personal lives.
1. Time Audit
Participants track and analyse how they currently spend their time.
Desired Outcome:
To gain a clear understanding of current time usage and identify areas for improvement. This activity provides a baseline for evaluating personal time management habits and potential improvements.
Steps:
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- Before the workshop, participants track their time for a predetermined period (e.g., one week).
- Analyse these time logs in the workshop, identifying patterns and time-wasters.
- Group discussion on insights and common time management challenges.
Potential Challenges:
Inaccuracy or incompleteness in time tracking. To help overcome this, encourage honesty and completeness in self-reporting for effective analysis.
2. Priority Matrix Creation
Developing a personal priority matrix based on the Eisenhower Box (urgent vs. important).
Desired Outcome:
To categorise tasks effectively and focus on what’s truly important and urgent. This activity assists in decision-making about prioritising tasks and managing time effectively.
Steps:
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- Explain the concept of the Eisenhower Box.
- Participants categorise their tasks from the time audit into the matrix.
- Discuss how to use this matrix in daily planning and task prioritisation.
Potential Challenges:
Difficulty in distinguishing between urgent and important tasks. To help overcome this, provide examples and guidelines to assist in categorisation.
3. The Pomodoro Technique Workshop
Introduction and practice of the Pomodoro Technique for managing time effectively.
Desired Outcome:
To experience and evaluate the effectiveness of using focused time blocks for productivity. This activity introduces the Pomodoro Technique for maintaining focus and preventing burnout.
Steps:
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- Briefly explain the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break).
- Have participants apply the technique to a task or project during the workshop.
- Discuss experiences and potential applications in their daily work.
Potential Challenges:
Difficulty in maintaining focus for the entire period. To help overcome this, discuss strategies to minimise distractions and stay on task.
4. Goal Setting & Action Planning
Setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals and developing action plans.
Desired Outcome:
To create clear, actionable goals and plans for enhancing time management and productivity. This activity introduces SMART goals as a tool to improve time management and productivity.
Steps:
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- Workshop on how to set SMART goals.
- Participants develop their own SMART goals related to time management.
- Create action plans with specific steps to achieve these goals.
Potential Challenges:
Setting unrealistic or vague goals. To help overcome this, assist in refining goals to ensure they are achievable and well-defined.
5. Digital Detox Challenge
Experimenting with reducing digital distractions to improve focus and productivity.
Desired Outcome:
To understand the impact of digital distractions on productivity and practice strategies to minimise them. This activity addresses managing digital distractions to enhance productivity.
Steps:
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- Discuss the impact of digital distractions and ways to reduce them.
- Participants commit to a period of minimal digital distraction (e.g., turning off notifications).
- Reflect on the experience and discuss long-term strategies for minimising digital distractions.
Potential Challenges:
Resistance to reducing digital usage. To help overcome this, highlight the benefits and encourage gradual changes rather than abrupt ones.
6. Productivity Tools & Apps Exploration
Exploring and evaluating various tools and apps designed to enhance time management and productivity.
Desired Outcome:
To familiarise participants with digital tools that can aid in effective time management. This activity introduces digital tools for organising, scheduling, and prioritising tasks.
Steps:
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- Present a selection of time management and productivity tools and apps.
- Participants explore these tools and discuss how they could be integrated into their routines.
- Share experiences and recommendations.
Potential Challenges:
Overwhelm with the variety of tools available. To help overcome this, offer a curated list and focus on how each tool can address specific time management challenges.
7. Workshop Debrief & Feedback Session
Gathering participant feedback and summarising key workshop learnings.
Desired Outcome:
To reinforce key concepts and gather insights for continuous improvement. This activity helps to ensure understanding of the workshop content and provides insights for enhancing future workshops.
Steps:
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- Open discussion for participants to share their thoughts on the workshop.
- Summarise key concepts and learnings.
- Collect written feedback for future workshop enhancements.
Potential Challenges:
Limited participant engagement. To help overcome this, encourage honest and open feedback, stressing its importance.
Thank you for joining us in this edition of the 'Organisational Excellence Workshop Series'. We hope the insights and strategies from the Time Management & Productivity Hackathon workshop have inspired you and provided a valuable tool to kick-start and customise your own workshop. Remember, each workshop in this series is a step towards enhancing and enriching your organisational culture. Stay tuned for our next edition, where we will explore another vital aspect of professional development, continuing our journey of learning and growth. Until then, we encourage you to implement what you've learned and share your experiences with your peers.
Trevor O'Sullivan
General Manager. Since the early 2000s, Trevor has worked with thousands of Talent Management professionals to develop and apply assessment-based talent management solutions for selecting, developing and managing people. Trevor is an active member of the TTI Success Insights (TTISI) Global Advisory Council, contributes to TTISI product development and is a regular presenter at TTISI-R3. He is honoured to have received multiple Blue Diamond Awards and, more recently, the Bill Brooks Impact Award recognising his contributions to the TTISI global network.
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