Talent Management - September 2008 - (Page 41)

at 4 o’clock. They can close out their day, plan what to do tomorrow and get their employees to say, ‘This is due by 11 tomorrow’ or ‘I need this by 3 tomorrow.’ That gives the employee time to work it into their personal schedule,” she said. Technology can help, but only if employees have been trained to leverage tools effectively. This may require training on Outlook or other day-to-day software applications. “People have great technology, with buttons and bells and whistles, but they’re not sure how to use those tools productively to get tasks done, and the manager should reinforce that,” Brandau said. Without a foundation, however, technology likely won’t help employees develop time management skills. Brandau agreed with Haas that employees must know how to handle procrastinations and interruptions, and that requires self-discipline. “Re-evaluate throughout the day, ‘What is the most important thing I should be working on right now?’ Place tasks for your day in different time slots. For instance, if I know what I’m going to get done between the 8 and 10 o’clock time frame, I’m focused,” she explained. “I don’t waste time wondering where to start.” Like soft skills development, a talent manager trying to teach someone how to get on schedule and plan likely can’t do so in a traditional way. It’s difﬁcult to provide the necessary guidance and practice solely via online learning, for instance. Instead, time management skill development requires a more individual approach to effect lasting behavioral change. “Managers don’t usually take that into account when they’re looking at a person with time management issues,” Brandau said. “Each person has a different work style, thinking style, personality. If I have a horizontal thinker who is typically more right-brained and thinks in the big picture, trying to mix with vertical thinkers who think step-by-step like walking up ladder rungs, they’re going to have a little conﬂict getting on the same page. “Talent managers need to make sure they have the employee in the right job and they know how the employee works. They have to be engaged and like what they’re doing. Then time management is more intrinsic. It’s like, ‘I want to get this done. I want to ﬁnish this project.’” Brandau said a blended development approach using traditional classroom teaching with small group work, simulations and other visual learning elements can be effective when coupled with online streaming video and recorded modules to help reinforce time management principles. But the most basic time management tool is a task list. “You can really use the information if you make it digital. Technology can automatically roll over tasks that aren’t ﬁnished. You can brainstorm with a team and rearrange tasks better,” Brandau said. Haas goes a step further. He said he advocates doing away with master task lists in favor of a more targeted daily version. “Performance management is a function of habitualization, taking the right actions at the right time for the right reason,” he explained. “It’s a matter of discipline and having a schedule to get back to. Get rid of master to-do lists. Focus on ‘high-value, critically important things to be done today’ lists. Then periodically record activities to review and improve the use of your time.” Time management skill development should be integrated into how a business operates, according to Sugi Randall, senior vice president of PeopleLink, human resources and training at Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc. “Time management is one of the basic skills required for any degree of success, whether it’s from a business or a relationship standpoint,” she said. LEARNING continued on page 55 http://TheTrainingAssociates.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talent Management - September 2008

Talent Management - September 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Human Performance: Stop Wasting Money on Training Leading Edge: No Whining, No Excuses Learning Connections: Do You Get It? The Untapped Resource Reinventing HR Doing Compensation Right: The Winning Spread Managing Performance in the Knowledge and Innovation Worker Age Stop-The-Clock Time Management Preparing for the Future in the Public Sector SAS: Connecting People, Process and Products Talent Transformation at Textron The Price of Finding the Right Gen Y Candidate Advertiser's Index Editorial Resources Full Potential: Do What You Love, Love What You Do

Talent Management - September 2008

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