Trainers' Library Portal

Time Management Team Activities


Introducing the Time Management Matrix


Time required:

10 minutes.

What it does:

Introduces the concept of identifying the level of urgency and the level of importance when prioritising work to be done.

flagThis activity is suitable for remote delivery.


flag
This team activity can be run on its own, but it works very well if you follow it up with Time Management Matrix - How to Apply It.


You will need:

The PowerPoint provided.

In a nutshell:

Staff learn how to distinguish between urgency and importance when creating to-do lists.

Joining the Dots - Testing Teamwork and Accuracy


Time required:

20 minutes.

What it does:

An activity designed to test the teamwork and accuracy levels of your team.

You will need:

Each team will need a copy of the puzzle and a set of coloured pencils or pens. Spare plain paper should also be available for the teams. We've also provided a simple example puzzle solution to share with the team either by PowerPoint or on screen. A prize for the winning team is optional.

In a nutshell:

Who can join the dots, fill in the blanks and not have any crossovers?

Meeting Costs


Time required:

15 minutes.

What it does:

Encourages participants to think about the true cost of meetings and why it is so important to ensure that meetings are effective.

flag This activity is suitable for remote delivery.


You will need:

A calculator, a copy of the salary bands and a copy of the handout from the Resources tab for each participant. This team activity also involves the use of post-it notes and a flipchart.


flagBefore the meeting you will need to create a handout that details salary bands for the roles of the people who work in your team(s). To avoid any conversations about pay, we would recommend only detailing the starting salary for each band, but you can use actual salary costs if you wish.


flagWe also recommend completing the handout from the Resources tab yourself prior to the meeting so you know what the correct answer is. 


In a nutshell:

Using the guide provided, participants calculate the probable cost of having a meeting.

Procrastination – A Hot Topic


Time required:

10 minutes.

What it does:

Gives your team members an opportunity to feel for themselves how stressful procrastination can be.

You will need:

Enough identical, plain wrapped chocolates so there's one per team member. These chocolates all need to be simple pieces of plain or milk chocolate, but your team will think something quite different.

Have a glass of water on standby for dramatic effect.


flagChocolate coins will work well for this exercise.


In a nutshell:

What happens when team members are given the opportunity to delay completing a potentially unpleasant task?

Time Management Matrix - How to Apply It


Time required:

30 minutes.

What it does:

An opportunity for the team to explore what types of activities fit into the four Time Management Quadrants before creating their own personal Time Management Matrix.

flag This activity is suitable for remote delivery.


flagThis team activity can be used a stand-alone refresher of the Time Management Matrix. Alternatively, it can be run after Introducing the Time Management Matrix as a way of helping your team to apply their new knowledge.


You will need:

One A3 copy of the Time Management Matrix for every team member, one set of Time Management Matrix Cards per two team members and lots of post-it notes.

In a nutshell:

Practice deciding where tasks fit in the Time Management Matrix, before building one of your own for the next two weeks.

Water Waste of Time


Time required:

15 minutes.

What it does:

Demonstrates to your team how their ability to manage their time impacts not just themselves but those around them too.

You will need:

It helps if there is access to drinking water not too far away (but not in the room). We have also provided a PowerPoint to show the events were indeed planned.

In a nutshell:

A sudden tickly throat cough delays the start of the meeting, but will anyone challenge the delay?