Time Management Seminars

Attending time management seminars can turn out to be a gigantic time-waster, a most productive learning experience, or something in between. The quality of any seminar is based on many factors, such as the knowledge and experience of the speakers, the courtesy and helpfulness of the support staff, and whether or not the value of the experience meets or exceeds the expectations of those in attendance. When the subject is managing time more effectively, it seems especially important to choose wisely from the vast array of available seminars, workshops, and programs. Whether one is seeking personal assistance or training for a company's management team, a set of criteria should be established to weed out unsuitable programs and narrow down the list of those that seem to offer the desired results in the most cost-effective manner. A college student may need help balancing course assignments with a part-time job and volunteer work. A stay-at-home mom wants ideas on balancing her children's activities with her efforts to start up a home-based online business. A human resources manager has a two-fold task: find appropriate training for the company's administrative support staff and its sales force. Each one has different needs and will need to find the most appropriate program to obtain training and skills that are relevant to their own circumstances. Besides preliminary research on the websites of potential programs, these individuals may benefit from looking over any time management lesson plans that are posted online. Knowing exactly what specific issues will be covered in an allotted amount of time can help the individual choose from the many time management seminars that are available. To skip the step of carefully researching options and choosing a relevant program is to risk wasting this most precious, non-renewable commodity -- a weird irony, to say the least.

The college student may find that his university offers workshops on organizing all the required course work in such a way that he can keep track of routine assignments and major projects. Many community organizations and local chambers of commerce periodically offer workshops that are open to the public that can benefit the home-based entrepreneur. Usually, these types of programs are of short duration, perhaps a few hours at a library or other accessible meeting place, and are relatively inexpensive. The human resources professional, after reviewing the time management lesson plans of several different programs, might retain a firm specializing in time management seminars to conduct an on-site workshop for the administrative support staff that lasts all morning and includes a catered luncheon. For the sales team, the human resources professional could hire the same or a different firm to conduct a company-sponsored weekend retreat at an off-site location, perhaps a resort or nearby conference center. Whether on-site or off-site, the firm is responsible for setting the agenda, providing materials, and conducting the workshop(s) in innovative and entertaining ways to meet the objectives of the human resources professional and the needs of those in attendance.

Jesus' half-brother James wrote the New Testament book bearing his name and, incidentally, one of the most practical books when it comes to instruction for living as a Christian. Regarding time, James wrote: "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that" (James 4:13-15). Those who accept the truth of God's Word that life is fleeting will more likely consider time as a gift and an asset that needs to be used wisely to achieve specific life-goals. An individual's personal talents, gifts, and circumstances will be aligned with service to others that glorifies God. Since no one knows that tomorrow has in store, each day can be lived with meaning and purpose by someone whose priorities are clear.

Most effective time management lesson plans will begin with some type of self-evaluation based on the objectives of the program. A college freshman orientation self-evaluation may focus on helping the new student identify hindrances to effectively completing assignments and tips on breaking down major projects into easier-to-manage components. A company's administrative support staff might complete worksheets that identify time-wasting activities and also receive tips on such issues as effectively organizing the day's tasks and handling interruptions. A more indepth seminar might be presented in such a way that workshop attendees can identify major goals. Perhaps they are encouraged to answer such questions as: Where do I want to be in five years? Ten? What do I have to do to get there? How can I most wisely use the hours, days, weeks, and months in between now and then to reach that goal? The answers to such questions can be utilized to establish the objectives that need to be met to meet the goal. Once the objectives are established, an action plan for reaching them can be set. The time-frame becomes smaller and smaller until the attendee knows what activities must be done every week (or perhaps even almost every day) to reach the desired objectives and goals. These activities become one's priorities and help determine what tops the daily to-do list.

Some time management lesson plans present excellent tips on priority-setting and goal-reaching strategies, but promote a certain product line of calendars and planners. The workshop concludes with a sales presentation that provides an opportunity for the attendees to purchase the products. This is fine as long as a careful decision is made on whether the particular product will actually be used before spending money on it. Obviously, the college student, the stay-at-home mom/entrepreneur, the administrative support staff, and the sales team are going to need different types of planning tools. Effective time management seminars will suggest tools that are relevant for the audience of the particular program being presented. Different calendar formats work for different needs. Anyone who desires to improve time management skills should take the time to look over as many available options as possible to find the most effective planning tools to meet his or her particular needs.

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