INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DAILY TIME ANALYSIS

MGMT 481: Strategic Management

Fall Semester 2010

1. Make 14 copies of the time study worksheet.  Enter the data and list the goals for the day in terms of  results, not activities (i.e., Read three chapters in accounting versus studied accounting.  Include the agenda in  the time allocated for a sales meeting, not just the meeting  itself.)

2.  Record all significant activities in terms of results during each fifteen minute period.  Do not wait until noon or the end of the day or the major benefit will be lost.  Record sleep time as well.  You will be responsible for 336 total hours.

3.  Answer the following questions immediately after the completion of the daily time log or at least make daily notes  to use for your overall analysis.

QUESTIONS FOR OVERALL ANALYSIS

1.  Introduction - (One page or less) - tell me about yourself and the time period of your study to make what follows (your analysis) more clear to reader.

2.  Did setting daily goals and times for completion improve my effectiveness?  If so, why?  If not, why not?

3.  What was the longest period of time without interruption  besides sleep?

4.  In order of importance, which interruptions were most costly?
 
5.  What can be done to eliminate or control interruptions?

            For example:
            Which telephone calls were unnecessary?
            Which telephone calls could have been shorter or more effective?
            Which visits were unnecessary?
            Which visits could have been shorter or more effective?

6.  How much time was spent in meetings? How much was necessary?  How could     more have been accomplished in less time?

7.  Did I tend to record "activities" or "results"?

8.  How many of my daily goals contributed directly to my long- range objectives?

9.  Did a "self-correcting" tendency appear as I recorded my actions?

10. What two or three steps could I now take to improve my effectiveness?  What did you learn in the course of performing  this analysis?

11. (For overall analysis.)  How is this two-week period for which  you logged your time atypical?

Consider Questions 1-10 for  your overall analysis.  Analyze your overall results with and without sleep time.  Use Lotus (or any other means to present your results categories.  What did you learn?  Support your  contentions with evidence from your time study data.  Did the  fact you were doing the time study bias (affect) your behavior?


TIME CATEGORIES

Make up relevant time categories that you need. Try to avoid the category "Other." If "Other" is a percentage greater than 10% of your total time, try to make it smaller. Make up your own relevant categories.

EXAMPLES OF CATEGORIES
 

Routine Work 

________

Necessary Routine Work 

_________

Reading for Class

_________

Meals and Dishes 

_________

Personal Entertainment 

_________

Watch Television 

_________

Travel-in-Transit 

_________

Work Alone/Current Activity 

_________

Worked Alone/Forward Planning 

_________

Meetings and Conferences

_________

Special Situations & Assignments 

_________

Reading 

_________

Monday/Sunday Night Football 

_________

Business Entertainment 

_________

Exercise

_________

Non-Contributive (FS-Fault of Self) 

_________

Personal Hygiene 

_________

Non-Contributive (FO-Fault of Others) 

_________

Sleep 

_________

Personal Development 

_________

Meals/Dating 

_________

Time with Family 

_________

Class time 

_________

Church

_________

Tutor Children 

_________

Shop for Necessities 

_________

Shop for Christmas Gifts 

_________

Deer Hunting

_________

Work on Car 

_________

Shovel Snow

_________

Baby-sit 

_________

Study Notes for Class 

_________

Work for Instructors

_________

Leisure Time with Family 

_________

Computer Time (on-line) 

_________

Computer Time (programming) 

_________

Meetings for Classes 

_________

Telephone Time (for class) 

_________

Telephone Time (leisure) 

_________

Coffee/Tea Break 

_________