Improving Personal and Workgroup Productivity

Lead team meetings that result in increased productivity. Structure personal time, workload, and priorities to maintain a positive work-life balance.

Description

In a networked economy, the overload of information, tasks, and meetings, as well as the need to stay connected to colleagues in other time zones, often erodes productivity and effectiveness. Managers need the strategies and techniques for work prioritization and personal time management that are so vital for success in today's demanding, multitasking workplace.

Managers spend a significant amount of their day in meetings, so it is imperative that they understand how to structure and run effective, productive meetings, and how to prioritize and manage their own work loads. While meetings provide an opportunity for creative, high-quality discussions and problem solving, they are often unproductive, leaving participants feeling stressed due to the perceived waste of precious time.

In this course, participants will learn about the best practices for structuring their own personal time and workload, and for leading efficient and successful meetings for increased productivity.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is necessary for all managers, supervisors, and team leaders at any level of the organization and in any industry who want to learn to make their workdays more productive.

Course Format

eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and builds each course around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer any questions about the course content.

This course contains the following modules:

• Solving Time Management Problems
  • Tendencies that affect personal time-management behaviors
  • Strategies for beating procrastination
  • Distinguishing essential tasks from those of lower priority
  • Distinguishing between urgent and important events
  • "Time robbers"
  • Personal habits that impede effective time management
  • Analyzing interruptions to reduce the tendency of others to cut into your valuable time
  • Assertiveness skills for effective time management
  • Constructive confrontation
  • Using a time log to analyze your habits and work activities
• Managing Team Meetings
  • Functions served by meetings
  • Effective meeting preparation
  • Best practices for leading a meeting effectively
  • Asking the right questions to achieve the most effective group participation
  • Six categories of questions and the appropriate use of each

  Benefits to the Learner

  After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Identify and overcome personal tendencies that lead to procrastination
  • Efficiently prioritize tasks and events based on urgency
  • Plan and lead meetings that successfully disseminate relevant information and increase morale and productivity

  Authoring Faculty

  Florence Berger, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus

  Judi W. Brownell, Ph.D., Professor

  Sponsoring School

  Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration

  Total Learning Time

  Approximately 5-6 hours over a period of two weeks.