Time Trial is a SHORT, sharp activity to deliver KEY LESSONS on time management supplied digitally, for use in virtual or face-to-face training sessions. In this 60-minute activity participants are faced with a stream of emails and ongoing projects. THE ACTIVITY It’s the start of a new week and the general manager at Cavendish is faced with a lot of ‘things to do’. It’s the perfect time to take a few moments to organise the week ahead: Plan the diary Prioritize the workload Decide where/how to best utilise staff Arrange meetings where necessary Learn to sometimes just say ‘NO’ Teams - or individuals - have two forms: Your Diary and Your Action Record, on which they record their responses. In addition, the emails reveal some organisational problems and at the end of the activity participants are asked what underlying issues they were able to identify. A scoring system allows teams' time planning skills to be assessed and scored. Teams then have a benchmark for improving their time management skills and productivity in the workplace. The activity is straightforward to facilitate - full details are in the Trainer’s Notes. TRAINER'S ROLE 1. Issue emails to teams (or individuals). 2. Tell teams they have 60 minutes to complete their task. 3. Issue forms: Your Diary and Your Action Record. 4. Observe teams (but do not get involved). 5. After 10 minutes issue the first of six additional emails - and one more every 10 minutes so that the final email is issued just a moment before the 60 minutes is up. 6. At 60 minutes stop the session and move on to the debrief. 7. Debrief the activity by leading a discussion to the whole group. Work through the forms, reveal the ‘right answers’ and allow teams to score their forms. They can then compare their decisions - usually provoking a lively discussion and plenty of disagreement. (Remember, the principles of time planning are the issue - rather than exactly the right response to a particular email). 8. Summarize the key learning points and announce the winning score. (Performance rating indicator supplied in the Trainer’s Notes.) 9. Issue 20 Top Tips handout to take back to the workplace. Full guidance, discussion points answers are supplied in the Trainer’s Notes. CONTENTS Trainer’s Notes Team Brief Sets of Emails Handout 1: Your Diary Handout 2: Your Action Record Handout 3: Top Tips Specimen Answers for completed Handouts 1&2 This Northgate training activity is delivered through an online portal and comes with a five-year licence for repeat use with up to 24 participants per training session within the license-holding organization. Time Trial Online is designed by Northgate Training Activities This is a downloadable product. You will receive emailed instructions on how to download the software. It may take 1-3 days to receive this email, depending on the day of the week that the order is placed.
