Behavioral Techniques for Managing Your Time

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Abstract

This course, from a behavior analytic perspective, our own behaviors and behaviors of other people that use time productively or waste time. To a large extent (much larger than you may think), you can control your time if you accept these two principles:

1. You can largely determine and limit the time you spend on specific tasks, and
2. You can influence how much other people’s behaviors use (and perhaps waste) your time.

Part 1 covers personal goals for managing your time, when and how to modify your own behaviors, getting started on difficult tasks with the "making ready" technique, strategies to stop procrastinating, how to economize your e-mail, tips for self-managing with lists, deadlines, goals, and reinforcement, and how to influence the behavior of others with your communication, coaching, and delegation skills. Part 2 covers balancing time toward your goals and others' goals, techniques for minimizing interruptions, tips for saying "no," recommendations for managing meetings, considerations for working from home, simple ways to reduce waste every day, examples of work-life balance, and relevant case studies.

Learning Checklist

What you’ll learn in the course and be able to do afterward

1. Identify personal goals for managing your time
2. Describe actions that are productive or non-productive to your priorities and goals
3. Identify antecedents and consequences you can provide that increase productive behaviors in managing time.
4. Analyze the consequences that reinforce undesired behaviors in managing time
5. Identify ways to set yourself up for success with shaping, use of Premack reinforcement, and assertive communication techniques.
6. Identify tools to engage people around you to support your time management goals and coach them to improve their own time management.
7. Identify ways to make your positive reinforcement effective

Course Rating

This course is recommended for individuals interested in learning how to apply behavioral science to more effectively self-manage and achieve goals in their professional and personal lives. Some familiarity with behavior analytic concepts is recommended.