2.01 Your answer depends on your own personal circumstances and may vary from day to day depending on the type of activities you have to do.

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The maximum performance level usually occurs in the morning.
However, some people find it easier to do certain activities e.g. studying in the evenings
In the afternoon, the well-known after-lunch period of inactivity begins.
You have probably already been working for several hours and it takes time and energy for your lunch to be digested. This is not a good time to schedule important business meetings or to start priority tasks.
After a second high-performance phase in the evening, the performance curve drops continuously until it reaches its lowest point a few hours after midnight.
Again some people claim to work better late at night, but this is a typical pattern.
Some international US companies have formal nap periods for staff after lunch.
This allows staff to re-energise. It is similar to the concept of siesta e.g. in Italy, Spain and parts of Latin America where people traditionally take a long lunch break which allows for a post-lunch rest before starting work again.
2.02 Again, your graph will reflect your own working pattern.

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Study tip!

When’s the best time of day for you to study? If possible, try to schedule your study periods at these times.
Breaks and performance
3.03 This is a sample graph with related comments.
Concentration performance values over a 60 minute period
Make notes to explain the graph you have drawn.

 

 

 

T/F

4.01

You should leave all your important work until the end of the week.

F 

 

Your energy levels are probably lower at the end of the week. It’s difficult to remain focused and strong all week. If possible do the most important work earlier in the week.

 

4.02

It’s a good idea to meet a client just after lunch.

F

 

The after lunch period is normally relatively unproductive. People have less energy and  often feel sleepy. It is more difficult to concentrate and to remain focused.

 

4.03

If you have an important report to write, you should work on it until it’s finished.

T

 

It is important to focus completely on priority tasks. Don’t be tempted to interrupt the report writing to do other tasks. You will lose the focus of your work. However, this does not mean you cannot take breaks. Short breaks allow you to refresh and re-energise.

 

4.04

Working on your weekend is not a good idea.

T

 

Generally it is not a good idea to take work home or go into the office during your free time. If you organise your work well, you should be able to avoid this. Obviously, there may be emergencies or strict deadlines that require a bit of extra work. However, this should be the exception NOT the rule.

 

4.05

Meetings that last more than an hour start becoming ineffective.

T

 

Concentration levels begin to drop and the meeting will therefore lose focus. Plan the meeting well and make sure that all participants follow the agenda. Meetings that go on and on often happen because there is no control of the discussion and discussion moves onto unrelated topics. If there is a need to continue the meeting, have a break or reschedule for a continuation meeting.

 

4.06

Most of the useful ideas in a meeting come in the first 45 minutes.

T

 

See answer 4.05

 

4.07

It’s better to leave work early than arrive late.

T

 

Energy levels are generally higher early in the day. Many people stay late to try to catch up. However, often very little is achieved in this late period. Try starting earlier and organise your workload so you do priority tasks earlier in the day.

 

4.08

Having a meeting over lunch can be a good idea

T

 

This depends on the purpose of the meeting and the expectations of the participants. In some cultures this may seem strange. However, much can be achieved in a more relaxed social setting.

 
Study tip!
To help you study well write a study plan. Try to study at regular times. Write down when you will study and what you will study. Try to keep to the plan. If circumstances change the plan but then keep to the new plan. Don’t be too ambitious, give yourself plenty of time to study well.

Also keep a Study Log – each time you study note down:
• when you started
• when you finished
• what you learned
• anything that was difficult
• anything that was really easy
Finally, try to find a quiet place where you can study and keep you study materials.
 
Look at these comments from online study students and fill the gaps with the words in the box.

set aside                    prioritise                    targets                       organise                 put off

5.01
e.g.

 You really must  organise yourself right from the start.

5.02

 It’s easy to put off work until ‘tomorrow’. If you plan a study programme, try to stick to it.

5.03

 Plan your study the way you plan your work. You need to prioritise your study tasks.

5.04

I work best early in the day so I always try to set aside some time in the mornings to get important work done.

5.05

I usually set myself targets either for a week or for a day. Make them achievable, don’t set unrealistic goals.
Take some time now to think about how you will organise your time to fit this study programme into your schedule. Firstly, think about how much time you can devote to studying these e-m@il lessons. Then decide on which days you can set aside time. You should also decide how much time per day you will be able to study.

Make some notes below.

 

 

 

 
In this lesson you have:
assessed your own productivity in relation to managing your time at work
analysed your performance levels over an hour/day/week
looked at how these issues affect decisions relating to planning your work
 
The next e-m@il lesson in this module continues the theme of time management and looks at planning your work and dealing with distractions.