Time Management Reality Check Exercise | Employability & Soft Skills Activity

Description

Time Management is an employability skill/soft skill in which we can all improve. My students (9th through 12th grade) get so stressed. I hear the word “anxiety” all of the time! When I talk with managers and leaders in the work force, they say that it seems that this ‘next generation’ struggles with anxiety and managing their time. There are so many more distractions than there used to be. With the cell phone, social media, and many apps that take up our time (screen time) we tend to get caught up in TIME LOST to these engaging distractions.

My ‘What’s on Your Plate?’ activity is a class activity that I do as a reality check or as a discovery lesson. My hope is that they realize how much time is spent…or lost…with screen time. This activity also helps them categorize and prioritize their time. When we know better, we do better. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and make lists to prioritize my responsibilities and try to track my distractions as well.

After they complete this exercise (using a paper plate) we have a discussion about how their plate ‘looks.’ I ask them questions like, “how much red is on your plate?” and ”Do you have a lot of yellow?” They appreciate the banter and discussion. They also enjoy showing everyone what is on their plate.

I emphasize to them that bosses want employees to be able to handle the workload and stresses of the job that they were hired to do. This ‘What’s on Your Plate?’ reality check exercise can be done as a simple list in the future.

There are two times of the year that are most stressful for my students – the beginning of the year and the end of the year. This activity is always class time well spent!

This resource is part of my LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT MONEY SAVING BUNDLE