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Personal Productivity Course (1 day)
Delegates leave with a working personal system – goals, routines, a schedule, a controlled inbox and safe use of AI tools – that gets more of the right work done.
Most people do not lack effort. They lack a system: goals that are vague, a calendar that fills itself, an inbox that runs the day and files nobody can find. This personal productivity training gives delegates a simple, practical system for managing their own work – and shows how AI tools can take the slow parts out of everyday admin. In practice it is a personal effectiveness course: clear goals, a realistic schedule and fewer interruptions.
Delegates set SMART goals and build personal and professional routines that save time and decisions. They learn to schedule tasks as well as appointments, track where their time goes, use the one-minute and five-minute rules to stay on top of small jobs, and start new tasks with a checklist. Simple project tools – the triple constraint, a basic schedule and a RACI chart – help with bigger pieces of work. The afternoon covers the workspace and desk ergonomics, organising paper and electronic files, taking control of email and phone notifications, beating procrastination, and a short practical module on using AI tools to draft, summarise and plan while checking the output and protecting personal information.
Delegates work on their own calendar, inbox and task list during the day and leave with a productivity system they can start using the next morning.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Staff who plan their own work and meet deadlines without constant follow-up
- Less time lost to email, searching for files and unclear tasks
- Clear ownership on shared tasks through simple RACI charts
- Everyday AI use that saves time and protects company and client data
For your delegates
- A personal system for goals, routines and scheduling
- A tidy inbox and file structure, and rules to keep them that way
- Quick techniques for starting tasks and beating procrastination
- Practical, safe ways to use AI tools for everyday admin
What delegates will be able to do
- Set SMART goals and prioritise them
- Build personal and professional routines that reduce wasted time
- Schedule tasks and appointments and track how time is actually spent
- Start new tasks and projects with a checklist and a sense of scale
- Use the triple constraint, a simple schedule and a RACI chart on small projects
- Organise a workspace, paper files and electronic folders for quick retrieval
- Manage email and device notifications instead of reacting to them
- Use AI tools to draft, summarise and plan, checking outputs and keeping personal information out
- Apply practical techniques to overcome procrastination
Who should attend
Administrators, professionals, team leaders, managers and anyone juggling a full workload, a busy inbox and competing deadlines. Especially useful for new managers and for teams moving to hybrid or more self-directed work.
Course outline
Day 1 – Building your personal productivity system
Goals and routines
- Setting SMART goals that are positive, personal and present
- Prioritising and reviewing goals
- Personal and professional routines that save decisions
- Simple ways to take clutter out of your day
Scheduling and staying on top
- The core habit of time management: plan before you act
- Tracking where your time really goes
- Scheduling tasks, not only appointments
- The one-minute and five-minute rules
- What to do when you are falling behind
New tasks and small projects
- Sizing up a new task on a sliding scale
- A getting-started checklist
- The triple constraint: scope, time and cost
- Building a simple schedule
- Using a RACI chart to show who does what
Workspace, files and email
- Setting up your physical workspace
- Ergonomics basics for desk work
- Organising paper and electronic files and folders
- Scheduling regular archiving and clean-up
- Processing email in batches and acting on it
- Getting more from your email program and controlling phone notifications
AI tools for everyday productivity
- Drafting, summarising and reformatting documents with AI
- Turning notes into emails, agendas and plans
- Checking AI output for accuracy and tone
- Keeping personal and confidential information out of public AI tools, in line with POPIA
Beating procrastination
- Why we procrastinate
- Practical ways to get started
- Eat the frog: the hardest task first
- Personal productivity plan and close
How it is delivered
One day, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20. Workbook, planning templates and a personal productivity plan included; delegates get the most from the day if they bring a laptop with their own email and calendar. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 790+ reviews · word-for-word quotes from signed letters of reference, from clients on this and/or related BOTI courses
“BOTI demonstrated professionalism, sound subject knowledge, and effective facilitation throughout the training. The programme was well organised, relevant and beneficial to our delegates.”
“The facilitator who conducted the training was professional and tailored both the schedule and environment to ensure that learners had a safe space to share authentic, real-life experiences”
“All training programmes were delivered in a highly professional manner, with effective coordination and strict adherence to our scheduling requirements. The facilitators demonstrated a commendable level of expertise, and the quality of delivery consistently met our expectations.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa; we can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
Does the course cover AI tools?
Yes – a short, practical module on using AI tools to draft, summarise and plan, with the checks needed to use them safely. For a deeper programme, ask about Unleashing the Power of AI for Everyday Work (2 days).
How is this different from Attention Management?
Personal Productivity is about systems: goals, routines, scheduling, email, files and simple project tools. Attention Management is about focus: distraction, concentration and calm under pressure. Many teams take both.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Can delegates work on their own inbox and calendar?
Yes, and we recommend it. Delegates who bring a laptop apply each technique to their own email, calendar and files during the day.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
Related courses
Ask a consultant for a written quote
A BOTI consultant emails you a written quote, usually within 15 minutes (Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00). After hours, we reply on the next working day. To speak to someone now, call 011 882 8853.
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