Time Management in the Workplace - Research Paper Example

?The use of time management is critical to the success of an enterprise. Time management can be defined as, “a set of principles, practices, skills, tools, and systems that work together to help you get more value out of your time with the aim of improving the quality of your life” (Timethoughts). Managers of corporations must effectively use time management to increase the efficiency and productivity of a firm. Time management is a technique that should be taught to the employees in order to help them make better use of their time at work. Training and development of time management should be a priority in all businesses. Time management can be applied to your personal life in order to reduce stress and improve productivity (Clinic). A lot of people waste a lot of time during their daily routine. Identifying areas to streamline your daily habits can help people gain a lot of valuable time. For instance if a person stays in the shower one hour everyday, then this individual could reduce his bathing time to save water and cut time. A different individual may spend over three hours a day talking on the phone. Increase exposure to cellular phones may cause cancer (Cancer). The person would benefit from the application of time management to reduce phone usage. The time spend away from the phone can help this person enjoy more quality time with his family. . The managers of organizations can greatly benefit from the use of time management. Since managers are responsible for the performance of their employees it is in their best interest for their subordinates to use time efficiently at work. Managers can influence the way people do their jobs at work. The implementation of a new process can allow a worker to produce more units during a shift. Managers can also help their workers by authorizing training and development to increase the skills and capabilities of the staff. Another way to motivate workers to improve their productivity is through the use of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Workers that are given incentives for production will be less temped to waste time during work hours. Time management starts at the top of the corporate hierarchy. The executive management team must utilize their time wisely to perform planning and strategic management functions. Time can be better managed by executives when they are organized and perform proper planning. Managers must forecast the work labor hours required to produce the demand for its products and services. Increasing labor efficiency by reducing waste can enhance the production of a company. Time management can benefit the work output of all types of employees independent of their position. The janitor can become more efficient at his job by finding ways to reduce the time to perform tasks. Salesmen can benefit from the use of multi-tasking tools in order to reduce the time of performing different tasks in their daily routine. Barbers can increased their productivity by shortening the time it takes to finish a hair cut and by socializing less with the clients and other employees during labor hours. The use of technology can be applied in the workplace to improve the time management of the enterprise. A simple technology that can save time in administrative work is to purchase an electronic card puncher. Instead of using a time card the employees can check in by putting a pin number in the machine. The electronic data can save accountants and HR people a lot of work in determining the hours worked by the employees to prepare the payroll. Another technology that can be used to improve the productivity of businesspeople when working outside the office is smartphones. Smartphones such as the Iphone 5 have the capability of connecting to the internet which enables workers to interchange data, information, and to instantly communicate with each other saving valuable time. The proliferation of cellular technology has improved communication worldwide. There are approximately 5.9 billion cellular subscriptions worldwide (Plunkettresearchonline). Capital investments in machinery and equipment can help cut down time and increase the productivity of the company. Technologies such as the phone, fax machine, photo copier, and the computer have enhance the ability of people to achieve more work in a lower amount of time. Time management is both an art and a science. Managers have to get creative to find ways to use time more efficiently in the workplace. Overworking the employees is not a way to achieve that goal, instead managers should provide at least two fifteen minutes breaks during a shift as well as the legally mandated lunchtime. “Successful time management involves putting in more time at the outset in order to reorganize one’s life” (Wisegeek). The duty of a manager is to find ways to place the employees in the right position to succeed. Despite the importance of using time effectively, managers should not put added pressures on other employees to complete deadlines. Sufficient time should be given for an employee to complete a work task. Time management is extremely useful in the workplace. Companies that have low profitability can take advantage of time management tools to reduce the labor used to achieve a particular amount of production. The labor savings can occur if the manager is able to train his employees to produce more doing a shift. Establishing a work environment based on trust, respect, and high ethical conduct can positively influence the time management initiatives of the company. The usefulness of time management is not limited to for profit organizations. Non-profit organizations such as schools greatly benefit from the implementation of time management. Professors have tough work schedules and they are responsible for the education of hundreds of students each semester. Applying time management into their work routine can help them reduce their workload. School administrators such as principals can also benefit a lot from implementing time management at their workplace. Students also should use time management to properly organize their weekly study schedules. Churches can use time management to provide more services to its followers and to the community. School libraries utilize time management techniques to develop work management systems that keep priorities clearly in front of librarians at all times (Fitzgerald, Waldrip). Time management is going to become more important as we move forward in the second decade of the 21st century. The expectations of shareholders and other stakeholder groups are higher than ever. Companies have to find time to obtain their desired operational and financial goals as well as meeting the needs of its community and customers. Time management tools have been used since the industrial revolution (Purinton). The use of machinery to produce goods increased the production capacity of companies in the United States and other industrialized nations. Today time management is allowing managers to optimize the productivity of companies. Time is a unique and critical factor that managers must administer adequately. The application of time management can help managers deal with the challenges of information overload (Dean, Webb). Advances in information systems and analytic tools have provided managers with the capacity to analyze vast amounts of data and information in a short amount of time. Today companies are facing competition nationally and abroad. In order for companies to stay ahead of the competition they must utilize work time in an effective and efficient manner. Operational and human resource redundancies must be eliminated to obtain lean systems that do not have waste processes. Companies operating today face new challenges that must be overcome. Properly using time management tools will help firms achieve their short, medium, and long term goals. Work Cited Page Cancer.org. 18 June 2012. “Cell Phones and Cancer Risk.” 13 October 2012. Clinic, M. 10 August 2012. “Time management: Tips to reduce stress and improve productivity.” 13 October 2012. Dean, Derek, and Caroline Webb. “Recovering from information overload.” McKinsey Quarterly 1 (2011) : 80-80 Fitzgerald, Mary Ann, and Andrea Waldrip. “Not Enough Time in the Day: Media Specialist, Program Planning, and Time Management, Part I. Library Media Connection 23.1 (2004) : 38-40. Mindtools.com. 2012. “Time Management.” 13 October 2012. Plunkettresearchonline.com. 26 June 2012. “Introduction to the Wireless Industry.” 13 October 2012. Purinton, Marjean D. “Watches and Watching Time in British Romantic Comedy.” Wordsworth Circle 39.1 (2008) : 46-49. Wisegeek.com. 2012. “What is Time Management.” 13 October 2012. Read More