Successful Time Management - Term Paper Example

? Time management Table of contents Page number Introduction…………………………………………………………3 Benefits of time management………………………………………4 Time management skills…………………………………………….5 Eisenhower method…………………………………………………6 Pareto analysis………………………………………………...……..7 POSEC Method……………………………………………………..7 Action Priority Matrix……………………………………………...8 Examples of time wasters…………………………………………..8 Avoiding procrastination………………………………………….. 8 Conclusion………………………………………………………….. 9 References…………………………………………………………...11 Time management Introduction Time management entails exercising prudent control on the amount of time spent in performing several activities in order to improve productivity, efficiency and increase effectiveness (Pausch, 2008). Time management includes several tools, techniques and skills that enable individuals and organizations to accomplish specific activities within the time limit. The main aspects of time management include setting and adhering to priorities and minimizing time spent on non-core activities (Carroll, 2012). Time management is about utilizing the available time effectively through effective scheduling of time, setting clear goals, prioritizing of activities, delegation of the tasks and reviewing the time spent on different tasks. According to Pausch (2008), the management must organize the workspace or environment in order to eliminate destructions and ensure maximum concentration. Eisenhower time management method classifies tasks in to either urgent or important tasks while action priority matrix determines the priority of tasks depending on the efforts and perceived benefits to the organization. According to Pareto principle (80:20 rule), 80 percent of the output is generated by 20 percent of the efforts. The Pareto analysis is useful in prioritizing the tasks since 80 percent of the results can be attributed to 20 percent of tasks completed. This paper will discuss benefits of time management, various skills in time management and methods of time management. The paper will also discuss ways of avoiding procrastination. Carroll (2012) asserts that effective planning entails preparing work lists of activities that must be completed during a certain time. These include the ‘to do lists’ that prioritize activities depending on their importance and urgency to the organization. The pending tasks must take accomplished first and new tasks must not start until the previous or already started tasks are complete. Accordingly, the individual or management must set goals and objectives that aim at ensuring efficiency of work. The goals and objectives must be specific, attainable and measurable (Croft, 1996). The goals must have clear deadlines that will guide the efforts committed towards accomplishment of the specific tasks. The management must motivate employees towards attainment of the set goals within the pre-determined deadlines. Accordingly, the management must delegate authority and responsibilities in order to ensure employees take accountability of their tasks in completing the tasks within the deadlines (Pausch, 2008). The employees must spend the appropriate and allocated time on the right activities depending on the priorities in order to meet any strict deadlines and ensure efficient workflow in the organization (Croft, 1996). Benefits of time management Time management involves making the possible best use of the available time while doing the right things at the right time. One of the benefits of time management is that it makes individuals more disciplined and punctual. The individuals are capable of preparing ‘to do’ lists or time plans that provides a sense of direction through adhering to the activities of the day. Accordingly, employees are more organized due to effective time management since they are capable of accomplishing tasks within the stipulated timeframe and earning recognition among their peers (Croft, 1996). Individuals who adhere to the task plans are capable of realizing their individual and organizational goals and objectives within a short period. In this case, effective time management enables the employee to meet the targets before the end of the deadline thus increasing individual’s productivity at the workplace (Forsyth, 2013). Better time management is a critical part of forecasting and planning activities of the management and ensures that organizations implement policies and strategies that aim at attaining the mission of the organization (Carroll, 2012). It is evident that employees who accomplish tasks within the pre-determined deadlines are less likely to suffer from work-related stress or anxiety since they have enough time to socialize with family members and engage in physical activity (Pausch, 2008). Time management skills The first critical skill in time management is the ability to prioritize. This skill entails setting out priorities and ‘to do’ lists that guide the efforts of the concerned individual. The high priority tasks must be attended first and employees must understand how to differentiate urgent and important activities (Forsyth, 2013). Employees must desist from engaging in irrelevant and non-important activities that acts as time wasters and interruptions. The second important skill in time management is discipline and punctuality since effective time management aims at meeting strict deadlines (Croft, 1996). The employees should avoid taking unnecessary breaks from work or keeping the tasks pending until the final minute. The third skill is the ability to stay organized through keeping the important files in places whereby they can easily be retrieved and stapling the important documents together. Accordingly, the employee must keep the important personal items such as cell phone and car keys in safe places in order to avoid distractions during work (Pausch, 2008). The other important skill is the ability to take the ownership of work through dedication, accepting responsibility and ensuring accountability for the timely completion of the tasks. The other important skill is being reasonable while at the same time remaining focused. No individual is capable of working beyond the human capability thus employees must spend time concentrating on the work rather than gossiping in the workplace. At the same time, the employee must avoid overworking since this will lead to work-related stress and anxiety (Forsyth, 2013). Eisenhower method This model of time management was developed by Dwight Eisenhower and divides activities depending on the perceived urgency or importance. The model utilizes four quadrants depending on the perceived urgency and importance to the individual or organization as illustrated in the below diagram. Urgent Not urgent Important Emergencies, deadlines, some calls Exercise, vacation, planning Not important Interruptions distracting other calls Trivia, busy work, time wasters Not urgent and not important An individual should not spend time on activities in that fall under this quadrant since they do not contribute to the attainment of the goals (Forsyth, 2013). At the same time, the activities are not urgent and can be postponed to later dates. An individual must decrease the amount of time spent on these activities (Forsyth, 2013). Examples include time wasters like Facebook and procrastinating. Urgent and not important These activities are urgent, but do not contribute to the progress of the attainment of organizational goals. It is recommended that individuals must not spend the available time on these activities, but it is possible to change the situation in order to avoid these activities (Forsyth, 2013). Examples include disturbing colleagues. Urgent and important The activities are unavoidable and contribute towards the attainment of the set goals. Individuals must spent time on these activities since they are unplanned in order to minimize their reoccurrence. These activities include deadlines, emergencies and troubleshooting activities (Croft, 1996). Not urgent and important Individuals must spend most of their time on these activities. The activities include doing the actual tasks that contribute to the attainment of the set goals and building meaningful relationships in the organization (Forsyth, 2013). Pareto analysis According to this time management tool, 80 percent of the tasks will be accomplished within 20 percent of the available time. Accordingly, the other 20 percent of the total tasks will account take up 80 percent of the time. In this case, tasks must be clarified in to two and 80 percent of the tasks will be granted higher priority since they take only 20 percent of the time (Pausch, 2008). According to this 80-20 rule, 80 percent of an organizational productivity can be attained by completing 20 percent of the tasks. Likewise, 80 percent of the results or output of the work is attributable to 20 percent of the activity. In this case, tasks that provide higher output must take higher priority since due to a simpler way to complete the task (Croft, 1996). POSEC method POSEC (prioritize, organize, streamline, economize and contribute) time management technique emphasizes on the individual’s sense of both monetary and emotional security. According to the model, an individual is able to shoulder collective responsibilities by attending to personal responsibilities (Croft, 1996). In the prioritizing stage, the individual will define his life depending on goals and then organize activities such as finances and family in order to attain the goals. The third aspect of the method is streamlining activities while the fourth stage is economizing things in order to avoid non-important activities. The fifth element of the method is contributing or paying attention to the few things that bring out a difference in one’s life such as social obligations (Pausch, 2008). Action priority matrix The diagrammatic technique that enables one to select the activities to prioritize and activities should be avoided. The activities are plotted on the Action Priority Matrix using assigned scores in order to identify the activities that have the highest returns depending on the projects. The first set of activities is the quick wins (high impact, low effort) activities that provide high returns and satisfaction to an individual (Croft, 1996). The other set of activities is the major projects (high impact, high effort) that provide high returns but take considerable amount of time to accomplish. An individual must complete the major projects efficiently and within the stipulated amount of time. The third set of activities is the Fill Ins (low impact, low effort) activities that take less amount of time, but provide low returns. These activities will be avoided if the individual has no sufficient amount of time (Pausch, 2008). The fourth set of activities are the Thankless tasks (low impact, high effort) activities that provide low returns, but crowd out time that should be utilized in the major projects. Action Priority Matrix High impact ‘Quick wins’ ‘Major projects’ Low impact “Fill Ins” ‘Thankless tasks’ Low effort High effort Examples of time wasters Numerous activities have the potential of disrupting time schedules or wasting unnecessary time in the organization. One of the time wasters is telephone interruptions that divert the attention of the employee. It is recommended that employees should pick up only the important telephones and call the other people back once they accomplish the tasks (Williams & Reid, 2011). The other time waster is unnecessary socialization through the social media networks such as e-mail, blogs and twitter. Socialization is an essential habit that helps in strengthening social relationships, but at the same time acts as a time waster since many employees are incapable of controlling their urge to log in to the social networks (Pausch, 2008). Another possible time waster is ineffective delegation that is occasioned by lack of confidence in the subordinates or poorly trained employees. Accordingly, too much paper work leads to complexity of the tasks and organizations must focus on implementing systems and technologies that aim at streamlining the workflows (Williams & Reid, 2011). Avoiding procrastination Procrastination is the act of attending to more pleasurable activities or less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent or less pleasurable tasks. Human beings prefer to avoid negative emotions or delay the difficult tasks (Williams & Reid, 2011). Procrastination will lead to feelings of guilt, stress and anxiety thus contributing to decline in personal productivity. Employees must learn how to prioritize and handle difficult tasks. Accordingly, an individual can make his own rewards through identifying the unpleasant consequences of not accomplishing the tasks and seeking motivation from peers at the workplace (Pausch, 2008). Conclusion Effective time management entails allocating the right time slots to specific activities depending on their priority. The process includes effective planning, setting specific goals, setting the deadlines, delegation of certain responsibilities and prioritizing activities depending on their importance. Time management facilitates business planning and enables employees have a sense of direction in the organization. Time management enables individuals to remain focused and organized in the workplace in order to improve individual productivity. Time management is associated with less employee stress since one is able to avoid procrastination. The time management process improves decision-making and facilitates efficient workflow in the organizations due to collaboration of different departments. References: Carroll, J. (2012). Effective time management in easy steps. London: Kogan Page. Croft, C. (1996). Time management. London: Thomson Business Press. Forsyth, P. (2013). Successful time management. London: Kogan Page. Pausch, R. (2008). Time management. London: Routledge. Williams, K & Reid, M. (2011). Time management. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Read More