Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to decide your time between specific activities. Good time management enables you to work smarter – not harder so that you get more done in less time even when time is tight and pressures are high. Failing to manage your time damages your effectiveness and causes stress, writes Prof. ( Dr.) Y. P. Sharma.
It seems that there is never enough time in the day. But since we all get the same 24 hours why is it that some people achieve so much more with their time than others? The answer lies in good time management. The highest achievers manage their time exceptionally well. By using the time management techniques they improve their ability to function more effectively – even when time is tight and pressures are high.
The major themes on time management include :-
“Creating an environment conducive to effectiveness
” Setting up of priorities
” Carrying out activity around prioritization
“The related process of reduction of time spent on non- priorities
“Incentives to modify behaviour to ensure compliance with time- related deadlines
Time management literature stresses tasks related to the creation of an environment conducive to real effectiveness. These strategies include principles such as :
“get organized” – the triage of paper work and tasks
“protecting one’s time” by insulation , isolation and delegation
“achievement through goal- management and through goal- focus”
“recovering from bad time habits” – recovery from underlying psychological problems e. g., procrastination
Time management strategies are often associated with recommendation to set personal goals. They are –
“”Work in Priority Order”- set goals and prioritize
“”Set Gravitational Goals” – that attract actions automatically
These goals are recorded and may be broken down into an action plan or a simple task list. For individual tasks or for goals an importance rating may be established, deadlines may be set and priorities assigned. This process results in a plan with a task list or a schedule or calendar of activities. It may recommend a daily, weekly, monthly or other planning periods associated with different scope of planning or review. This is done in various ways as follows :
ABCD analysis
A technique that has been used for a long time is the categorization of large data into groups. These groups are often marked A , B , C and D – hence the name. Activities are ranked by these general criteria :
A – Tasks that are perceived as being urgent and important
B – Tasks that are important but not urgent
C – Tasks that are un-important but urgent
D – Tasks that are un- important and not urgent
Each group is then rank-ordered by priority. To further refine the prioritization some individuals choose to free-rank all “B” items as either “A” or “C”. ABC analysis can incorporate more than three groups. ABC analysis is frequently combined with Pareto analysis.
Pareto analysis
This is the idea 80 percent of the tasks can be completed in 20 percent of disposable time.
The remaining 20 percent of the tasks will take up 80% of the time. This principle is used to sort tasks into two parts. According to this form of Pareto analysis it is recommended that tasks that fall into first category be assigned a higher priority.
The 80-20 rule can also be applied to increase productivity. It is assumed that 80 percent of the productivity can be achieved by doing 20 percent of the tasks. Similarly, 80 percent of result can be attributed to 20 percent of activity. If productivity is the aim of this management ; then these tasks should be prioritized higher.
It depends upon the method adopted to complete the task.There is always simpler and easier way to complete the task. If one uses complex way, it will be time consuming. So one should always try to find out alternative ways to complete each task.
Eisenhower Method
“Eisenhower Method” stems from the quote attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower.
” I have two kinds of problems – the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important and the important are never urgent.”
Using the Eisenhower Decision Principle tasks are evaluated using the criteria important/unimportant and urgent/not urgent and then placed in according quadrants in an Eisenhower Matrix ( also known as “Eisenhower Box or Eisenhower Decision Matrix ). Tasks are then handled as follows :
i) Important/urgent quadrant are done immediately and personally e. g., crisis , deadlines , problems , etc.
ii) Important/Not urgent quadrant get an end date and are done personally e. g. , relationships, planning , recreation
iii) Un-important/urgent quadrant are delegated e., g. , interruptions , meetings , activities , etc.
iv) Un-important/Not urgent quadrant are dropped e, g., time wastages , pleasant activities, trivia, etc.
This method is said to have been used by U. S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
POSEC method
POSEC is an acronym for “prioritize by Organizing , Streamlining , Economising and Contributing.” The method dictates a template which emphasizes an average individual’s immediate sense of emotional monetary security. It suggests that by attending to one’s personal responsibilities first an individual is better positioned to shoulder collective responsibilities.
Inherent in the acronym is a hierarchy of self – realization which mirrors Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs :
i) Prioritize – your time and define your life by goals
ii) Organize – things you have to accomplish regularly to be successful (family and finances)
iii) Streamline – you may not like to do , but must do (work and chores)
iv) Economise – things you should do or may even like to do but they’re not pressingly urgent ( pastime and socializing)
v) Contribute – by paying attention to the few remaining things that make a difference ( social obligations )
Implementation of Goals
A task list ( also to-do list or things- to-do ) is a list of tasks to be completed.
Such as chores or steps toward completing a task. Writer Julie Morgenstern suggests do’s and don’ts” of time management that include :
* Map out everything that is important by making a task list
* Create an “oasis of time” for one to control
* Say ” No”
Set priorities
* Don’t drop everything
* Don’t think a critical task will get done in one’s spare time
Elimination of Non – Priorities
To eliminate non-priorities in time it is suggested to divide the tasks , capture the moments, review task handling method, postpone un-important tasks ( understood by its current relevance and sense of urgency reflects wants of person rather than importance ) , control life balance ( rest , sleep , leisure), and cheat leisure and non – productive time ( hearing audio taping of lectures, going through presentations of lectures when in queue , etc.)
Certain unnecessary factors that affect time management are habits , lack of task definition ( lack of clarity ) , over protectiveness of the work , guilt of not meeting obligations and subsequent avoidance of present tasks , defining tasks with higher expectations than their worth (over – qualifying), focus on matters that have an apparent positive outlook without assessing their importance to personal needs , tasks that require support and time, sectional matters that have an apparent positive outlook without assessing their importance to personal needs , tasks that require support and time , sectional interests and conflicts , etc. A habituated systematic process becomes a device that the person can use with ownership for effective time management.
(The author is Assistant Professor & Head of the Dept. of Commerce Govt. P . G . College Rajouri , J&K).
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