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| Kohol Shadrach Iornem |
Do
we not all struggle to meet deadlines and find ourselves unwilling losers against
the ticking clock? Many of us have spent hours reading about effective time
management - has the theory worked through to practice?
A
sage of old wrote, “there is a time for
everything, and a season for every
activity under the heavens…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Modern wise people now write
that ‘Time’ determines what we do, how we
do it, when we do it, and the results we achieve.
Over
the years, writers have generated debates, shared their opinions and earned
money from those of us who read their books – because we want to manage time
and remain disciplined about keeping within time-bonded settings.
Many authors have argued
that time cannot be managed because you can only cope with what you have
control over. Therefore, we do not have control over how time gradually ticks
away, we therefore cannot manage it (Jones and Loftus, 2009; Maxwell, 2011;
Taylor, 2012).
However, they contend that
even though we cannot control time, there is one thing we can control, that is
- ourselves; hence, it is preferable to refer to it as self-management. Nevertheless,
I wonder if systems management is not more to the point. After all, we are
systems ourselves and systems define much of what we use on a daily basis.
Top 7 Time Wasters
When lecturing, I ask the managers on our executive education
courses to make a list of 10 things that steal their time. I have discussed
below, six of the most common time stealers and I have added ‘computing systems
failure’ - the time thieves unique to my work environment as an IT
Administrator. Therefore, to illustrate my attempt to launch into effective
systems management I have shared my journey of discovery and … success.
1.
Personal Disorganization
Looking for a pen, car keys, or files on our computer can be
so frustrating – and time wasting! Now, let us read on to systems management.
Suggestions:
·
Give people qualified access
to your worktable / place. I recall an instance when my boss asked his
secretary to clean his office. The next day my boss was looking for a book on
his shelf but could not find it. What had happened? His secretary had arranged
his shelf and instead of arranging the books subject wise, she arranged the
books according to height and size - thereby mixing different subjects. The
good woman’s systems management was not the one that my boss followed.
·
Have a proper filing and
organized system. Have a place for your stationery. Select a particular style
for saving your files. For example when you modify a particular document, you can
save it by adding V2 (version 2), V3 (version 3) and so on to the file name.
That way, you will be able to retrieve the latest modification.
2.
Multitasking
We often find ourselves doing so many things at the same
time. In most cases, this happens because we are not able to distinguish
between what is important and what is urgent.
Suggestions:
Covey’s (2004) four-quadrant time management system suggests
that when a task is important and urgent, you do it immediately. When a task is
important but not urgent, you decide when to do it. When a task is urgent and
not important, you delegate, and when a task is neither important nor urgent,
you dump it. According to Covey, the Important
and Urgent Quadrant includes – crises, pressing issues, deadlines, some meetings;
the Important and Not Urgent – preparation, planning, relationship building,
forming strategies, personal development; the Urgent and Not Important – some
mails, interruptions, some meetings; the Not Urgent and Not Important - excessive TV / games, some phone calls and,
excessive time spent on social media.
3.
Distractions and Interruptions
·
The arrivals of visitors, influx
of emails and repetitive phone calls can disrupt a planned allotted time. These
disruptions sometimes cause us to forget important activities. However, if we
do not plan our day (c.f. Covey’s four-quadrant system), we will be very busy
(not in the positive sense) doing other peoples’ tasks.
·
Distractions from people can
adversely affect our system if we cannot say ‘NO’ to some now requests.
Suggestions:
·
A To-Do-List can be helpful to
use as part of our systems management tool - for example, setting reminders on
our computer or mobile phone. My systems management alerted me about filing my annual
returns one-week in advance, then three-days before, then one-day before and on
the D-day as well. My systems management worked!
·
Furthermore, the
Pareto 80/20 Rule is helpful to enable us to focus 80 percent of our time and
energy on the 20 percent of work that really matters.
·
Systems management works
when we have a defined Key Result Area (KRA) defined
as the “primary responsibilities of an individual, the core area which each
person is accountable” (Web 1). When people approach us to do a task for
them, Turla (2006) suggests that we ask ourselves this question, “Is what I am
about to do going to contribute to my KRA?” If it does not, then we should refuse
and explain the importance of the current tasks - and how their request will
affect our KRA. Again, this method
contributes to my systems management theorem.
·
Develop a template for
answers to frequently asked questions. That way when we receive influx of
mails, we are able to respond immediately without having to write each response
from scratch.
·
In addition, we may wish to set
aside time to accommodate disruptions. This can be included in the time we
allot for visiting hours. Remember the acronym, KISS – visitors must Keep It
Short and Simple.
4.
System Failure
Desktops, laptops, projectors or any electronic system that
enhances your work remain subjected to Murphy’s Law viz. If anything can go
wrong, it will. Waiting for a computer system to boot is time consuming and
caused by a variety of reasons. However, prior to remedial technical attention
to the problems, frustration rules the day!
Suggestions:
·
Is our computer system updated
and is the antivirus installed? Do we shut down our PC / Laptop when not in use
for a lengthy period – say, ten hours?
·
However, if we proactively
allow time for the unexpected delays in our planned work time, we should face
less stress. For example, if slated to deliver a 90-minute lecture, why not
allot 10-minutes for unexpected system failure.
5.
Poor Communication
“The meaning of your communication is the response you get …
while your intention may be clear to you, it is the other person's
interpretation and response that reflects your effectiveness” (ANLP, 2014).
Poor communication could be in the form of bad handwriting as well. Imagine if we
asked our assistant to type our manuscript and he / she could not comprehend
some aspects of our writing, we will find him / her disturbing our time slot so
that the typing can proceed!
Suggestions:
·
It is our duty to ensure
feedback when giving verbal instructions - so that the message is clear. For
example, get the individual to summarise your instructions and then correct as
necessary. Remember the acronym, KISS … Keep It Short and Simple.
·
Write clearly and dot the i’s
and cross the t’s.
6.
Meetings
Meetings, without a defined agenda chew up precious time
Suggestions:
·
The convener of the meeting
must communicate the agenda to members well ahead of time (at least one day) to
enable knowledgeable preparation and consider requests for input to the planned
deliberations.
·
Stand-up meetings are often
better than seated sessions and, in most situations cut out unnecessary waffle
– especially by those who love the sound of their own voice! Remember the SU
rule … STAND UP, SPEAK UP and SHUT UP!
7.
Procrastination
People procrastinate because they are avoiding unpleasant or
difficult tasks. For some, it is the fear of making a mistake whilst for others
it is a time-wasting habit (Jones and Loftus, 2009).
Suggestions:
·
Let us consider Mark Twain’s
advice about Procrastination. He likened it to eating a frog. “The first rule of frog eating is this: If you have to eat two
frogs, eat the ugliest one first …The second rule of frog eating is this: If
you have to eat a live frog at all, it doesn't pay to sit and look at it for
very long” (Tracy, 2006:2-3).
You may also wish to consider your personal prime time i.e.
when you are most effective. For some, it is in the mornings, whilst for others
it is in the afternoons or evenings. It is advisable to carry out these
‘procrastination prone’ tasks during your prime time.
The above list is not exhaustive and intended to offer ways
in which employees can effectively bury these time stealers at their work
place.
“A year from now you may wish you had started today” — Karen
Lamb
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second
best time is now” – Chinese Proverb.
What are we waiting for? Let us get to work and deal with the
time thieves by setting up system management structures.
References:
ANLP (2014). Presuppositions of NLP. Available: http://www.anlp.org/presuppositions-of-nlp. Last accessed 10th
Sep 2014.
Covey,
S. R. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people: restoring the
character ethic. New York, Free Press.
Maxwell, J.C.
(2011). Don’t manage your time; manage your life! Available: http://johnmaxwellonleadership.com/2010/11/29/dont-manage-your-time-manage-your-life/.
Last accessed 10th Sep 2014.
Jones, L and Loftus, P. (2009). Time Well Spent – Getting things done through effective time
management. London: Kogan Page Limited. 1-125.
Taylor,
H. (2012). 10 Time Management
Myths. Available: https://www.taylorintime.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&It
emid=105. Last accessed 18th Nov 2012.
Tracy, B. (2006). Eat that Frog! 21 Ways to Stop
Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. Available:
http://www.bkconnection.com/static/eat-that-frog-excerpt.pdf . Last accessed
10th Sep 2014.
Turla, P. (2006). Time
Management Tips: How to Set Priorities and Improve Your Time Management Skills
Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rFMWRYnT18.
Last accessed 10th Sep 2014.
