Time Management
Introduction
Time is the greatest equalizer because it does not favour certain age, gender, race, religion, or status. All individuals have 24hours in a day. The difference comes in how people choose to spend their time. Time management is not only vital for businesses but also for personal life. Time management is how individuals or organizations plan how much time to spend on a given task (Aeon & Aguinis, 2017 p.310). Those who manage their time complete more tasks within a short period and this leads to career success. The best way to become successful is by establishing a good time management system and be ready to work on it no matter the circumstances. This discussion provides a report on time management.
How to Improve Time Management Skills
One thing that can improve time management is setting short and long-term goals. Setting goals regularly enables people to understand what they need to accomplish to get the desired results. The best way to hit long-term goals is by having smaller goals along the way (Gresakova & Chlebikova, 2020 p.595). An example, if a person has a goal of establishing a new business after ten years, he/she needs to have smaller goals in between. For all the smaller goals to be accomplished, individuals must learn time management. The goals should be measurable, specific, achievable, relevant, and time-based. Looking at the most successful companies, they always set smart goals regularly, and that is what determines their success. A project cannot be successful if it is completed late, and that is why the smaller goals play a vital role in time management.
Another thing is about priority, which should be based on urgency and importance. By looking at the daily tasks, there are some important tasks than others. These should be done right away. Making a to-do list is vital since it makes it easier for an individual to identify urgent and important tasks. For example, if there are two things on the list where one is attending a board meeting, the other is meeting with a friend. The priority there is the board meeting since it affects not only one person but the entire organization. Setting a time limit to complete a given task helps individuals to be more focused and efficient. The time limit also limits the time spent on irrelevant activities such as chatting more with colleagues and using social media.
Time Management Skills
These are skills that can help employees and managers to spend their time appropriately. One of the skills is organization. Those workers that are organized have a clear picture of what they need to do and when depending on their schedules. Being well-organized means working in a clean environment, document arrangement, having diligent notes, and a working calendar (Janeslätt et al., 2018 p.155). Organizations make it easier when locating files, and this saves on time. Another skill is planning. Planning is a crucial part of time management. Being able to make plans for something limit the chances of errors since all possibilities are considered during the planning stage. If a person takes time planning for a given presentation, it becomes fast for him/her when presenting to others. This is because any mistakes are corrected during the planning. Planning is a key factor when it comes to time management since some activities require proper planning for them to be accomplished in a timely manner.
Additionally, communication skills play a significant role in time management. This implies that people need to learn how to make their points clear to their colleagues. Communication is the backbone of all organizations. Poor communication can lead to the collapse of any business no matter how big it is because it is through communication that decisions are made, and problems are solved. Thus, employees need to learn communication skills such as listening and use of the right words. Communication is an important skill in time management. In life, it is impossible to live without stress, especially when working with others. Thus, another skill that is required is stress management. Handling stress positively enhances motivation and productivity in the workplace. This skill can be achieved by having small breaks in between the day. This breaks the monotony of doing one task for a long period. During the break, employees can interact or access social media platforms. This is a stress management strategy that leads to time management.
Implication of Poor Time Management
Poor workflow is one of the results of poor time management. The inability to plan makes people jump back and forth at the last minute. This is because they are anxious, and time is running out. In other words, things are not done in a sequence, and this is what leads to poor work flow. Tasks are carried out without prioritizing, which implies that the most urgent and important activities are not given priority. This not only affects productivity but also efficiency (Trakaniqi, 2017 p.3). The work done is of poor quality because there is no planning. If a person works without a calendar, he/she ends up forgetting important events and sometimes remember to do things at the last minute. Doing things in a hurry results in poor quality. An example, if there is a pending project and the team involved remembers it at the last minute, they are likely to work in a rush to meet the deadline, and they end up delivering a poor work all because they failed to manage their time.
Another implication which is also dangerous to the company is a poor reputation. If the clients cannot rely on the employees to deliver projects promptly, their perceptions are affected. Most of the clients take their tasks elsewhere, and this brings a poor reputation. If the employees are not satisfied with their work, they give negative feedback, which scares away others from hiring such companies. Workers also suffer from loss of control due to a lack of knowledge on their next task. Loss of control is brought by the fact that there is poor time management where tasks are done at any time. Most workers lose control of their lives because of spending their time in the wrong way and working under pressure.
Benefits of Time management
Time management allows workers to have time for other personal activities apart from work-related tasks. This is essential, especially for the parents, since they need time to spend with their children. With proper time management, parents can manage to work and still take care of other duties back at home. There are those people who work for more than one company, and it is very easier for them to balance work and personal life despite the nature of their work. Those who can manage their time can earn incentives because of their good performance. As a result, they get motivated to work smart and increase productivity.
Time management skills enable companies and individuals to accomplish their goals. An example, if a company has a goal of recruiting new employees after two years, it can achieve this through time management. Maintaining calendars ensures that employees carry out all their responsibilities on time, which helps the company achieve its goals (Gresakova & Chlebikova, 2020 p.595). Proper time management allows managers to be creative with company goals. Having a specific time set aside to complete a given task allows them to have enough time to think about new projects and see the company’s future.
Conclusion
This discussion has provided a report on time management by addressing the skills required, benefits, and how to improve time management. There is much to learn about time management, but only the key factors have been considered. This is one of the most powerful skills that individuals need to have to accomplish their goals. The best thing with time is that it is beyond human control, unlike other things that are controlled by human beings. Time equalizes all, and the best thing is to make the most out of the 24hours.
References
Aeon, B., and Aguinis, H., 2017. It’s about time: New perspectives and insights on time management. The effect of poor time management and fear of delegation on organizational stress: A CASE STUDY-KOSOVO. Academy of management perspectives, 31(4), pp.309-330.
Gresakova, E., and Chlebikova, D., 2020. The importance of time management in non-profit organizations. Economic and Social Development: Book of Proceedings, pp.594-600.
Trakaniqi, F., 2017. European Journal of Research and Reflection in Management Sciences Vol, 5(3).
Janeslätt, G.K., Holmqvist, K.L., White, S., and Holmefur, M., 2018. Assessment of time management skills: psychometric properties of the Swedish version. Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy, 25(3), pp.153-161.