Time management
Time management
Time management is the process of planning and
exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities—especially to
increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.
Time management involves demands relating to work, social life, family, hobbies, personal interests, and
commitments. Using time effectively gives people more choices in managing
activities. Time management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, and
techniques, especially when accomplishing specific tasks, projects, and goals
complying with a due date.
Initially, the term time management encompassed
only business and work activities, but eventually, the term broadened to
include personal activities as well. A time management system is a designed
combination of processes, tools, techniques, and methods. Time management is
usually a necessity in any project management, as it determines the project
completion time and scope.
Cultural views of time management
Differences in the way a culture views time can
affect the way their time is managed. For example, a linear time view is a way
of conceiving time as flowing from one moment to the next linearly.
This linear perception of time is predominant in America along with most
Northern European countries, such as Germany, Switzerland, and England. People
in these cultures tend to place a large value on productive time management and
tend to avoid decisions or actions that would result in wasted time. This
linear view of time correlates to these cultures being more
"monochronic", or preferring to do only one thing at a time.
Another cultural time view is the multi-active time
view. In multi-active cultures, most people feel that the more activities or
tasks being done at once the better. This creates a sense of happiness. Multi-active
cultures are "polychronic" or prefer to do multiple tasks at once.
This multi-active time view is prominent in most Southern European countries
such as Spain, Portugal, and Italy. In these cultures, people often tend to
spend time on things they deem to be more important such as placing a high
importance on finishing social conversations. In business environments,
they often pay little attention to how long meetings last, rather the focus is
on having high-quality meetings. In general, the cultural focus tends to be on
synergy and creativity over efficiency.
Goals are recorded and may be broken down into
a project, an action plan, or a simple task list. Importance rating may be
established, deadlines may be set, and priorities assigned. This process
results in a plan with a task list, schedule, or calendar of activities.
ABC analysis
The ABC method for time management involves
categorizing tasks into three labels: A, B, and C.
A Tasks
These are the highest priority and most urgent
tasks. They include work that must be completed promptly, such as projects with
a deadline.
B Tasks
These tasks are important but not necessarily
associated with a specific deadline. They should be completed as soon as
possible.
C Tasks
These are the least important tasks. They can be
done when time permits and don’t require immediate attention.
Pareto
analysis
The Pareto principle is the idea that 80% of consequences come
from 20% of causes. Applied to productivity, it means that 80% of results can
be achieved by doing 20% of tasks. If productivity is the aim of time
management, then these tasks should be prioritized higher.
The
Eisenhower Method
The "Eisenhower Method" or
"Eisenhower Principle" is a method that utilizes the principles of
importance and urgency to organize priorities and workload. This method stems
from a 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." Eisenhower did not claim this insight
for his own, but attributed it to an (unnamed) "former college
president."
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. Tasks in the
quadrants are then handled as follows.
1.
Important/Urgent
quadrant tasks are done immediately and personally, e.g. crises,
deadlines, and problems.
2.
Important/Not
Urgent quadrant tasks get an end date and are done personally, e.g.
relationships, planning, recreation.
3.
Unimportant/Urgent
quadrant tasks are delegated, e.g. interruptions, meetings, activities.
4.
Unimportant/Not
Urgent quadrant tasks are dropped, e.g. time wasters, pleasant activities,
trivia.
Implementation of goals
A task list (also called a to-do list or
"things-to-do") is a list of tasks to be completed, such as
chores or steps toward completing a project. It is an inventory tool which serves as an alternative or supplement to memory.
Task lists are used in self-management, business management, project management, and software development. It may involve more than one
list.
When one of the items on a task list is
accomplished, the task is checked or crossed off. The traditional
method is to write these on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil, usually
on a notepad or clipboard. Task lists can also have the form of paper or
software checklists.
Writer Julie Morgenstern suggests "do's and don'ts" of time
management that include:
·
Map out
everything important, by making a task list.
·
Create
"an oasis of time" for one to manage.
·
Say
"No".
·
Set
priorities.
·
Do not drop
everything.
· Do not think a critical task will get done in one's spare time.
Numerous digital equivalents are now available,
including personal
information management (PIM) applications and most PDAs. There are also several
web-based task list applications, many of which are free.
Task list
organization
Task lists are often diarized and tiered. The
simplest tiered system includes a general to-do list (or task-holding file) to
record all the tasks the person needs to accomplish and a daily to-do list
which is created each day by transferring tasks from the general to-do list. An
alternative is to create a "not-to-do list", to avoid unnecessary
tasks.
Various writers have stressed potential
difficulties with to-do lists such as the following.
·
Management
of the list can take over from implementing it. This could be caused by procrastination by prolonging the planning activity. This is
akin to analysis paralysis. As with any activity, there's
a point of diminishing returns.
·
To remain
flexible, a task system must allow for disaster. A company must be ready for a
disaster. Even if it is a small disaster, if no one makes time for this
situation, it can metastasize, potentially causing damage to the company.
·
To avoid
getting stuck in a wasteful pattern, the task system should also include
regular (monthly, semi-annual, and annual) planning and system-evaluation
sessions, to weed out inefficiencies and ensure the user is headed in the
direction he or she truly desires.
·
If some
time is not regularly spent on achieving long-range goals, the individual may
get stuck in a perpetual holding pattern on short-term plans, like staying at a
particular job much longer than originally planned.
Software
applications
Many companies use time tracking software to track an employee's
working time, billable hours, etc., e.g. law
practice management software.
Many software products for time management support
multiple users. They allow the person to give tasks to other users use the
software for communication and to prioritize tasks.
Task-list applications may be thought of as
lightweight personal information manager or project management software.
Modern task list applications may have built-in task hierarchy (tasks are
composed of subtasks which again may contain subtasks), may support multiple
methods of filtering and ordering the list of tasks, and may allow one to
associate arbitrarily long notes for each task.
Time
management systems
Time management systems often include a time clock or web-based application used to track an employee's work hours.
Time management systems give employers insights into their workforce, allowing
them to see, plan and manage employees' time. Doing so allows employers to
manage labour costs and increase productivity. A time management system
automates processes, which eliminates paperwork and tedious tasks.
The Getting Things Done method, created by David Allen, is to finish small tasks immediately and for
large tasks to be divided into smaller tasks to start completing now. The
thrust of GTD is to encourage the user to get their tasks and ideas out and on
paper and organized as quickly as possible so they are easy to see and manage.
"The truth is, it takes more energy to keep something inside your head
than outside," says Allen.
Pomodoro
Francesco Cirillo's "Pomodoro Technique" was originally conceived
in the late 1980s and gradually refined until it was later defined in 1992. The
technique is the namesake of a Pomodoro (Italian for tomato) shaped kitchen
timer initially used by Cirillo during his time at university. The
"Pomodoro" is described as the fundamental metric of time within the
technique and is traditionally defined as being 30 minutes long, consisting of
25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of break time. Cirillo also recommends a
longer break of 15 to 30 minutes after every four Pomodoro. Through
experimentation involving various workgroups and mentoring activities, Cirillo
determined the "ideal Pomodoro" to be 20–35 minutes long.
Related concepts
Time management is related to the following
concepts.
·
Return on time invested: Effective time management is
essential for maximizing Return on Time Invested (ROTI). By prioritizing tasks
and organizing schedules, individuals can ensure that time is allocated to
activities yielding the highest value.
· Project management: Time management can be considered to be a project management subset and is more commonly known as project planning and project scheduling. Time management has also been identified as one of the core functions identified in project management.
·
Attention management relates to the management
of cognitive resources, and in particular, the time that humans allocate their
minds (and organize the minds of their employees) to conduct some activities.
·
Time blocking is a time management strategy that specifically advocates for
allocating chunks of time to dedicated tasks to promote deeper focus
and productivity.
Time management involves demands relating to work, social life, family, hobbies, personal interests, and commitments. Using time
effectively gives people more choices in managing activities. Time
management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, and techniques, especially
when accomplishing specific tasks, projects, and goals complying with a due
date.
Basically, the term time management encompassed only business and work
activities, but eventually, the term broadened to include personal and
lifestyle activities as well. A time management system is a designed
combination of processes, tools, techniques, and methods. Time management is
usually a necessity in any Project management, as it determines the project completion time and
scope.
Differences in the way a culture views time can affect the way their
time is managed. For example, a linear time view is a way of conceiving time as
flowing from one moment to the next linearly. This linear perception
of time is predominant. People tend to place a large value on productive time
management and tend to avoid decisions or actions that would result in wasted
time. This linear view of time correlates to cultures being more
"monochronic", or preferring to do only one thing at a time.
There is also a multi-active time view. In
multi-active cultures, most people feel that the more activities or tasks being
done at once the better. This creates a sense of happiness. Multi-active
cultures are "polychronic" or prefer to do multiple tasks at once.
This multi-active time view is prominent.
A cultural time view is a cyclical time view. In cyclical cultures, time
is considered neither linear nor event-related. Because days, months, years,
seasons, and events happen in regular repetitive occurrences, time is viewed as
cyclical. In this view, time is not seen as wasted because it will always come
back later, hence there is an unlimited amount of it. This cyclical time
view is prevalent throughout thus most people will spend more time thinking
about decisions and the impact they will have, before acting on their plans.
Most people tend to understand different perspectives of time and are cognizant
of this when acting on a global stage.
It is more important with cyclical concepts of time
to focus on completing tasks correctly, thus most people will spend more time
thinking about decisions and the impact they will have, before acting on their
plans. Most people in cyclical cultures tend to understand that other
cultures have different perspectives of time and are cognizant of this when
acting on a global stage.
Goals are recorded and may be broken down into
a project, an action plan, or a simple task list. Importance rating may be
established, deadlines may be set, and priorities assigned. This process
results in a plan with a task list, schedule, or calendar of activities.
Time management involves demands relating to work, social life, family, hobbies, personal interests, and commitments. Using time
effectively gives people more choices in managing activities. Time
management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, and techniques, especially
when accomplishing specific tasks, projects, and goals complying with a due
date.
Basically, the term time management encompassed only business and work
activities, but eventually, the term broadened to include personal and
lifestyle activities as well. A time management system is a designed
combination of processes, tools, techniques, and methods. Time management is
usually a necessity in any project management, as it determines the project completion time and
scope.
Differences in the way a culture views time can affect the way their
time is managed. For example, a linear time view is a way of conceiving time as
flowing from one moment to the next linearly. This linear perception
of time is predominant. People tend to place a large value on productive time
management and tend to avoid decisions or actions that would result in wasted
time. This linear view of time correlates to cultures being more
"monochronic", or preferring to do only one thing at a time.
There is also a multi-active time view. In
multi-active cultures, most people feel that the more activities or tasks being
done at once the better. This creates a sense of happiness. Multi-active
cultures are "polychronic" or prefer to do multiple tasks at once.
This multi-active time view is prominent.
A cultural time view is a cyclical time view. In cyclical cultures, time
is considered neither linear nor event-related. Because days, months, years,
seasons, and events happen in regular repetitive occurrences, time is viewed as
cyclical. In this view, time is not seen as wasted because it will always come
back later, hence there is an unlimited amount of it. This cyclical time
view is prevalent throughout thus most people will spend more time thinking
about decisions and the impact they will have, before acting on their plans.
Most people tend to understand different perspectives of time and are cognizant
of this when acting on a global stage.
It is more important with cyclical concepts of time to focus on
completing tasks correctly, thus most people will spend more time thinking
about decisions and the impact they will have, before acting on their
plans. Most people in cyclical cultures tend to understand that other
cultures have different perspectives of time and are cognizant of this when
acting on a global stage.
Goals are recorded and may be broken down into a project, an action
plan, or a simple task list.
Importance rating may be established, deadlines may be set, and priorities
assigned. This process results in a plan with a task list, schedule, or
calendar of activities.
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