Six Steps to Successful Time Management

Step I: Planning
It is said ‘we never plan to fail but usually fail to plan’. Many people cannot get themselves to chalk out a time plan. It is also true that all plans may not be foolproof. But having a plan helps us to decide on the activities to complete, time available and such simple ways include a ‘things to do today’ pad, daily / weekly planner and such. The advantage of this step is we can monitor our progress, identify incomplete tasks and check deviations (if any).

Step II: Prioritize
The logical second step is to decide the importance of tasks to be done and rank them. This will ensure that optimum time is spent on the tasks at hand. It is useful to classify tasks as:
(a) Most important
(b) Important
(c) Least Important
It is also sensible to complete the most important tasks in your ‘peak’ hour of the day to ensure best results.
As Steven Covey says ‘first things first’.

Step III: Telephone / Paper management
It is estimated that 30-50 per cent of an executive’s time is spent in managing the telephone and paperwork. Very often, the above lead to late sitting and people becoming workaholics. It is useful to use these effectively and optimally (these areas have been discussed in ‘Management Mantras’ in our earlier issues.)

Step IV: Delegation
This is perhaps a very effective tool of time management. Once a task has been delegated, the executive saves time on not doing that task and further gets time to focus on some other activity. This also ensures that the system functions even in your absence. Once delegation has been understood and implemented successfully, executives find time for their own development via teaching, attending seminars and workshops, self-development and so on. Unfortunately, very often when a task is delegated, both superior / subordinate waste their time doing the same task!! Poor time management!!

Step V: Assertiveness
We very often end up wasting time doing things we need not be doing because ‘we can’t say no’. Assertiveness is the ability to decide whether to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ depending upon one’s priorities, time availability and interests of the person. Assertiveness means being firm, polite and consistent in one’s dealings with people. A boon for effective time management!!

Step VI: Identify time wasters
Common time wasters include procrastination (i.e. postponing without valid reasons), interruptions, unscheduled visitors, poor delegation and such. Some people waste time during the day with the thought that they are anyway sitting late, they can complete the work then! Let us remember that the quality of work often depends upon un-interrupted time available with full concentration on the task and not the number of hours spent doing the task.

To conclude, let us remember ’yesterday is a cancelled cheque, tomorrow is a promissory note BUT today is ready cash!   

So manage time before time manages you!

Email- profrssmani@rediffmail.com