Introduction
Individuals and organizations seek to improve the way we use our time, especially since it is evident that by not doing it properly, the quality of life decreases alarmingly, we dedicate too much to working time, and this does not necessarily make us more productive or More rich. Making an exhaustive labor effort that does not result in tangible benefits such as maintaining our job, higher income, a better quality of life or the possibility of improvement, generates the greatest demotivator of which we are our victim and victimizer.
Our success requires a wide range of competencies: knowledge of the job itself, skills in interpersonal relationships, and the development of useful and creative ideas are essential, but one of the most important is how to manage time.
It is Time Management that allows the effectiveness of activities at each hour of the day - not the number of hours worked - and determines our achievements and that of our work team.
Effective time management allows you to structure the day. The wise use of time helps to achieve goals through planning, organizing, leading, and conducting activities; It keeps us on track towards our goals - as individual or team members - and allows for necessary corrections and improvements. Successful time management reduces frustration, contributes to a sense of direction, and leads us and our team at the end of the day with a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.
What are the basic steps for successful time management?
- Plan Set priorities Schedule
Time management requires strategy and tactics, strategy is defined when we speak in terms of the short, medium and long term, that is, one year, three years and of course more than five. When we make this projection we visualize the future, this means that we seek goals and objectives. Once we have clarified these scenarios, the next step is to recognize what we must do on time to achieve these approaches, it is then that the planning and scheduling of work intervenes, a stage in which we recognize those great essential items and assign a weight (importance), and We establish them in a plan to follow (prioritize).
Once we have established the strategy we continue with the tactic: we already know what we want to achieve, now we need to identify what steps we must take to achieve it. The operational part is coming, we must put in our agenda (essential material for time management, if you do not have one, you are in serious trouble, believe me) the precise moments: month, day and time when these should be done or in the times that these they must be completed.
It sounds easy right? Well, in practice very few are aware of this process. Don't worry this article is meant to make it less painful.
Are you still interested ?, well then let's get to work. Please take paper and pencil, remember everything requires effort, osmosis in knowledge and personal improvement is a myth, it is not enough to read it, you have to practice it. Write thinking about your job, why did you get hired or what do you work for? No, please do not tell me that to properly manage the resources of the organization for the benefit of it and to achieve the objectives, etc., etc., Exactly what you are expected to do: sell what, produce what, example: I am an instructor I give training, this implies that the company and I earn for every hour that I teach, then then I get paid to train, of course I also do a thousand other things, I take calls, I solve problems, I drink coffee, I read and I answer emails,But that doesn't make the company I work for - and of course I don't - earn more money. I already found the reason for my pay, that is my true productivity, I must train! That function must be in the highest part of the sheet, it is the raison d'être of my function. Easy no?
Now, what goal or objective should I achieve, please make it measurable, add value, challenge, forced time and be so specific that for anyone - even if they do not know about their work - it is very clear. It is done? Write that down under productivity, example:
"In 2009 train four groups of 20 people each month in 16-hour courses", I can also do it for money at $ 2,500.00 an hour training would be as follows: "Give a total of $ 160,000.00 monthly training monthly during 2009."
Shall we continue? Now make a list of the activities that you usually do every day: reading emails, answering calls, answering letters, making copies, having coffee, planning, surely "solving problems" is also not so general, please describe exactly what you do. Make a list and rate according to the importance that these activities have in relation to your productivity and your objective, example:
|
Importance |
||||
|
Exercise |
TO |
B |
C |
D |
| Read and reply to junk emails and friends | X | |||
| Read and respond to customer or prospect emails | X | |||
| Refresher course for instructors | X | |||
| Design materials for training courses | X | |||
| Customer service (after sales) | X | |||
| Writing articles for web page and for former course participants | X | |||
| Problem: Preparation and presentation of documents for payment processing | X | |||
| Problem: Explaining the use of the website to a user | X | |||
| Send (bulk) course information to leads | X | |||
| Coffee (I don't consider them because the secretary brings it to me) | ||||
| Etc., |
Analysis
Perfect, I have already identified my regular activities and I have already given them a value, do those that I rated as important add value? Do they directly impact my objective, my productivity ?: Therefore, bank procedures, junk mail, explanation of the web are non-productive activities for me; emails to clients or prospects, the updating course, designing materials and customer service (after sales) allow me to train and sell more training, so I must spend more time or more quality time (in my case 8:30 at 10:30 am) for these activities, the least productive… surely I can delegate them.
This simple analysis reflects that not all activities make me productive, I dedicate my precious time to some activities that I should not do, because it is very expensive to do bank procedures, perhaps my messenger or the fellow is "more productive" for those activities (they earn less than me).
At this moment you will ask yourself, what about the priority? Well, you must identify those truly productive activities that add value to your function, recognize that they are the ones to which you must dedicate the highest quality time, and above all, never relegate or forget them for “Having little time and a lot of work”, remember the important thing is not to work more, it is to work better.
Time management is based on goals and productivity, once you identify them you know exactly what generates value for your work, then you must give greater value to activities that directly impact your productivity. Make commitments to yourself (on the clear agenda) to make and not delay. This generates an action plan, a true map that directs your effort towards success. Don't be fooled, you own your time (at least much of it), you have control of it but you have to have a plan. Do it!
