TIME MANAGEMENT

SHARING THE DEFINED PROCESS OF "TIME MANAGEMENT", A FEW WHAT HAD BEEN LEARNT FROM MY SMALL PRETTY CAREER OF 40 YEARS IN LEATHER GOODS/ACCESSORIES MANUFACTURING.

WHAT IS 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. It involves a juggling act of various demands upon a person relating to work, social life, family, hobbies, personal interests and commitments with the finiteness of time. Using time effectively gives the person "choice" on spending/managing activities at their own time and expediency. It is a meta-activity with the goal to maximize the overall benefit of a set of other activities within the boundary condition of a limited amount of time, as time itself cannot be managed because it is fixed. Time management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to manage time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects, and goals complying with a due date. Initially, time management referred to just business or 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 development as it determines the project completion time and scope. It is also important to understand that both technical and structural differences in time management exist due to variations in cultural concepts of time.

The major points on time management includes the following:

·        Creating an environment conducive to effectiveness

·        Setting of priorities

·        The related process of reduction of time spent on non-priorities

·        Implementation of goals

Conception an effective environment

Some time-management literature stresses tasks related to the creation of an environment conducive to "real" effectiveness. These strategies include principles such as:

·        "get organized" - the triage of paperwork and of tasks

·        "protecting one's time" by insulation, isolation and delegation

·        "achievement through goal-management and through goal-focus" - motivational emphasis

Setting priorities and goals

Time management strategies are often associated with the recommendation to set personal goals. The literature stresses themes such as:

·        "Work in Priority Order" – set goals and prioritize

·        "Set gravitational goals" – that attract actions automatically

These goals are recorded and may be broken down into a project, an action plan, or a simple task list. For individual tasks or for goals, an importance rating may be established, deadlines may be set, and priorities assigned. This process results in a plan with a task list or a schedule or calendar of activities. Authors may recommend a daily, weekly, monthly or other planning period associated with different scope of planning or review. This is done in various ways, as follows.

ABCD analysis

A technique that has been used in business management for a long time is the categorization of large data into groups. These groups are often marked A, B, and C—hence the name. Activities are ranked by these general criteria:

·        A – Tasks that are perceived as being urgent and important,

·        B – Tasks that are important but not urgent,

·        C – Tasks that are unimportant but urgent,

·        D – Tasks that is unimportant and not urgent.

Each group is then rank-ordered by priority. To further refine the prioritization, some individuals choose to then force-rank all "B" items as either "A" or "C". ABC analysis can incorporate more than three groups.

ABC analysis is frequently combined with Pareto analysis.

Pareto analysis

This is the idea that 80% of tasks can be completed in 20% of the disposable time, and the remaining 20% of tasks will take up 80% of the time. This principle is used to sort tasks into two parts. According to this form of Pareto analysis it is recommended that tasks that fall into the first category be assigned a higher priority.

The 80-20-rule can also be applied to increase productivity: it is assumed that 80% of the productivity can be achieved by doing 20% of the tasks. Similarly, 80% of results can be attributed to 20% of activity. If productivity is the aim of time management, then these tasks should be prioritized higher.

It depends on the method adopted to complete the task. There is always a simpler and easier way to complete the task. If one uses a complex way, it will be time consuming. So, one should always try to find out alternative ways to complete each task.

POSEC method

POSEC is an acronym for "Prioritize by Organizing, Streamlining, Economizing and Contributing". The method dictates a template which emphasizes an average individual's immediate sense of emotional and monetary security. It suggests that by attending to one's personal responsibilities first, an individual is better positioned to shoulder collective responsibilities.

1.  Prioritize – Your time and define your life by goals.

2.  Organize – Things you have to accomplish regularly to be successful (family and finances).

3.  Streamline – Things you may not like to do, but must do (work and chores).

4.  Economize – Things you should do or may even like to do, but they're not pressingly urgent (pastimes and socializing).

5.  Contribute – By paying attention to the few remaining things that make a difference (social obligations).

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.

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 note pad or clip-board. Task lists can also have the form of paper or software checklists.

 "Do's and Don'ts" of time management that include:

·        Map out everything that is important, by making a task list.

·        Create "an oasis of time" for one to control.

·        Say "No".

·        Set priorities.

·        Don't drop everything.

·        Don't think a critical task will get done in one's spare time.

Tasks list organizing

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. Task lists are often prioritized:

·        A daily list of things to do, numbered in the order of their importance, and done in that order one at a time until daily time allows, is attributed to be the most. An early system of "ABC" prioritization system, "A" items were the most important ("A-1" the most important within that group), "B" next most important, "C" least important.

·        A particular method of applying the ABC method assigns "A" to tasks to be done within a day, "B" a week, and "C" a month.

·        To prioritize a daily task list, one either records the tasks in the order of highest priority, or assigns them a number after they are listed ("1" for highest priority, "2" for second highest priority, etc.) which indicates in which order to execute the tasks. The latter method is generally faster, allowing the tasks to be recorded more quickly.

·        Another way of prioritizing compulsory tasks (group A) is to put the most unpleasant one first. When it's done, the rest of the list feels easier. Groups B and C can benefit from the same idea, but instead of doing the first task (which is the most unpleasant) right away, it gives motivation to do other tasks from the list to avoid the first one.

·        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.

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 control labor costs and increase productivity. A time management system automates processes, which eliminates paper work and tedious tasks.

GTD (Getting Things Done)

The basic idea behind this method is to finish all the small tasks immediately and a big task is to be divided into smaller tasks to start completing now. The thrust of GTD is to encourage the user to get tasks and ideas out and on paper and organized as quickly as possible so they're easy to manage and focus.

SUNDARAMURTHY VELMURUGAN, LEATHER PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT from PONDICHERRY. Whatsapp: +91 8973231705 & +919489487965

a2z Leather Professional Consultancy, velvbl@gmail.com & velmurugan1959@yahoo.co.in