Time Management

TIME IS GOLD. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. 

I was once a very good time manager. Woke up in the morning, preparing breakfast for the family, vrooom to office and sharp 5.30 (or 5 0'clock?..ooopppsss I've already forgotten my working hours!) went back home, preparing dinner and doing all house chores, sleep and the day repeated again and again... But everything seems smooth. I finished all my work according to schedule, no backlogs, no bringing back office work to home. I even managed the housekeeping, my house is clean and tidy, no mess in my wardrobe and my kitchen is all in order. The only thing is - I was very exhausted!     

After 'retire', I think I'm no longer a good time manager. I always feel that there's not enough time for me. May be I need 36 hours a day??? Why? I'm still working on the answer...hi..hi..

Okay...just to share this interesting article I copied from The Star. I guess you guys who're still working, would like to know about this...happy reading!

Here are four key categories of people with poor time management habits, and how they spend their time, as researched by McKinsey:

Online Junkie

Online junkies spend 36% more time dealing with emails and other online activities than those who are highly satisfied with the way they spend their time, according to the survey. This emphasis on asynchronous communication means that they spend 50% and 21% less time than the highly satisfied in face-to-face communication and communicating with their direct reports respectively. This type of frustrated time manager is found across a wide variety of levels, and is frequently seen intensely tapping away at keyboards and smartphones.

Schmoozer

Schmoozers spend most of their time meeting up with clients and/or shareholders. They are extroverted and dynamic, and love building and fostering relationships with other people. The problem is, they spend so much time at meetings that they have no time left to set directions or strategies (25% less than the average highly satisfied individual) or reply emails (36% less). A lack of communication with the team can lead to disaster, unless the Schmoozer is surrounded by an exceptionally independent executive team. Schmoozers are usually found in C-levels and can be CEOs or sales directors.

Cheerleader

Cheerleaders, like Schmoozers, spend most of their time meeting with people. However, while Schmoozers meet mostly with people outside their team, Cheerleaders spend 55% of their time in face-to-face interaction with their team. Their go-to method when faced with problems is to spend time with their team, problem-solving and motivating their members. This is wonderful for team morale, however, this may not be the most efficient management method. They also spend most of their time looking inward and neglecting shareholders and clients (65% less time spend on meeting with external stakeholders, clients and customers, as compared to the highly satisfied individuals.) Cheerleaders are usually C-suite executives.

Firefighter

Firefighters, as their name suggests, are generally tied up with putting out emergency “fires” or problems. They may want more time to work on strategic issues as they generally spend 25% less time strategising compared to those who are satisfied with their time management, but they spend 61% of their time managing short-term or unexpected issues, dealing with emails and communicating with people face-to-face instead. With a huge chunk of that percentage going to putting out fires (a whopping 67% more than a satisfied time-manager) it isn’t surprising that they are frustrated.

In contrast, executives who are satisfied with the way they budget their time spend 35% of their time managing operational decisions and setting organisational direction, 18% managing and motivating people, and 16% “firefighting”.

If you fall into one of the four dissatisfied categories, don’t despair. We’ll take a look at solutions you can implement in your own workplace!

Time allotments

Time feels very relative – as Einstein put it, sitting for two hours with a girl may feel like two minutes, whereas two minutes on a burning surface can feel like two hours – but it’s not. We can end up spending too much time online, replying a mountain of emails or getting distracted on the social media site you are supposed to be monitoring (ahem, Online Junkie.) Therefore, it is important to allocate time to tasks, and not just work as long as you see fit. Try to spend at least 15 uninterrupted minutes a day mapping out a time frame for each task you’re planning to do. Schmoozers, don’t forget to allocate time for replying emails, instant messenger chats, and making phone calls.

Delegation

You don’t have to do it all by yourself; that’s micromanagement, and a problem for another article. You shouldn’t be the only one meeting with external stakeholders, or motivating team members. Even as the head of the team, the role of motivator can be shared amongst a few people, as can the role of client relationship manager. Firefighters, some short-term problems can also be handled by the team – learning to let go can also lead to a more independent team, capable of making executive decisions.

Prioritisation

Not everything needs to be done right this minute: Some tasks can wait. Fragmented executives find that they achieve less overall, compared to when they concentrate on a small number of tasks at a time. The act of sitting and deciding which task needs to be completed first can go a long way towards helping you achieve more and spend less time oscillating between one half-finished task to another.