Time management

From ArticleWorld

Each person perceives time management differently. Ask ten different people and they will give ten different explanations according to what they thing about time management. Time management refers to methods, tactics, strategies and techniques to manage and plan your time more effectively and efficiently. Time management refers to optimum use personal your time to achieve your set goals and purpose. Time management software is very vital for corporate houses as they have to execute all their major projects within the stipulated time. Any delay in important projects will just add to unnecessary costs. Time management software helps the employees to execute their work on time and also increases the accountability of each and every employee in the organization. A project is broken down into smaller parts or modules and then the necessary plan of action is jotted down for each and every team and employee through time management software. However planning time and writing down to do lists consumes a lot of time itself. It is due to this reason that people often criticize time management software. However it is seen that sitting for a while planning time management for the tasks to be executed saves a lot of time later on in executing your plan. It is like you sit for 100 minutes to save 10000 minutes later on.

Generations of time management

There are different generations of time management depending on how people use time management software. The different generations of time management are as follows:

1. Reminders- Aficionados of this approach limit their time management efforts to keeping lists and notes. They see these papers as reminders. Items that are not done by the end of the day are transferred to the next day's list in the evening. Covey also calls this type of style the Far Eastern, Go with the Flow.
2. Planning and preparation- People in the second generation use calendars and appointment books. They will note where meetings are held and identify deadlines; this is sometimes even done on a computer. As opposed to the first generation, the second generation plans and prepares, schedules future appointments and set goals.
3. Planning, prioritizing, controlling- Third generation time managers prioritize their activities on a daily basis. They tend to use detailed forms of daily planning on a computer or on a paper-based organizer. This approach implies spending some time in clarifying values and priorities.
4. Being efficient and proactive- This generation emphasizes on the difference between urgency and importance in planning. Planning is everything. Plans are nothing . It cannot be static. However some critics of time management methods consider that the whole concept of prioritizing by importance is flawed since once a project has been taken on all the work relating to it needs to be done.