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Debunking* the Time
Management Myth
* To expose or
ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims
– free dictionary.com
Most of us were and still are instructed
in Time Management courses as part of the skills required to
jugglethe myriad activities in our complex, day-to-day lives. 
Personally, I’m a Day Runner graduate. I became adept at filling in all the
waking hours of my day. Since I wasn’t originally taught to allow for
interruptions, breakdowns, higher priorities – you know, LIFE – I just
worked faster and longer hours to keep up. My perpetual complaint was that
“there aren’t enough hours in the day.” I continued to cram everything into
twelve hours a day, wondering why I never felt complete and, more often,
felt exhausted.
Sound familiar to anyone?
This takes me to the debunking part.
Have you noticed that as a culture we
tend to create distinctions that don’t always say what we mean? And since a
great majority of our lives are managed through the language we use, is
there any wonder we have difficulty communicating with each other and
creating a framework for workability with our time?
The “Aha” moment for me was realizing
that “time management” was a misnomer. As much as I wanted, I could not
“manage time.” Twenty-four hours in a day. Seven days in a week. You get
the picture.
At that time I was introduced to the
distinction and skill of commitments management. While I cannot manage
time, I can take responsibility for the commitments I make for my time.
Commitments management requires me to
look at the whole of my life commitments first and create space on
my calendar for those personal priorities.
Secondly, it requires that I look at the reality
of time that each commitment takes before I accept (or make a new
commitment to) a request for that time.
Thirdly, it requires that I pencil in
anticipated “think time” and “work time” on my calendar for each
commitment.
Last, but not least, commitments
management requires that I learn the art of renegotiating my
time commitments when unexpected changes come into my life.
The outcome: When I follow
the steps of commitments management, it forces me to look at the
reality of balancing commitments with the priorities of my life. In so
doing, I am far less stressed and far more content with my
accomplishments.
I still use my monthly calendar hard copy
to keep my appointments at a quick visual on my desk. Old habits die hard.
Jane
Lawson is a Master Certified Coach and resides in The Woodlands, Texas
Understanding the Cost of a
C Team
To comprehend the cost of a C team, it is important to
understand what a C team is. C team members are unhappy in their position
within an organization, are unfulfilled and, more often than not,
disengaged. A team member exhibiting these characteristics has a negative
effect on team morale and motivation, resulting in poor work performance.
Integrating Existing Team Members into A Teams
To make improvements to employee morale, increase job
performance, and ultimately to net an increased profit, begin by
restructuring the members of the organization. An employee assessment is a
crucial part of this strategy. The purpose of the assessment is to select
areas and roles best suited to individual employees.
Characteristics Included in the Assessment Process
-
Experience
-
Intelligence
-
Skills
-
Behaviors
-
Attitudes / Values
An employee’s experience for a managerial position may
look good on paper, but having the right experience does not always
directly correlate with having the proper attitude or behaviors needed to
become a success in the position.
An effective employee assessment delves into what
motivates the employee in life, both personally and professionally.
Motivated employees are happier, work harder, and strive to succeed.
Analyze Employee
Competence
After completing the assessment, analyzing employee
competence is fundamental. Look for high proficiency in the job skills
needed to maintain high performance within the organization. These
include:
- Personal Accountability/Accountability for Others
- Developing/Influencing/Leading Others
- Self-Management/Self-Starting
- Team Work/Interpersonal Skills
- Conceptual Thinking/Objective Listening/Empathetic
Outlook
- Conflict Management/Problem Solving
- Continuous Learning/Goal Achievement/Results
Orientation
- Planning and Organization/Decision Making
- Diplomacy and Tact/Flexibility/Resiliency
- Customer Focus
A team members must possess the
qualities and job skills needed to work as a productive team member,
implement self-management, and to keep pace with a growing organization.
After analyzing the assessment, use the resulting data
to ascertain whether existing employees fit into the currently vacant
positions. Restructure positions and terminate employees if needed.
In some cases, an employee may already hold the best
position for them and the organization. Consider which factors motivate
them and add motivating responsibilities to their job descriptions.
Adjusting positions to fit employees will encourage them as well as
maintain high employee retention rates.
These twenty-three skills are recognized universally
and are integrated into many organizations as part of the employee training
process.
Tailored Employee Training Programs
Employees and job positions are not one-size fits all.
While assessments are used to place and hire employees, they are also used
to benefit employee training programs. Personalizing training programs
saves an organization both time and money while keeping the employee
undertaking the training both stimulated and motivated.
After hiring the right employee for the job, the
assessment should be used to create a training program based on individual
needs. Assessment analysis provides organizations with the strengths and
weaknesses of each existing and potential employee. The assessment also
highlights particular skills that the employee possesses. Implementing
these skills in training and in the workplace is a highly motivating factor
for employees and leaves them with a sense of being valued. Employees that
feel justified in adding value to an organization strive to perform at
their best and achieve to their fullest
potential.
The Results
Eliminating C teams is a highly effective strategy that
is cost effective and performance boosting. Possessing the knowledge
of how an existing employee works and what motivates them to do so, is
valuable information that can be used to build an A team.
A teams consist of individual team
members that work well together, and benefit from the skills and experience
each possess. An A team member will step forward when another
team member is struggling and use their job skills to teach and motivate.
The whole team draws on each other’s strengths and make up for their
weaknesses; real teamwork.
Written
for us by our associate Gary Sorrell, Sorrell
Associates, LLC. Copyright protected worldwide. All rights reserved.
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