Time Management Program (TMP)

I. Time Management Test

1. Questionnaire Download

Before exploring the subject of time management, it would be useful and informative for us to know our status in the skills of time management. One way to assess our status in time management is to use a Self-Scoring Time Management Questionnaire. You can download a Time Management Program Questionnaire from Slideshare at: http://www.slideshare.net/rajatwit/time-mangement-program-questionnaire-publication

2. Questionnaire Details

The Time Management Program Questionnaire is divided into two parts: 1) X 36 Item Self-Scoring Questions; 2) X 6 categories (Goals, Attitude, Scheduling, Prioritization, Action Plans, Multitasking) to which the X 36 question items have been categorized; and 3) The scoring which shows the choice of time management skills is based on a continuum of Very often to Not At All. The highest score would show either positive or negative preferred or unpreferred time management skills.

II. Time Attitudes Development

Time attitudes play an important role in time management. What is an attitude? An attitude can be a positive or negative perception of a person, thing, event or an experience. It is subjective and is formed out of our learned or unlearned experiences, that may change when confronted with new knowledge or experiences. In relation to time management, our attitude affects our thinking, feelings and responses about time, its value and how it ought to be managed. There are four specific time attitudes that we should focus on as it commonly affects most persons.

1. Attitude towards time costing

Benjamin Franklin was one the first man to realize the money value of time when he wrote, “Time is Money.” Why do professionals charge their services according to time? Their reason is that their time is equally as valuable as their knowledge and expertise. Therefore, they consider their time should be calculated in money value along with their knowledge and expertise. How much money value do we attribute to our time? If we have an attitude like that of professionals in valuing time on par with money, we are believers in time costing. Each hour we give to somebody, to an event or to something, it is an hour of our lives deducted from our total average life expectancy. Isn’t that precious? Isn’t that actually more than the value of money? Therefore, it is imperative that we have a time costing attitude that cannot be negotiated, explained away or under-valued. Our time is equal to our money which is equal to our life (Time = Money = Life). For college and universities students to understand and adopt time costing attitudes early in their lives would enrich them character-wise and materially later in life.

2. Attitude about managing interruptions

If we inculcate time costing attitudes in our personalities, we would also want to develop an attitude in managing interruptions. They come in many forms: unexpected events, uninvited guests, irrelevant messages, calls or unproductive small talks. They side-track us from our tasks and cause delays in our schedules. Ultimately, interruptions are robbers of time. It is impossible to avoid interruptions, but is possible to reduce unwarranted, irrelevant and unproductive interruptions. We should develop an attitude for managing interruptions that are simple and effective. We should identify unwarranted, irrelevant or unproductive interruptions and provide the least time allocation for them each day. We should be assertive in attempting to keep interruptions within the allocated time frame through diplomacy. Remember that interruptions robs our time (Time – Interruptions = Time Lost). College and universities students have many interruptions that sidetrack them from effective academic performances. Adopting an attitude in managing interruptions, would assist them in allocating more time for academic pursuits, which is what really matters as students.

3. Attitude of anti-procrastination

Procrastination is delaying for tomorrow what can be done today. It can be due to our personality that goes by the feelings and mood. It can be due to the lack of an attitude for time costing. It may be caused by a lack of knowledge or skill in prioritization. Whatever the reason, procrastination leads us to major on minors and minor on majors in our daily routines. Procrastination is a lost of priority that is unable to discern between urgency and complacency. In order to form anti-procrastination attitude, we should consistently identify procrastinations as it happens and act against it immediately. College and universities students who adopt an anti-procrastination attitude early in life would be effective time managers and professionals later in life.

4. Attitude towards delegation

We know that delegation is assigning our responsibility and authority to somebody else while retaining the accountability for it. The purposes could be to relieve us from an overloaded burden or that somebody else could do the job better. But many times, even if it was possible, we refuse to delegate. Why? Do you know that one of the outstanding negative traits of workaholics is their inability or refusal to delegate? Why? Several reasons can explain for this behaviour. We may refuse to delegate because we think that we are the only one who competent in the particular task. We may be afraid that others might think that we are incompetent. We may refuse to delegate because we might be afraid of losing our credit and glory to another. We might not want to let another person to be perceived as better than us. We may refuse to delegate because we are control freaks, who like to grab and hold on to everything, so that we are assured of power and control over people and events.

Whatever the reasons for non-delegation, an attitude for delegation is a must in time management. By delegating we are: 1) Relieving ourselves from overload, to be able to

focus on more important or urgent tasks; 2) We are portraying our professional maturity in the ability to share and work in a team without negative feelings like envy or jealousy; 3) We are sharing in the growth and development of others who in return could be our future resources. 4) Leveraging our human networks and resources to assist in completing a given task. Delegation portrays our skill in leveraging human resources for optimum time management (Delegation + Human Resources = Optimum Time Management). The best time managers are excellent practitioners of delegation. College and universities students who learn to delegate while learning would become efficient practitioners of delegation when they start working.

Since attitudes affects thinking, feeling and behaviour, having positive attitudes leads to effective practices in time management. Thus, college or university students who wish to excel in time management must inculcate and develop positive attitudes, namely, in time costing, managing interruptions, anti-procrastination and delegation. Next, having seen the four important attitudes that are prerequisites in time management, we can now look at the “Simplified Time Management Practices.”

III. Simplified Time Management Practices.

It must be noted that, there are many different kinds of time management practices, utilizing different terms, for different purposes but most of which have certain common core components in them. This article is an attempt to simplify and synergize the core components of time management practices. I label it as the “Simplified Time Management Practices” to be used for college and university students. In this proposed time management practices, I would be covering two areas. They are: 1) Smart Time Goals Settings; and 2) Time Scheduling.

1. Smart Time Goals Settings

A mnemonic term “SMART” (Doran, 1981) that is used in project management has been borrowed to be utilized in time goal setting. The “SMART” principles used in project management are equally useful in time management. We shall now see in detail how the principles of “SMART” are utilized in time goal setting. The term “SMART” is interpreted as:

i. S for Specific time goals

In order to establish specific time goals, we have to employ the six useful questions: Who, What, Where, When, Which, and Why as reflective tools. Here is how the six questions can be used in the “SMART” principles. Who will benefit from specific time goal setting? Answer, anyone who is in interested in time management.

ii. M for Measurable time goals

What are the expected outcomes of the time goals? For example, a college student expected outcomes will be to finish his study courses within a certain time

framework or to ensure his success at obtaining a certain grade level in a test or examination. The time goal must be measurable in terms of realistic events.

iii. A for Attainable time goals

Which areas of weakness in time management skills does a student want to improve and excel? Which areas of strengths in time management skills does a student want to take advantage of to promote his/her profile? So, in setting time goals, a student should consider his or her weaknesses and strengths. The time goals to improve weaknesses might take longer than when it is used to promote strengths. In setting time goals either to improve weaknesses or promote strengths, attainable time goal purposes must set. Why are attainable time goal purposes important?

A time goal without an attainable purpose would be like an untrained blind person running and falling all over the place due to their blindness and to their untrained inability to navigate physically in daily living. A student must have an attainable purpose for his time goal. A purpose is different from an expected outcome. An attainable purpose is to give direction and assurance in time goal setting, while expected outcomes are hopes for certain results which might or might not happen. But time goals with attainable purposes, have higher probabilities of achieving expected outcomes. Attainable purposes are those that match existing resources and skills of a student, with the requirements and demands of/for the process in attaining his/her time goal purposes.

iv. R for Relevant time goals

Where are the time goals to be utilized? The venue or environment where the time goals will be operational must be specified. The time-tables and schedules of a college would be different from the time-tables and schedules of a factory. In order for a student to have effective time goals, he/she must match it in timing with the college time-tables and schedules. For example, if it is a semester system, his/her goal to finish a semester course in a trimester time frame or vice-versa would be illogical. The time goals must be relevant to the environment or venue in which it is utilized.

For example, who is the beneficiary of the time management program? If it is a college student, then the time goals should be tailored in that context. You cannot use the time goals of a retiree or a CEO of a multinational company for a college student. A retiree might have too much time and would not be in a hurry, while a CEO might be pressed for time and is always in a hurry to get things done. So, the time goals must be relevant to the beneficiary of the time management program.

v. T for Time frame-minded time goals

When will the time goals begin and end? Any time goals must have both of these time frames. A student must know when he intends his goal to begin and end. It would decide between an apathetic time behavior and an urgent time behavior. A

failure to have time goals, that does not have a start and end time frames, would lead to a never ending story of confusion and loss of time direction.

As we have covered the areas of “Time Attitudes Development” and “SMART TIME GOALS SETTING”, we can now look at the “Simplified Time Management Practices.” Why simplified? It has to be simplified because of relevancy, as discussed earlier in the principle of “Relevant time goals.” The time management needs of college or university students are different than that of an office, industrial or organizational environment. In view of this reason, I would like to propose the following simplified time management practices.

2. Time Scheduling

Time management for college or university students should begin with the practice of scheduling. What is scheduling? Scheduling is planning for the optimum use of available time. There are two things to be noted. Firstly, you must know what your available time is and secondly, you must actively plan to use it in an optimum manner. To carry out these activities, you can use two tools: Planner and Activity Log.

i. Planner

The planner is a panoramic record of all assignments, activities and anything whether public or private that concerns you. The following are guidelines in using a planner.

Decide on the type of planner you want to use. Nowadays we have planners in hard-copy, electronic and even web-based formats. Electronic formats are found even in mobile phones. Choose the format that you find most comfortable to work with and can have immediate access anywhere and anytime.

Label your planner with a name of your liking but ensure it is relevant for the subject of time management.

Start with a yearly planner that gives a panoramic view of the entire year. Include holidays both national and private. Include the yearly schedule of your college or university. Include any other yearly information that ought to be there.

Next, include a trimester time table or schedule of all your classes, courses and any other activities related to you study.

Next, include all homework, assignments, and projects related to your courses or classes by year, month, week and day. Ensure that all due dates are clearly mentioned.

Next, include all your personal activities, appointments or events by year, month, week and day. Ensure that all dates are clearly mentioned.

You can colour code or diagrammatize your information and entries. Try to use abbreviations that you can remember and interpret.

Allow space for new unexpected entries that may occur.

Always carry your planner with you.

You should now be able to see all your activities, whether study-related or private matters at a glance. Your planner is ready for use.

ii. Activity Logs

The activity log will be your record on your smart time goals settings, to do list, action plans and multitasking. In short, the activity log is where you actually record all details, processes and results of your time planning based on the planner.

a. SMART Goal Setting

As I have already covered the details of SMART goal setting, I will not go into it here. However, all planning in the activity log should begin with statements of SMART goals for each assignment or activity found in the planner.

b. To do Lists

Next, based on your planner, you should begin prioritization of your assignments or activities and anything else, by reducing them to manageable tasks in the sequence of year, month, week and day in the activity log. The following is a guide to preparing “To do list.”

Refer to your assignments or activities in your planner by any coding system you are comfortable with or have knowledge about.

Break down the assignments or activities into manageable tasks that you can complete in 1 to 3 hours.

You can have as many tasks as you want to complete a desired assignment or activity.

Write all tasks that you have to do in the sequence of year, month, week and day.

Leave spaces below each task for action plans that will have information on: start and end dates, start times and end times, notes, comments and status of action plan.

Assign priorities to the tasks by a ranking on a continuum of Very Urgent, Urgent, Not Urgent and Unimportant.

c. Action Plans

An action plan to carry out a task should have the following information or components that might be needed to complete the tasks.

Refer to the task by coding as in to do list.

Have start dates and end dates.

Have start times and end times.

Note any cost involved.

Note any assistance of human resources that may be needed.

Note any equipment that may be needed.

Note any materials, tangible or intangible that may be needed.

Note any external or professional specialization that may be needed

Include status of action plan such as: In Progress, Pending, Completed and Unsuccessful

Note or comment on any details that needs attention. One important detail that can be recorded in this space is the reasons for the success or failure of a task or action plan. This would be the time management post-mortem notes or comments.

d. Multitasking

In carrying out the action plans, you must multitask whenever possible. The purpose of multitasking is more for effective use of the same time to do more than one task without compromising or the quality of a task

or its action plans. One effective way to multitask without compromising or the quality of a task or its action plans is through delegation.

Conclusion

The process of this “Time Management Program” (TMP) begins with time management Questionnaire (TMQ) which is used to for self-assessing one’s time management skills. Then, it gives four specific time management attitudes that are to be cultivated in the personalities of college and university students. And it ends with a “Simplified Time Management Practices,” that includes the use of a planner and activity log.