TIME MANAGEMENT (NOTES)

ROLE OF PLANNING IN TIME MANAGEMENT

Time Management plays an essential role in corporates and helps employees to finish off
assignments on time. Doing the right thing at the right time is called Time Management.

It is essential for an individual to value time as time once lost never comes back, no matter
how much money you spend. An individual who fails to deliver results on time is appreciated
by none and is never taken seriously at the workplace.

Planning plays a pivotal role in effective time management. An individual needs to plan
his day well in advance to make the best possible use of time. There is no point in working
just for the sake of doing work.

Planning gives an individual a sense of direction in the organization and motivates him to
complete assignments on time.

Plan how you want to move forward. It is important for an individual to set a goal and
objective for himself and work hard towards achieving the same. Detailed planning suggests
you the steps towards realizing your goals at the workplace within a defined time frame.

Planning helps an individual to know what all he needs to do urgently and what all can be
done a little later.

To plan things better, employees should prepare a Task Plan where he can jot down tasks
against the time slots assigned to each activity.

High priority activities must come on top followed by the ones which do not require
immediate attention.

Planning helps you accomplish urgent and critical tasks way ahead of deadline. Plan as to
how your day should look like.

Develop the habit of using an organizer. It helps you plan things better. You can also use a
table top calendar for the same.

Individuals who adopt a planned approach finish off work on time as compared to those who
just accept anything which comes there way.

STEPS IN CREATING A TIME MANAGEMENT PLAN

Determine your goals

Assess your available schedule

Develop your time management plan

Determine what tools you may need

Implement the plan

Adjust as needed

Plan for unexpected situations

Why is a Time Management Plan Important?

Just like any other valuable resource—money, property, employees, and the like—time is
worth protecting and managing well. This is why time management and creating a time
management plan or schedule is so important. What is the measure of success in time
management? When a person creates a time management schedule, their goal is to get
everything done in a timely and stress-free manner.
A reliable and productive daily schedule doesn't just happen. It requires a great deal of
thinking, planning, and prioritizing. It requires taking a close look at responsibilities, tasks,
and all they entail while simultaneously considering the fixed amount of time available in a
day. In other words, developing a solid time management plan also takes time.

The Benefits of Scheduling & Planning

What are the benefits of creating a time management plan? There is value in knowing
everything there is to do and when it can be done—to accomplish something before the day is
done—but a time management schedule also helps protect an individual's personal time. In
short, good time management improves productivity. How? When plotting out a daily
schedule, a person needs to plan to do their most urgent tasks first.
Since time is the resource that needs to be managed, time scheduling is crucial to the time
management process. Time scheduling is a matter of identifying periods of availability, then
assigning those periods of time to specific tasks, with the most urgent tasks receiving
attention first. This involves estimating how long each task will likely take, as well as other
steps of the time management process.

How to Create an Effective Schedule

The most successful time management plan often requires investing quite a bit of effort into
its development. The following are the most common steps and strategies involved in
creating a time management schedule:

● Keep the big picture in mind — A mission statement or overarching business goal is a
good place to start in formulating a time management plan. Such resources can help
an individual stay focused on the purpose behind their work.
● Consider the key responsibilities related to the big picture — When looking at the big
picture, categories emerge around specific work functions that serve the mission
statement or a large business goal.
● Categorize tasks, then prioritize — The next step is to organize a to-do list using the
categories established through the previous step. This step also helps pinpoint which
tasks are unnecessary (the ones that don't further the overarching mission or goal) and
the ones that need to be prioritized or postponed.
● Allocate time for each task — After estimating how much time each task takes, a
calendar is used to plot out a daily schedule. Identifying a timeframe of availability
(e.g., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) is the first step in creating a schedule. The highest priorities
 should be addressed at the very beginning of the day. This approach also helps people
avoid the more unproductive tendency to multitask.
● Allow for some margin, including breaks — Some built-in margin makes room not
only for the inevitable interruption, but also for rest and restorative activities that
increase a person's productivity and overall effectiveness

PERT AND CPM IN TIME MANAGEMENT

PERT refers to Program (Project) Evaluation and Review Technique. It is generally a visual
project management tool that is used in project planning. It involves planning, organizing,
integrating, and authorizing uncertain activities. It provides detailed information regarding
the project’s tasks, the minimum time required for completing individual tasks, and the
average time required to complete the whole project. The variable used in the PERT
technique is time. The PERT Analysis shows you the critical path of a project.

The critical path is a set of activities that will cause an end date delay of the project if any one
of them is not finished on time. Depending on the project, there may be more than one critical
path. The Pert method includes uncertainty by making it possible to schedule a project while
not precisely knowing all the activities’ details and duration. It is mostly used in projects
where time is the major important factor than cost. The United States Navy first developed
PERT in 1958.

CPM full form is the Critical Path Method. In CPM, we are supposed to assume that the
project duration is certain. It is generally used to ascertain every activity’s earliest possible
starting time. The queue is avoided by differentiating critical and non-critical activities. This
also helps in reducing time. Any activity can be treated as a critical activity if any delay of
such can delay the whole process. CPM is a project technique developed in the late 1950s by
MORGAN R. It is mostly found in construction, research projects, engineering, aerospace,
plant maintenance, and software development.

A CPM method developed should contain four values. There is a list of activities required to
finish the project, the duration of each activity to complete, and any dependencies between
the activities and milestones to be achieved. Using this, the longest path from the activities to
the milestone or endpoints is found. This process also decides critical activities. It determines
the least time to complete the project.

Key differences
Some of the major differences between PERT and CPM are given below:

● PERT is a visual project management technique where we plan, schedule,

organize, coordinate and control uncertain activities. Whereas CPM is a statistical
technique where we plan, schedule, organize, coordinate and control well-defined
activities.
● CPM is a method used to control cost and time. Unlike PERT, which is a
technique used for planning and controlling time.
● PERT can be said as a development and research project tool, while CPM is a
construction project tool.
● PERT is aligned towards events, while CPM is set according to activities.
● A settled model will be used in CPM. A probabilistic model is used in the
PERT method.
 ● PERT uses three-point estimations such as optimistic, most likely, and
pessimistic. Whereas on the other side, there exists only one estimate in CPM.
● PERT is used where time is more highly valued than cost, whereas the CPM
method is apt for reasonable time estimate projects.
● PERT is used in case of unpredictable activities. On the other hand, CPM is
used in the case of predictable activities.
● PERT is used for jobs that are non-repetitive in nature. In distinction, CPM is
used for jobs that are repetitive in nature.

Advantages and disadvantages

A PERT chart helps you to create endpoints or milestones of the project. You can also
identify any possible obstacles and quickly address them. This is the main PERT advantage.
The disadvantage of PERT includes the absence of time focus.

A CPM chart gives a precise graphical form of projects. It saves time and helps us compare
our current position with the planned one. Coming to the disadvantage of CPM, it will be
really hard to estimate the completion time and critical path for huge projects.

PDCA Cycle

PDCA, which stands for plan do check act, is a four-step project management tool for
implementing continuous improvement. It involves systematically testing possible solutions,
assessing the results, and implementing the ones that work. It promotes testing improvements
on a small scale before updating company-wide procedures and work methods.
Other names PDCA goes by include plan do study act (PDSA) cycle, Deming cycle,
and Shewhart cycle. It is based on the scientific method of problem-solving and was
popularized by Dr. W. Edwards Deming, who is considered by many to be the leading
thought leader of modern quality control.

Here are some examples of when you can use the PDCA cycle:

● Embarking on a new improvement initiative, such as reducing defects, improving

cycle time, or optimizing resource utilization.
● Designing a new process, product, or service, or improving an existing one.
● Documenting a standard work process that is repeated frequently.
● When gathering data to identify problems or root causes.
● Implementing changes, such as process changes, organizational changes, or
technology changes.
● Working toward continuous improvement.

Here’s a breakdown of what each step in the PDCA cycle entails:

Plan: Refers to recognizing where opportunities exist and making a plan to implement
change. In a manufacturing setting, the planning process could be to decide on what
operational problem needs resolving or improving.
Do: Implement the change and test its effectiveness. The plan's ideas, methods, and process
improvements must now be implemented. This may include changes to production
processes, maintenance strategies, implementing training, or changing work practices.

Check: Review the test, measure and analyze the results, and evaluate the lessons learned.
Data such as production output, machine availability and safety statistics should be measured
against the projected outcomes detailed in the plan.

Act: Take action towards improvement based on what you learned from the test. If the
change does not work, go through the cycle again with a different plan. If the experiment was
a success, incorporate what you learned from the test into wider changes. Learnings from the
test can be applied to continual change, which can be put through the PDCA cycle again.

GUIDELINES AND TOOLS FOR EFFICIENT PLANNING

Planning Tools are instruments that help guide organizational action steps related to
implementation of an initiative, program, or intervention. They may provide detailed
descriptions about the county implementation plan and how it was developed. Planning Tools
are likely to be initiative-specific and may include:

1. Organizational timelines
2. Action item checklists
3. Things-to-do checklists
4. Sample meeting agendas

Here are some guidelines for efficient planning that you can make work for you right
away.

● Did you know that you can save yourself an hour each day just by getting
organized?
When you arrive at work or return home, take a moment to put your coat and keys
where they belong. Put papers where you can put your hand on them quickly.
● Use your workspace and personal space (home, vehicle, garage, etc.) to their
greatest advantage. There is no need to do a big clean up once a year if you can take a
half hour once a week to file, sort, and keep things organized.
● It is important to identify and operate within two time horizons: short and
long term. Anticipating events will help you to get things done in the short term which
contribute to achieving long-term objectives.
● An up-to-date master calendar can be your most helpful planning tool. If
you prefer an electronic version, make sure that it is backed up properly so that you
don’t lose your data.
● When things begin to get hectic, a “Things to do Today” list helps focus
attention on the highest priority items.
● Action planning worksheets, milestone charts, and PERT diagrams (the
types of diagrams used in project management) are excellent planning aids when
properly used.
 ● Planning contact with colleagues and staff will help minimize disruptions.
Keep a file for each person you meet with on a regular basis, with items to be
discussed highlighted for easy reference.

TIME MAPPING (CONCEPT)

Organizing your schedule can be a frustrating exercise. Initially, it’s exciting to create a
To-Do list of all you need to accomplish for a given period. Often, you’ll put in as many
entries as possible for your daily, weekly, or even monthly activities. Soon as you follow this
list, you begin to find yourself hard-pressed to keep up with your tasks. A day or two later,
you begin to realize something.

Getting bogged down in a single task soon affects the rest of the day. The day then affects the
rest of the week, which affects the rest of the month. Next thing you know, your planned
schedule is shot to pieces. If you feel that the above scenario describes how you manage your
schedule, then maybe time mapping is something you should seriously consider.

In essence, time mapping allows you to take better care of how you spend your time.
Everybody has exactly 24 hours each day to do what they want. However, this 24-hour
budget won’t change even if you have an urgent task you need to finish. This is why it’s
important that when laying out your individual schedules, you’ll have to keep track of your
overall plans for the day. You’ll need time for work, for play, for family, for yourself. By
mapping how you use your time in a more coherent and orderly way, you can better control
the use of this precious, limited resource.

The Benefits of Time Mapping

Does time mapping actually work? If it does, what are its benefits? For starters, time mapping
gives you a holistic view of how you spend time in general. Broken down into major areas
(work, family, personal, health and fitness, etc), you can see which parts of your life might be
taking too much of your waking hours. At the same time, you also get to realize which areas
need more attention.

Identify Priorities

Time mapping allows you to recalibrate your priorities and create a more well-rounded
schedule. In fact, this system provides the information needed to finally decide which things
matter more to you. So if you think that a better work-life balance can make you more
productive, you can revisit your daily activities and make the changes. For example, you can
choose to cut down on work hours and pencil in enough time for family activities, recreation,
or even self-learning.

Improve Time Management Skills

Ultimately, time mapping can also improve your time management skills. Once you get a
better idea of how you spend your time, it’s easier to tell others how much of it you can spare.
Instead of simply committing to a team that needs your help, you can provide an accurate
estimate of how many hours per day or week you can spare.

Visualize Tasks Better

Time mapping also allows you to look at projects from a bigger perspective. It allows you to
visualize not just the individual components but also how each one affects the others. This
means that with time mapping, you can better determine which tasks to prioritize in order to
complete the later ones.

Manage Project Dependencies

Doing so allows you to break down even the most formidable project into more manageable
steps. Once you recognize the project’s dependencies, you can plan the execution better and
avoid delays due to incomplete areas.

CONCEPT OF ORGANISING

Organising refers to a process consisting of a series of steps to identify and group various
activities, collect or assemble various resources and establish authority relationships with
responsibility amongst job positions. It can be mentioned as collecting and utilizing human
and non-human resources to implement plans in a highly effective and efficient manner. It is
to achieve the overall plan of the organisation. In other words, it refers to the process of
arranging people to work together and accomplish a common goal. It is a process of
identifying activities to be performed, grouping these activities into work units, assembling
tasks for the various job positions, defining rules, and establishing the authority,
responsibility, and relationship amongst them.

Importance of Organising
Following are the importance of organising:

1. Benefits of Specialization:

In an organisation, work is divided into units and departments. This division of work leads to
specialization in various activities of the concern. The entire philosophy of the organisation is
based on the concept of division of work into compact jobs. This leads to systematic
allocation of jobs amongst staff, which enhances productivity and reduces the workload.
Division of work refers to assigning responsibility for each organisational component to a
specific individual or group. This, in turn leads to specialization, efficiency and speed in job
performance.

2. Clarity in a Working Relationship:

After identification of a job, organising also clarifies the authority and responsibility of
individuals of different departments. It is a means of creating coordination among different
departments of enterprises. It aims at creating clear-cut responsibility, and authority
relationships amongst different levels and ensuring cooperation amongst individuals and
groups. Harmony of work is brought by the high level of management. Every employee
knows his superior from whom he has to take the order, and to whom he has to report. This
working relationship helps in fixing responsibility and helps to avoid confusion.

3. Optimum Utilization of Resources:

Organising ensures the optimum utilization of human and material resources. In organising,
work is assigned as per skill and knowledge. The clarity in the job in advance of what the
employees are supposed to do avoids confusion and motivates employees to put in their best.

4.Adaption to Change:

The process of organising allows an organisation to accommodate changes in a business

environment. So the organisation structure is suitably modified and the revision of the job
position and relationships plan the way for smooth transactions. Thus organising provide
flexibility and stability to an organisation. It helps an organisation to survive and grow,
despite people leaving and joining. It also helps to adapt to changes in technology, new
methods of work, etc.
ADVANTAGES OF ORGANIZING
1. Organization reduces stress

Clutter can take a toll on your health by increasing your stress levels—even if you don’t
recognize it. Clutter can come in many forms, and it can be hard to decipher what is and is
not clutter.

Take time to sort through it all and determine what stays and what goes. By decluttering your
living spaces, you can decrease housework, too, by 40%. Staying organized will actually
lower your cortisol levels—the body’s primary stress hormone.

2. Organization helps you sleep better

When you prioritize organization, you give yourself time to focus on what really matters, like
your much-needed sleep. Organizing your daily schedule and tasks allows you to concentrate
on what needs to get done that day instead of being distracted by things around you.

3. Organization promotes a healthier diet

Being organized allows you to plan healthy dishes and meal prep for the week. When you’ve
prepared your meals and snacks ahead of time, you’re less likely to make poor dietary
choices.

Try organizing treats, cereals, and other snackable foods into small sandwich bags or
containers. Doing so can reduce clutter and help you control your portion intake.

4. Organization increases productivity at work

Nothing screams “stress overload!” more than an unorganized work environment, and clutter
is the enemy of creativity. If you’re feeling burnt out and overwhelmed at work, start
decluttering your workspace.
DISADVANTAGES OF ORGANIZING
(1) Ignorance of Organisational Objectives:
Each departmental head works according to his sweet will. They always give more
importance to their departmental objectives. Hence, overall organisational objectives suffer.
For example, to establish its image, the production department may produce quality product
ignoring the fact that market trend favors accepting medium quality product.

(2) Difficulty in Interdepartmental Coordination:

All departmental heads may work as per their own wish. No doubt this facilitates
coordination within the department but it makes interdepartmental coordination difficult.

(3) Conflict of Interest:

Every departmental head wants to become a functional empire. To satisfy their ego every one
demands maximum resources for their department. This situation leads to conflicts among the
various departmental heads.

(4) Hurdle in Complete Development:

This system is a hurdle in the way of the complete development of the employees. Each
employee specialises only in a small part of the whole job.

Pareto – the 80 – 20 Rule

The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, is a concept that many have adopted for
their life and time management. It is the idea that 20% of the effort, or input, leads to 80% of
the results or output. The point of this principle is to recognize that most things in life are not
distributed evenly.

The key to the Pareto Principle is to identify that around 20% of one’s actions on the most
productive tasks lead to the most success. This principle requires and enables us to spot the
few important things that are happening and ignore the mass of unimportant things.

Essentially, if we spend a short amount of time on what is really important, this will yield
greater results than focusing on as many things as possible.

The Pareto Principle is a concept that has shown to be powerful when applied to many areas
of life, including in business, relationships, learning, and marketing, to name a few.

For example, in any retail organization, the Pareto Principle states that 80% of the sales will
be accounted for by 20% of the customers.

The term Pareto Principle was not coined by Pareto, but by Dr Joseph Juran in the 1940s.
Juran found that through applying Pareto’s observations to his field of operations
management, he could help businesses improve their production by noticing that 80% of the
production problems were caused by 20% of the production methods.

Some examples of the Pareto Principle could involve:

● 80% of profits come from 20 % of the products or services a company sells.

 ● Fixing the top 20 % of the most reported bugs in a software program also
eliminates 80 % of related errors and crashes.

● Wearing 20 % of one’s clothes 80 % of the time

Time management

Time management is the most common use of the Pareto Principle. Many people tend to
thinly spread out their time instead of focusing on the most important task.

Likewise, there is the idea that people must work excessively long hours to produce good
outcomes. This type of thinking can create an unequal work-life balance, resulting in burnout
and overall decreased productivity.

With the Pareto Principle, you can save time on work tasks and get more done in a shorter
span of time.

For instance, you could spend some time at the start of the week planning out what you are
going to focus on during the workdays, usually the most important tasks.

While this may feel like a waste of time, in the long run it can help you to focus and cut down
work time.

You may find that you have more time to devote to other activities outside of work such as
personal development, relaxation, mental health, and building relationships.

THE BATCHING TECHNIQUE

Time batching is a time management technique that includes grouping similar tasks together
and setting aside a time to complete them all or work on them until a predetermined point of
progress. The purpose of time batching is to minimize distractions for a workflow that
enables concentration, attention to detail, and productivity.
When you have a list of 30 small tasks, it can be easy to get one done rather quickly and then
scroll through Instagram. Then you check another simple task off your list and you pick up a
book to read. Separating your to-do list items into batches helps you dedicate your full
attention to those particular tasks, as opposed to multitasking.
People see success with time batching because it eliminates the presence of multi-tasking.
Multi-tasking, or dealing with more than one task at the same time, is a productivity killer.
Don’t take it from me, take it from science, and few different studies on multitasking and
business:

● Multitasking can lead to as much as a 40% drop in productivity.

● People who are interrupted and have to switch their attention back and forth take 50%
longer to complete a task.
● Multitaskers make up to 50% more errors when completing a task.
Building (metaphorical) structures and boundaries with your time make it easier to dive into a
task or group of tasks without breaking your workflow.

How to use time batching

1. Determine your tasks

Before batching, you need to first see what kind of tasks you are working with. This step
essentially includes writing a to-do list where you get a clear picture of what your
day/week/month is going to look like. If you are going to be using time batching for both
personal and professional tasks, make sure to keep them separate.

2. Batch your tasks

With your list in front of you, find related tasks would make sense to do one right after the
other. Remember there is no limit to the amount of tasks that can fit into a certain batch, but
there should be a realistic time frame. Even though the point of time batching is to help your
attention span, we can only stay fully focused for so long before we need a break to eat, use
the bathroom, or get some fresh air.

3. Evaluate your process

After you have completed your time batching tasks, assess how well you did. This is
something that is going to take some time and practice, and being a perfect time batcher after
the first go around is not likely. After doing it a couple of times, you will learn more about
yourself as a doer. How long can you actually stay focused? (This is different for everyone
and there is no shame in your answer). Is there a sweet spot for the amount of tasks you can
do within that time frame? Is there an order you like to follow? Do you prefer to do big or
small tasks first?

Benefits of time batching

1. Improves focus: Grouping tasks together will help you stay focused on one set of
activities, as opposed to refocusing over and over.
2. Saves time: Batching all your tasks together eliminates wasted time moving from task
to task.
3. Reduces mental clutter: Avoiding multitasking helps your brain stay calm and
focused, even on your busiest days.
4. Relieves stress: Having a big task ahead can be daunting. Using time batching to
tackle it in an orderly and practical way will help reduce that stress.

DELEGATION – MEANING, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Delegation is the act of giving authority to those at lower levels to take on relevant roles or
decisions. The company entrusts the task or some less essential decision-making, which has
been carried out by superiors, to employees at lower levels in the organizational hierarchy.
However, the final responsibility remains with the superior.
The delegation aims to train employees to responsibly make decisions about work. Therefore,
they should be more accountable in carrying out delegated tasks. And, it all makes their
working life more interesting where employees have the opportunity to self-actualize and
develop themselves. In addition, it also reduces the superiors’ workload. So, they can focus
more on more strategic aspects.

It requires empowerment, selection, and planning to be effective. In addition, the authority

given must be balanced with the responsibility. And superiors need to determine assignment
performance standards.

What are the advantages of delegation?

Develop competence. Employees at lower levels have the opportunity to learn new skills and
knowledge to carry out delegated tasks effectively. For example, they can learn to make
decisions and manage their working life effectively as workloads add up.

Make working life more interesting and challenging. Besides enabling employees to build
on their competencies, the delegation also makes their routines more exciting. As a result,
their activities are more diverse with new challenges, minimizing boredom and demotivation
due to repetitive, monotonous work.

Higher engagement. Subordinates can participate more actively in their work. As a result,
they feel more involved in their work, encouraging them to do their best.

Build synergy. Superiors and subordinates trust each other. Thus, they can collaborate better
to implement company programs and strategies.

Opportunity for self-actualization. Giving more decision-making authority allows

employees to self-actualize. They can apply their ideas and knowledge in their work.

Improved retention. Job satisfaction increases because employees can manage their work
lives. They also can develop themselves to achieve a more advanced career. Finally, they are
happy working in the company and are reluctant to switch to another company.

What are the disadvantages of delegation?

Role failure. Subordinates fail to act as expected by superiors. It may be because they do not
have the insufficient capacity or unclear direction.

Tarnished reputation. The superior is the final person in charge of every decision made by
the subordinate. Thus, when subordinates fail in carrying out their roles, it can damage their
reputation.
Losing control. Entrusting more authority to subordinates means giving them the freedom to
carry out delegated roles. Thus, superiors can lose management control, which is bad if they
perform poorly and do not live up to expectations.

Threatened position. When a subordinate performs well and is more effective, management
may appoint him to a higher position. His career rose quickly. And the boss may feel
insecure. He couldn’t get a higher promotion because he couldn’t compete with other
candidates or his poor performance.

Heavier workload. Often, superiors delegate tedious tasks to subordinates. Thus, it does not
increase job satisfaction and make work more interesting. Rather, on the contrary, it makes
employees more bored and bears a heavier workload.

DELEGATION IN EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT

Delegation is an important part of time management. There is only so much work one person
can do. You don't want to be spending time on low value tasks at the expense of high value
tasks.

Plus, delegating tasks gives you the opportunity to give additional responsibility to your team
members and build their skills. Of course not every task you offload will be challenging and
meaningful - some of them will be routine and boring - but that is true for every role.

There is a lot of pressure when an individual is in a leadership role. The first thought is
usually 'I want to take every task on because I know I can do it the best.' Unfortunately, it is
difficult to take on all the work that needs to be completed and still successfully oversee a
team. To save time, it is essential for leaders to give work to employees. To delegate is to
assign a specific task to someone else and give them the authority to complete that task.
Delegation helps save time for management, and it allows more work to be completed faster.
Managers must delegate tasks to employees because they often have to focus on higher-level
work. A good manager does not take on all the work themselves but instead is able to assign
work to employees so that he or she can oversee all employees. When delegating tasks, the
manager must provide a clear picture of how the task should be completed, and what the
desired result is. Delegating tasks allows management to concentrate on other things, such as
overseeing employees or coming up with new ideas that will improve sales.
When delegating work, you want to choose employees that have the best skills and traits for
the job that is being assigned. It is essential to learn employees' strengths and weaknesses so
that tasks can be delegated to the best employees. When an employee is struggling, do not let
them hand the work back over but instead instruct them on how they can achieve the end
result.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOALS AND TIME MANAGEMENT

Regardless of intellect, education, or industry experience, every employee faces one very real
and very concrete limitation: the number of hours in the day. Sure, we could theoretically add
additional time at the start and end of an already jam-packed day, but that will only go so far,
and sooner or later, it will lead to burnout
The key to maximum effectiveness isn’t necessarily to add more time to our days but rather
to increase our effectiveness within the time we already have. There are a number of tools
that can be used for effective time management, such as well-organized calendars, scheduling
work around individual peak productivity times, and effective prioritization.

One best practice that doesn’t always come top of mind when thinking about time
management is goal setting. Goal setting helps put our day-to-day activities into the broader
context of long-term goals. For example, goal setting helps arrange priorities and map out the
key smaller activities that are essential to success on a larger objective or initiative.

The Characteristics of Effective Goals

● Specific—The goal is focused on exactly what needs to be done.

● Measurable—The goal can be measured objectively and quantitatively as opposed to
just qualitatively.
● Attainable—The goal should be something that can reasonably be achieved. Goals
that are beyond what is realistically accomplishable will set the goal-setter up for
failure and end up wasting a lot of time in the long run.
● Relevant—Goals need to be relevant to the big picture. Setting random and irrelevant
goals will only lead to wasted time and effort.
● Time-bound—Finally, a good goal has a time in which it needs to be completed.
Open-ended goals become drains on time and effort.

The Importance of Goal Setting As a Time Management Tool

Provide Direction
1. Setting goals in a small business provides direction for everyone who is a part of the
business. When employees and managers are aware of the goals, it puts everyone on
the same page and working toward, the same outcome. By setting goals, employees
know where the bulk of their time each day should be focused. They are better able to
prioritize their workload based on the goals of the business, and manage their time
better while they are at work.
Meet Deadlines
1. All goals that are set should be timely, meaning that there is a set deadline attached to
the goal. This gives employees motivation to meet the goal within a certain time
period. It also provides the information needed to develop an action plan so that the
goal can be met within the stated timeframe. Employees will then be able to manage
their time better during the day as they have an action plan for each goal that will
guide their tasks throughout the work day.
Avoid Wasted Time
1. When goals have been set within the organization, it is less likely that employees will
be wasting time while at work. With a set number of specific goals, employees will
always have a task that can be done to work toward accomplishing the goals. This can
avoid times at work when employees are left wondering what should be done next.
One major detractor from effective time management is dealing with time wasters
 during the day. By having set goals in place, it is easier to effectively manage all work
time.
Manage Distractions
1. Employees are often faced with distractions during the work day from phone calls to
other co-workers’ personal issues that have been brought into the workplace. There
may also be smaller projects that are introduced or new projects that could possibly
improve the business. When the employee has a set plan with business goals to
follow, it helps to effectively manage their time. When a distraction arises, they can
easily review the goals of the business to see if working on that task will help to meet
the goals. If it will not, they can simply move on to a more effective task.
TYPES OF GOALS – LONG TERM AND SHORT TERM GOALS
Long-term goals, however, are the bigger goals you want for the future that take notably
longer to achieve because they’re significantly loftier and more complex. To effectively
achieve them, long-term goals require:

● Hard work
● Careful planning
● Accountability
● Perseverance

Long-Term Goal Examples

Personal goals

Long-term personal goals refer to the personal (non-work) achievements that you want
to accomplish. Note the emphasis here on non-work. While some of your personal goals
may be specific to career goals, it’s important to have goals that are not so intertwined
with your career.

Nearly 80% of working adults have experienced workplace burnout. Finding a better
work-life balance helps prevent burnout. A good starting point is to have personal goals that
you can focus on that aren’t tied to your career.

Some examples of long-term personal goals include:

● Having a positive mindset and developing self-confidence

● Fitness goals like adopting a healthy diet and sticking to a fitness routine
● Control and manage emotions
● Having a work-life balance and managing stress

Career goals

Long-term career goals are the professional achievements you hope to attain or reach in the
future. These are typically related to your professional standing, job positions, career
transitions, or desired management and/or leadership roles. It could also mean starting your
own business or becoming your own boss.
Make sure to align your long-term goals with your overall career plan. Keep this in mind
when you identify your long-term goal.

Some examples of long-term career goals include:

● Find what you really love to do for your career

● Seek and listen intently for performance feedback
● Develop new skills for the job or your career path
● Find career mentors
● Discover a new market to exploit in your industry
● Obtain a professional certification
● Become a thought leader in your industry
● Have your own business/company and be your own boss
● Expand professional network
● Become a better leader, mentor
● Acquire more soft skills

Financial goals

With so many people living paycheck-to-paycheck these days, setting financial goals just
makes sense. Financial improvements let you save and purchase things that you always
needed and wanted, like housing, a car, entertainment, travel, or insurance. Quite often, the
end goal isn’t just money but financial freedom and peace of mind.

Examples of long term financial goals include:

● Achieve financial independence, maximize earning potential

● Fix and improve credit score, credit card debt pay, eliminate debt, pay off a mortgage
● Save more money for your emergency fund and have enough money to buy the things
you need and want

SHORT TERM GOALS :

A short-term goal is something you want to do soon. Short-term goals can help you make
big changes.

● A short-term goal is something you want to do in the near future. The near future can
mean today, this week, this month, or even this year. A short-term goal is something
you want to accomplish soon. Something that will take you a long time to accomplish
is called a long-term goal.
● Both long- and short-term goals can help you in your career. Short-term goals help
you think about what you can do right away. Short-term goals can help you manage
your time. Short-term goals might seem small, but completing them can lead to big
accomplishments in your life and career.

Short-term goals in the workplace

Setting short-term goals for your career can help you better achieve your professional
aspirations, be more productive in the workplace, and improve overall job satisfaction. To
accomplish short-term goals, you must first know how to successfully set them and then
commit to seeing them through. Here we explore what short-term goals are, explain why they
are important for your career, and provide several examples of workplace goals to consider to
boost your professional life.

Procrastination Rewards
Relief from stress is a powerful natural reward. You are likely to repeat what brings relief or
pleasure. However, immediate relief can have a paradoxical effect when it
reinforces procrastination.

You promise yourself you'll stop procrastinating, feel good about the decision, and then
continue procrastinating. You want to stop feeling tense. You procrastinate on coping. Instead
you slug down a stiff drink. You temporarily feel better. The next time you feel tense you
repeat this cycle. When you dance with procrastination in these and other ways, you may
experience momentary relief. You may not expect things to turn out badly. Yet the same sorry
results reoccur.

Paradoxical procrastination rewards are short-term emotional fixes that normally lead to
long-term pains. Rewards that follow procrastination decisions to delay are specious in the
sense that they reinforce impulsive reactions. These rapid rewards for procrastination support
negative results. They are the mirror opposite of rewards for positive efforts.

You can find many paradoxical rewards for procrastinating. Here are three:

1. You cave into unhealthy impulses and urges and feel relief. You're on a diet. There is a
chocolate cake in your refrigerator. You are in conflict about eating a piece. You decide to
take a small bite. You feel relief in ending the conflict. But all you've done is procrastinate
some more on following through on losing weight.

2. You tell yourself you need to feel inspired before you start a project you know will be
frustrating. You feel good about your reason for delay. You feel comforted by a whimsical
belief that you'll feel inspired some day in the future.

3. When delay follows delay you have a clear procrastination problem to face. Still, you
continue to feel relief following new promises that you'll do better later.

ROLE OF MOTIVATION IN EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT

The relationship between motivation and time management is an interesting one. Being super
motivated is great, but if you haven’t effectively managed your time, all that motivation will
be wasted, as you get bogged down with inefficiency. Excellent time management skills
means you’re more likely to accomplish your tasks effectively, skyrocketing your
productivity. This then leads directly to your work being appreciated, leaving you feeling
motivated to continue the cycle!
This relationship means that an understanding of time management is incomplete without
understanding motivation, and vice versa. Motivation is derived from two sources – intrinsic
and extrinsic. Extrinsic motivators are those external factors such as pay, company culture,
and benefits. Obviously, an employee who is fairly compensated and passionate about
working with a great team is going to perform better. More subtle are intrinsic motivators.
These are from within; you want to do something because it is interesting and enjoyable to
you.

Here are some tips to help you manage your time to stay motivated:

1. Be realistic
At one point or another, most of us have probably taken on more than we can handle. It’s
hard saying “no” when you want that promotion or raise. But being overworked can prevent
people from practicing time management, leading to dissatisfaction and demotivation. This is
why it’s important to be realistic – of yourself, your team, and your employees. Avoid
burning out by setting realistic goals for yourself, both short-term and long-term.
Tasks don’t take everyone the same amount of time, and if you need a bit longer to achieve
something and do it well, allow yourself that time. If you feel that you are being overworked
and can’t keep up with the workload you’ve been given, have an honest conversation with
your boss. Luckily, it’s a workers market (finally!) and any good workplace will know your
value and be willing to give you the support you need.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there is a people dimension in time management. Your
planning must reflect consideration for dealing effectively with other people and their
influence on your time and schedule.

2. Select goals and schedule in advance

Planning out your day and your week ahead of time will do wonders. Think of your tasks and
set out time blocks that allocate periods for each. Again, it’s important to be realistic and give
yourself buffer time in case some things run long and time for small but frequent breaks.
Scheduling in breaks also helps keeps you motivated because you have something to look
forward to.

When you set goals that you’d like to accomplish for each day and schedule time to achieve
those goals, you’ll feel motivated to work towards something rather than spending time
figuring it out as you go.

3. Prioritize
Have you ever been in a situation where you have something super important on the agenda,
but it also happens to be the most tedious task? So instead of getting that very important thing
done, you engage in productive procrastination, working on the more fun tasks that are not
pressing whatsoever, and scrambling to get the important thing done right before the due
date.
4. Adapt and adjust on the daily
Life is unpredictable, so unexpected events are a given. You’ll often need to re-evaluate your
goals to accommodate the unforeseen. When you expect the unexpected, it’s a lot less likely
that this will affect your ability to adapt and accomplish. With adequate time management in
place, tackling whatever is thrown at you won’t hurt the rest of your goals.

Adapting on a daily basis is important because life is dynamic. Giving yourself a chance to
review your schedule each day allows you to reevaluate your plan and consider if it is still
relevant and prioritized in the right way.

5. The four Ds
When planning out your schedule, try using the 4 Ds of time management strategy. They are:
Do, Delete, Defer, and Delegate.
Do: If you have a task that needs to be done that takes less than two minutes, make like Nike
and just do it! If it’s something that takes longer, allocate the time to do it (see above).
Delete: Decide if the activity will get the long-term result that you need. If it won’t, or has no
perceivable benefit, simply move on.
Defer: When new requests come in that are both non-urgent and non-important, add them to
a list to refer back to. This allows you to refocus on what is on your table now.
Delegate: It can be hard to let go, especially for us control freaks, but sometimes you just
have to share the load. Think about whether your time is spent more productively by
delegating the task or doing it yourself. If someone else can do it, let them.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress management is the process of acquiring and practicing a variety of cognitive and
behavioral techniques with the goal of managing and coping with stress. Stress is defined as
the perception that demands exceed personal resources, and can result in both physiological
(e.g., increased blood pressure, migraine headaches) as well as psychological effects (e.g.,
anxiety, depression). Potential sources of stress range from major life events such as death of
a loved one, divorce, or job loss to “daily hassles” such as traffic and interpersonal
annoyances.

Stress may be considered as any physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or
mental unrest and that may be a factor in causing disease.

● Physical and chemical factors that can cause stress include trauma, infections, toxins,
illnesses, and injuries of any sort.
● Emotional causes of stress and tension are numerous and varied.

While many people associate the term stress with psychological stress, scientists and
physicians use this term to denote any force that impairs the stability and balance of bodily
functions.
If stress disrupts body balance and function, then is all stress bad? Not necessarily. A mild
degree of stress and tension can sometimes be beneficial.
 ● For example, feeling mildly stressed when carrying out a project or assignment often
compels us to do a good job, focus better, and work energetically.
● Likewise, exercising can produce a temporary stress on some body functions, but its
health benefits are indisputable. It is only when stress is overwhelming, or poorly
managed, that its negative effects appear.

An important goal for those under stress is the management of life stresses. Elimination of
stress is unrealistic, since stress is a part of normal life. It's impossible to completely
eliminate stress, and it would not be advisable to do so. Instead, we can learn relaxation
techniques and other methods to manage stress so that we have control over our stress and its
effects on our physical and mental health.
Who is most susceptible to stress?

● Stress comes in all forms and affects people of all ages and all walks of life. No
external standards can be applied to predict stress levels in individuals -- one need not
have a traditionally stressful job to experience workplace stress, just as a parent of one
child may experience more stress related to parenting than a parent of several
children.
● The degree of stress in our lives is highly dependent upon individual factors such as
our physical health, the quality of our interpersonal relationships, the number of
commitments and responsibilities we carry, the degree of others' dependence upon and
expectations of us, the amount of support we receive from others, and the number of
changes or traumatic events that have recently occurred in our lives.
● However, certain factors can enhance our susceptibility to stress or act to reduce its
severity.
● People with strong social support networks (consisting of family, friends, religious
organizations, or other social groups) report less stress and overall improved mental
health in comparison to those without these social contacts.

SOURCES OF STRESS

Personal

● Illness or injury
● Pregnancy and becoming a parent
● Infertility and problems having children
● Bereavement
● Experiencing abuse
● Experiencing crime and the justice system, such as being arrested, going to court
or being a witness
● Organising a complicated event, like a holiday
● Everyday tasks, such as household chores or taking transport

Friends and family

● Getting married or civil partnered

 ● Going through a break-up or getting divorced
● Difficult relationships with parents, siblings, friends or children
● Being a carer

Employment and study

● Losing your job

● Long-term unemployment
● Retiring
● Exams and deadlines
● Difficult situations or colleagues at work
● Starting a new job

Housing

● Housing problems, such as poor living conditions, lack of security or homelessness

● Moving house
● Problems with neighbours

Money

● Worries about money or benefits

● Living in poverty
● Managing debt

Social factors

● Having poor access to services such as medical care, green spaces or transport
● Living through a stressful community-wide, national or global event, like the
coronavirus pandemic
● Experiencing stigma or discrimination, including racism, homophobia, biphobia or
transphobia

Ways to Manage Your Stress

1. Track your stressors. Use a journal to identify which situations create the most stress
and how you respond to them. Record your thoughts, feelings, and information about
the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical
setting, and how you reacted. Taking notes can help you find patterns among your
stressors and your reactions to them so that you can develop a plan to manage your
stress.
2. Set limits. List the projects and commitments that are making you feel overwhelmed.
Identify which commitments are priorities and cut back on anything nonessential.
Refrain from accepting any more commitments until you feel your stress is under
control. Setting limits on nonessential obligations is important to lessening chronic
stress.
3. Tap into your support system. Reach out to family or friends. Your friends or family
members may have tackled similar challenges and have useful ideas and perspectives.
 There is no need to face challenging life circumstances alone. In fact, support from
family or friends may help you start and continue to take better care of yourself.
4. Make one health-related commitment. Do what you can to boost your health so that
you have the energy and strength to tackle the challenges you are facing. One small
step, like cutting back on excessive snacking, can have a positive effect. Similarly, a
brisk walk or other aerobic activity can increase your energy and concentration levels
and lessen feelings of anxiety. Physical activity increases your body’s production of
good-feeling endorphins and decreases the production of stress hormones.
5. Manage your devices. People who report constantly checking email or social media
typically report more stress. Give yourself a break over the weekend and in the
evenings. Put your phone to bed before you go to bed.
6. Enhance your sleep quality. Women who are chronically stressed often suffer from
lack of adequate sleep and, in some cases, stress-induced insomnia. Begin winding
down an hour or two before you go to sleep and engage in calming activities such as
listening to relaxing music, reading an enjoyable book, or practicing relaxation
techniques like meditation.
7. Seek additional help. If you continue to feel overwhelmed or are having trouble
getting through your daily routine, seek help from a licensed mental health
professional, such as a psychologist. Psychologists are trained to help you develop
strategies to manage stress effectively and make changes to help improve your overall
health.

TYPES OF STRESS

Physical Stress: This is often the most obvious form of stress. It might present itself in
the form of headaches or other aches and pains, or you might notice an increase in
your heart rate. Other common signs include getting sick more often than usual, or
noticing tension throughout your entire body.

Mental Stress: This form of stress is also quite common, and fairly easy to recognize.
Mental Stress often presents itself in the form of memory problems, an inability to
concentrate, or anxiety.

Behavioural Stress: This can be more difficult to self-diagnose. Behavioural stress is

indicated by a change in your typical habits, such as food intake (eating more/less
than usual), sleep patterns, isolating yourself from others or avoiding your typical
responsibilities.

Emotional Stress: This is another tough one to diagnose. When the body is
experiencing stress emotionally, it tends to prepare its “fight or flight” response,
which can manifest in sneaky ways. Signs of emotional stress can include an increase
in agitation or moodiness.

What are eustress and distress?

Eustress and distress are terms that categorize different types of stress. At one end of the
spectrum is distress, which involves negative feelings and is often a difficult experience. At
the other end is eustress, which is challenging but rewarding.
People can experience eustress when they feel confident in their ability to solve a problem or
cope with a situation. For example, they may feel stressed about an exam but know that they
have prepared enough to be able to do it. Afterward, they might feel a sense of
accomplishment or pride.

In comparison, distress can occur when a person feels unable to cope or out of their depth.
For example, if a person has not studied for a forthcoming exam, they may feel anxious or
panicked.

However, distress is not inherently damaging. In some cases, people who initially feel
distressed in a situation may become motivated to address a problem, leading to better
outcomes in the future. Their experience of the stress may also change over time.

Using the example above, a person who is not prepared for an exam might create a study plan
so that they can perform better next time. Alternatively, they might feel distressed before the
exam but then realize that they are more capable than they had believed. In this case, their
feelings might change from distress to eustress.

Distress can also occur in situations that are beneficial. For example, a person may feel
distress when they break up with a partner, even though they know that doing so is what is
best for them.

Some examples of experiences that may trigger eustress include:

● exercise that matches a person’s ability and fitness level

● travel that is stressful but ultimately rewarding
● work that is challenging but fulfilling
● major life changes that a person desires, such as moving house or getting married

Some examples of experiences that may trigger distress include:

● bullying
● controlling or manipulative behavior
● a relationship ending against a person’s wishes
● the death of a loved one

Signs of eustress vs. distress

Some signs of eustress and distress include:

 Eustress Distress

often short-term, with a clear

Duration can be short-term or long-term
solution or a way out of the situation

more likely to feel challenging but more likely to feel

Difficulty
manageable unmanageable or overwhelming

may include frustration or worry, more likely to include anxiety,

Emotions
but also fulfillment or happiness panic, or hopelessness

usually occurs in situations where a often occurs in situations where

Self-efficacy person feels confident, or a person’s perceived
self-efficacy is high self-efficacy is low

less likely to affect physical health, more likely to affect physical

Physical
although occasional eustress may health, especially if the distress
well-being
actually improve it is chronic

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS MANAGEMENT AND TIME

MANAGEMENT
The connection between time and stress management is learning how to manage your time
properly to be more productive to avoid feeling stressed. If you know how to manage your
time correctly, tasks seem to be easier and stress-free in the long run.

How to Reduce Stress Levels with Time Management in 5 Steps

There are many time management techniques, but if you're still confused about how to
combine them, try these five steps!

1. Find the biggest sources of stress

First thing first, understand the primary sources of stress in the workplace. If you are a
manager, do a short survey about the sources of stress. Surveys should be intuitive and
confidential between employees.

But if you are a worker, list all the activities that suddenly change your mood for one week.
You will find the same activity within a few days. Activities with the highest number are the
primary sources of stress in the workplace

2. Raise internal awareness

This step is crucial. Internal awareness about stress needs to be instilled in employees,
managers and companies. Clear, consistent and frequent communication is the most powerful
way to make each individual aware of stress in the workplace.

HR can create employee welfare programs to provide helpful information related to stress
management.

3. Reassess your company culture and provide more flexibility

Please review the culture of the company in the last three years. Is the culture still relevant to
current conditions? If not, then propose management changes.

For example, if there is no flexibility in working hours and work, please add it. Today, almost
every employee expects more flexibility in the workplace.

4. Stay competitive!

There are benefits and compensation in the seven causes of stress in the workplace.
Therefore, ensure HR and management analyse the market frequently and stay competitive.
Learn the points and benefits employees care most about and ensure the company has that
compensation plan.

5. Provide the right workplace technology

The last tip is to provide the right technology. Ensure the company has proper workplace
project management and time management tools. Also, make sure that this technology is
well-integrated.

A project management tool using VirtualSpace offers features such as a project board to help
you track your progress with the timeline.