TIMING YOUR MOVES

This paper focuses on how individuals and organisations can improve their performance by more effective time management. An approach is developed for examining employee's time performance and potential benefits for both individual and organisation are identified. A distinction is drawn between time mismanaged by the individual and that wasted due to inefficiencies in the structure of the organisation. Drawing case study material from an examination of the staff of the maintenance management division of a major commercial organisation, an approach is described which can be adopted in any enterprise. As organisations are in a state of constant change, there is an increasing need to engender greater effectiveness in employees. It therefore becomes vital to instil in individuals, no matter what their level in the organisation, a more disciplined approach to their use of time during the working day. In which case it is necessary to take a close look at the way the organisation, and each section of it, is functioning with respect to the way it makes demand on employee's time. If a strategy can be developed for both individual and organisation, major benefits can result, yielding greater effectiveness in time usage. An improvement in time management can provide the individual with free time to concentrate on important things and allow him to do those things he most enjoys doing. Insufficient time to prepare and to plan ahead often means tasks are rushed and, as a result, stress in the individual increases. Alternatively, those who are better organisers of their time, may find themselves more relaxed and capable of achieving their targets. Employees often find that a significant proportion of their day is spent losing time in futile meetings, handling unnecessary telephone calls, and in unproductive travelling time. Furthermore, time may be wasted dealing with trivial details and issues which subordinates or less highly trained staff should be doing, or coping with constant interruptions because the section/group in which they are working is not adequately structured for time efficiency. Staff often spend a significant proportion of their day attempting to cope with some of these distractions, which may be due in part either to organisational inadequacies, or to their own personal failure to manage time and contact patterns effectively. The incidence of these distractions will vary from company to company, but can be overcome if the right approach is adopted. A survey of the literature on the subject reveals relatively few studies which can provide guidance. Of these, some have concentrated on how managers/staff occupy their working day and only a handful have addressed the issue of time management for the employee. One exception is a study carried out by IBM in 1979 on how its managers spent their time. Among the findings was that over 50 per cent of an employee's working day is occupied by no more than five activities, namely writing, meetings, telephone calls, travelling and filing. Each of these areas can be prodigious time wasters, and yet few organisations have availed themselves of the countless studies which show how improvements in performance can be achieved.