Abstract
Time is one of the most important resources within the operations and execution of tasks and or activities of organizations and individuals. Basically, time management is the appropriate planning, scheduling, and organizing of tasks and activities towards the completion or achievement of the overall goals of an organization or individual. Developing an action plan is important but a better understanding of the concepts and or theories of time management is essential towards planning, scheduling, and organizing tasks.
The theories or concepts of time management are the Pareto principle, which is commonly referred to as the 80-20 rule, and was formulated by Vilfredo Pareto. This theory states that a small population or proportion of activities contribute majorly to success. Secondly, the Pickle jar theory, which argues that less important work or tasks or activities are completed after and between major tasks.
Finally, Maslow’s theory, which argues that individuals and organizations must understand their needs, differentiates respective needs, and set relevant time for their achievement. The action plan I developed in task 1 will be implemented using the above theories to enable me to achieve my goals and objectives within the stated deadline. This will also enable me to enhance efficiency in operation. I will adopt the theories in implementing my action plan that I developed in task 1. This will enable me to increase efficiency, complete my tasks within the stated deadline, and achieve my goals and objectives.
Introduction
Management is the effective coordination of resources towards the accomplishment or achievement of a specific goal or objective. There are several aspects or factors that must be managed effectively to enhance efficiency, for instance, time. Time is one of the most important factors because it cannot be recovered if lost or wasted. There are several theoretical concepts that can be used by individuals and organizations to manage time effectively.
The choice of a concept or strategy to use depends on the needs of the respective organization or individual. As a student in the management class, I have realized the importance of effective time management for both individuals and organizations towards the accomplishment of proposed or designed goals and objectives. Students can achieve their academic goals within the stated deadline if they manage their time effectively and appropriately. This is a report on theoretical concepts that I will use to implement time management skills appropriately towards the achievements of my goals and objectives. The report will also describe the action plan that I undertook in the action plan towards the development of my skills in time management.
Time management theories or concepts
Management is a practice that was developed several years ago. There are several theories or concepts that have been developed to assist in the effective implementation or management of different aspects that concern individuals and organizations towards the achievements of goals and objectives. Theories and concepts are models developed by management scholars and different theory addresses different aspects of management, for instance, time management.
Time is a resource that individuals and organizations must observe because goals and objectives within organizations and those set by individuals have specific deadlines that must be achieved or executed. Goals and objectives are designed to assist an organization or individual enhance efficiency and effectiveness in operation (Buck, Lee, MacDermid, & Smith, 2000).
There are specific models or theories that have been developed and proposed by management scholars to assist in the effective management of time within organizations. Management of time is an important aspect for all individuals and organizations. It is important and essential for individuals and organizations to determine the amount of time they will require to complete a specific task or activity.
As a management student, I have to manage my activities effectively and assign an appropriate amount of time for the completion of different tasks that I engage in daily and or weekly to enhance efficiency and prove my capability to manage time effectively in the future and increase efficiency (Fiore, 2006). Deciding on the activities that are given priorities is an aspect of time management too. Activities should be conducted in order of priorities to enhance efficiency because there are activities or tasks that must be completed or achieved first since they contribute to the completion of other tasks (Morgenstern, 2004).
Time management theories and concepts are important and should be understood by individuals and management teams of individual organizations to increase efficiency. Planning and organizing are core stages in the effective management of resources within an organization and for individuals (Le Blanc, 2008). Generally, I chose time management as the task to study extensively in my research due to the importance of time in the development, execution, and or implementation of strategies developed by individuals and organizations.
Understanding time management is an important factor towards appropriate planning, scheduling, and organizing of tasks in the most appropriate way. Furthermore, this will enable me to align my activities and tasks to what matters most in my daily and weekly schedule, which will enable me to achieve my goals and objectives within the stated deadline (Fiore, 2006).
There are several theories and concepts that have been developed to assist in the appropriate management of time by individuals and organizations. However, there are three major theories that have been approved to be effective and appropriate in the management of time. They are Maslow’s Theory, Pickle jar Theory, and the Pareto Principle. These theories are proven appropriate and effective in the management of time (Le Blanc, 2008).
Pareto Principle
This is one of the most famous and commonly used time management theories of individuals and organizations towards increasing efficiency and enabling the achievements of the goals and objectives within the stated deadline. This theory is also commonly referred to as the 80-20 rule. Basically, this theory states that organizations and individuals should concentrate on the activities that are important towards the successful completion or achievement of the overall goal, which is estimated to be 20% (Allen, 2001).
Pickle jar Theory
Pickle jar theory is also one of the time management theories that are used to enhance a better understanding of the concept and importance of effective time management. According to this theory, little or less important activities will be attended to after and between the major or most important tasks and activities. These less important activities arise because they also contribute to the achievements of the overall goals and objectives.
However, they are less important but may consume large amounts of time. Individuals must be well aware of the less important tasks and activities and avoid spending a lot of time completing them, but rather focus on the most important tasks and activities (Fiore, 2006). Over concentration on these less important tasks may affect the achievement of the overall goal or objective. Therefore, although less important tasks or activities also contribute to the achievements of the goals and objectives, and they must be handled too, reasonable time should be set aside for their completion to provide adequate time for the completion of major tasks or activities (Morgenstern, 2004).
Maslow’s Theory
Maslow’s Theory is also one of the most important theories or concepts of time management. Basically, this theory suggests how to balance time management and personal or individual needs that human beings have. Individuals should effectively integrate their personal needs and time management to enable the timely achievements of the overall goals and objectives. This theory is important because it enables individuals to understand personal needs, differentiate them, and design or allocate the most appropriate amount of time that is required for the achievements of individual tasks or activities (Buck, Lee, MacDermid, & Smith, 2000).
Implications of the theories on effective management practices
Management is concerned with the effective coordination of resources towards the achievements of the goals and objectives within the stated deadline. Time is one of the most important resources that require an effective strategy to ensure increased efficiency in operation and timely achievements of goals and objectives (Allen, 2001). All organizations and individuals are aware of the need for effective management practices, which has led to the development of management practices in the global economy.
Time management has a great impact on management practices and achievements of the goals and objectives of different organizations. The establishment of an effective time management plan can enable an organization to achieve its goals and gain a competitive advantage over other companies in the industry (Fiore, 2006).
An effective and adequate understanding of time management is an important factor in the formulation of effective strategies that can be used to develop an action plan that can aid in the effective and appropriate management of time. The adoption of a theory of time management to use in developing effective strategy depends on the competence and preference of an organization or individual. Basically, an effective understanding of the theories is beneficial to individuals and organizations because it enhances efficiency in life and at the work place (Le Blanc, 2008). This leads to the increased ability of greater performance and the development of an effective time management plan.
These theories have both positive and negative implications for effective management practices among organizations or individuals. Generally, these theories may impact an organization positively because it can lead to increased efficiency or the development of effective management practices. This is possible only if the right and the most appropriate theory is adopted. On the other hand, the choice of an inappropriate theory may negatively impact the performance of an organization or compromise management practices (Buck, Lee, MacDermid, & Smith, 2000).
Action plan outcomes and the measurement of achievement
The management of my activities as a student is challenging. This has compelled me to develop an action plan that will be enhancing my efficiency in conducting my duties and enabling the achievement of my goals and objectives (Fiore, 2006). Basically, the action plan outlined in task 1 is meant to eliminate stress and reclaim my personal life. I will adopt the theories and concepts of time management outlined above to ease my work and increase the efficiency of conducting my daily activities. There are several strategies that I will adopt in line with the above theories to simplify my tasks and enhance efficiency in the successful completion of the respective tasks (Buck, Lee, MacDermid, & Smith, 2000).
- Daily planning of activities: Most of my activities or tasks are conducted daily. Furthermore, there are certain tasks that I must complete on a daily basis for the successful completion or achievement of my daily and weekly goals. I will develop a to-do list to enable me to plan my daily activities appropriately, which will enable me to manage my time effectively (Buck, Lee, MacDermid, & Smith, 2000). Basically, preparation of the to-do list will also enable me to arrange my daily tasks based on priorities. I will begin with the most important tasks and conclude the day with the least important activity. Most of my activities are similar on a daily basis, and there are certain activities that reoccur in a day. Planning daily tasks will enable me to address this challenge appropriately since I will be in a position to keep the schedule of my daily activities. Keeping records or a schedule of daily activities is important towards effective time management and increasing efficiency because it will enable me to develop strategies that will minimize or eliminate rushing and conflicts (Forster, 2006).
- Prioritizing my tasks: There are certain tasks or activities on my daily schedule that are time-consuming yet they are relatively unimportant. These tasks may limit the time that I spend on important tasks or activities on a daily basis, for instance, visiting friends. I will design the tasks in a way that important activities are completed first and unimportant or less important tasks are completed after completion of the most important tasks such as attending lectures and going to the University among others (Morgenstern, 2004).
- Evaluating how I spend my time: Evaluating my daily activities and keeping a diary on the same will be important. I will apply this using the Pickle jar Theory. This will enable me to determine the least important tasks that I complete after and between major tasks, for example, attending meals among others. Such activities are least important but they contribute to the achievements of the overall goals and objectives. The appropriate evaluation of my daily activities will enable me to determine the time spent on individual tasks and provide adequate time for the completion of major activities (Allen, 2001).
- Delegating: Delegation is an aspect that is practiced in most organizations by the management team to enhance efficiency. I will apply this to enhance the efficiency of completing my daily tasks and achieving my goals and objectives within the stated deadline. I will review the to-do list that I prepared and determine the tasks that I can pass to a third party for completion. This will increase my concentration on other tasks, especially the most important activities (Fiore, 2006).
- Taking the time management course: Effective management of time requires adequate knowledge on how time is managed and the models or theories that can be used in effective time management such as Maslow’s Theory among others. Furthermore, these theories are implemented differently depending on the situation facing individual organizations or persons. Acquiring time management education will increase my ability to choose the right time management theory to use in completing my tasks successfully and achieving my goals and objectives (Buck, Lee, MacDermid, & Smith, 2000).
- Eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, and attending exercise sessions regularly: My daily activities may cause boredom due to redundancy. Most activities are done on a daily basis, which might cause boredom and compromise efficiency. I require to lead a healthy lifestyle, which can enable me to improve my concentration and focus on daily activities and tasks. Basically, increased concentration and focus on my daily activities will enable me to complete my daily activities and tasks within the stated deadline. A healthy lifestyle is also important because it will enable me to identify areas that are not adequately addressed or assigned appropriate time for completion, especially the most important activities (Le Blanc, 2008).
Conclusion
Management is the effective coordination of resources towards the accomplishment or achievement of a specific goal or objective. There are several aspects or factors that must be managed effectively to enhance efficiency, for instance, time. Time is one of the most important factors because it cannot be recovered if lost or wasted. There are several theoretical concepts that can be used by individuals and organizations to manage time effectively.
The choice of a concept or strategy to use depends on the needs of the respective organization or individual. As a student in the management class, I have realized the importance of effective time management for both individuals and organizations towards the accomplishment of proposed or designed goals and objectives. The theories or concepts of time management are the Pareto principle, which is commonly referred to as the 80-20 rule, and was formulated by Vilfredo Pareto.
This theory states that a small population or proportion of activities contribute majorly to success. Secondly, the Pickle jar theory, which argues that less important work or tasks or activities are completed after and between major tasks. Finally, Maslow’s theory, which argues that individuals and organizations must understand their needs, differentiates respective needs, and set relevant time for their achievement.
The action plan that I developed also requires the development of effective strategies to enable the achievement of the overall goal of the plan. There are specific elements of the three theories of time management that I must adopt to ensure successful implementation, they include, delegation. I will assign some least important duties to other individuals.
Evaluating how I spend my time, which will enable me to allocate appropriate and adequate time to important tasks; Eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, and attending exercise sessions regularly, will enable me to increase my concentration and focus on the completion of tasks and achieve my goals and objectives within the stated deadline; planning daily activities, prioritizing tasks and acquiring time management course to enhance better understanding of the concepts and theories of time management. These theories are pillars to increased efficiency in operation and effective management of time.
This will also enable me to enhance efficiency in my studies. I will adopt the theories in implementing my action plan that I developed in task 1. This will enable me to increase efficiency, complete my tasks within the stated deadline, and achieve my goals and objectives. Therefore, individuals and organizations must understand the theories of time management to enhance efficiency at the workplace and their lives.
References
Allen, D. (2001). Getting things done: the Art of Stress-Free Productivity. New York: Viking.
Buck, M. L., Lee, M. D., MacDermid, S., & Smith, S. C. (2000). Reduced load work and the experience of time among professionals and managers: Implications for personal and organizational life. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Fiore, N. A. (2006). The Now Habit: A strategic program for overcoming procrastination and enjoying guilt-Free play. New York: Penguin Group.
Forster, M. (2006). Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management. Hodder & Stoughton Religious , 224.
Le Blanc, R. (2008). Achieving Objectives Made Easy! Practical goal setting tools & proven time management techniques. Maarheeze: Cranendonck Coaching.
Morgenstern, J. (2004). Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule—and Your Life. New York: Henry Holt/Owl Books.