A working manager needs more than time management.
That old saying, "Dance with the one that brought you to the ball," came to mind as I received a reality jolt recently.
Let me share with you that jolting insight. I was in transition away from managing several groups of technicians and professionals to more personal hands-on production management. My self-image and reputation lead me to assume that simply putting in the same hours in my usual efficient manner would do the trick. So, I continued tracking my time.
Wrong assumption!
It was necessary to get back to basics or, to use the wisdom of that old saying, to dance with the one who got me from there to here. Namely, tracking specific actions that produce results instead of tracking time spent on specific and general activity.
What I was suspecting was painfully true. Effective results were falling short of my own standards and objectives.
I replaced my time managing controls with production controls. My daily discipline, attitudes and focus changed immediately and so did the output. I was no longer deceiving myself by playing that look-how-hard-I'm-trying game
It's a humbling experience when the manager needs the same supervision as salespeople, technicians and other such producers. It's embarrassing when a manager applies to oneself the same stringent supervisory methods he or she once used on salespersons and other responsible persons working in critical profit centers.
While this piece is directed to the owner/manager who plays a hands-on role in a small business, it serves as a reminder to all managers who could be due for a comparative review of daily actions, time use and actual output.
Now, let me share with you the simple control device that did the turn-around for me.
It was set up as a spreadsheet. In the first column I listed the items to be produced, in the second column were the objectives (e.g: 10 / week, 0.2/day, 12 in can, etc.) and to the right columns headed with dates of the workdays for the month into which you tally your production. In the far right columns are totals and evaluation against your objectives.
The vertical tally gives you a quick view of your daily output.
You can construct this on your personal workstation, laptop or palm device. I opted for a printout for recording my single stroke [|||] tally because I was working at my desktop computer. Results can be entered on my spreadsheet or into my database later if I want more extensive analyses or records.
This is especially valuable for the manager assuming the responsibility of selling to key accounts and may have excused himself or herself from the scrutiny of a sales manager.
It's a good idea to occasionally review all of your functions for any possible lapses into some gold-bricking activities. It pays to ask yourself, "Who's managing the manager?" Should you find a weakness, you have my empathy as it can be a humbling and/or embarrassing experience. Take heart ? it's rewarded with valuable improvements in your own productivity along with improved self-esteem.
Gerry McRae has taught time management techniques in his university courses and at several police colleges. He is also the author of "Time Management for Entrepreneurs - What to do, When & Why" available at http://www.unclemaxsays.com/timemanagement.php
taxi o'hare Wisconsin Dells ..Whenever you have projects that can't be done in one... Read More
Number Yourself: Count yourself as an important individual. You are... Read More
The techies could do a lot more to make our... Read More
"TIME CANNOT BE 'MANAGED.' THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF TIME MANAGEMENT... Read More
How much time do you spend on Mastering Your Time?... Read More
We are constantly inundated with routine (often boring!) tasks around... Read More
"It's just been one of those days?I can't seem to... Read More
Most of us have a to-do list ? some of... Read More
Are you too busy to put yourself first? If a... Read More
A common remedy for improving your time management is to... Read More
If you are like most moms I know you think... Read More
Last week I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and... Read More
* If you were paying you to prioritise emails over... Read More
Setting goals is the easy part -- but sticking with... Read More
Let's say that you have a software project that's under... Read More
Your productivity depends on good tools and effective environments, and... Read More
Why Read?It's been said that there are three kinds of... Read More
An appointment is simply a mutual agreement to meet with... Read More
Sounds too good to be true?It really isn't!In fact, studies... Read More
All too often we can feel overwhelmed by the amount... Read More
I have a habit of sending a thank you letter... Read More
Many of you have expressed the challenge of not having... Read More
Riding the subway home yesterday, my typically silent car was... Read More
How do you eat two elephants? The same way you... Read More
As each day passes, and more and more things need... Read More
bmw rental chicago Ackley ..Many people want to be coached to manage their time... Read More
If you have spent any time at all working at... Read More
Does it seem like there is never enough time in... Read More
What are the most important things you should accomplish today?... Read More
Work life balance is the new Holy Grail; that search... Read More
Women's health issues often are focused on goals to reach:... Read More
Clarity brings accomplishmentOne of the most important things you can... Read More
Work brings together people of different characters and behavior, and... Read More
If you're like most people, you want to get better... Read More
Does it ever feel like there is never enough time... Read More
Today, it is hard to open an e-mail newsletter, a... Read More
Time and money are both very important in business. Yet,... Read More
Fitting an education into a busy lifestyleMany people have aspirations... Read More
Too much to do, too little time, constant stress. Most... Read More
Time management consultant Stephen Young claims that the average time... Read More
It's always a challenge finding time to clean my house.... Read More
It's 6:00 a.m. I'm awake. I'm pumped! I'm ready to... Read More
When do you want to make time for a networking... Read More
One of the most challenging situations people face when planning... Read More
Q. I have several projects going at once -- but... Read More
"I never seem to have any time for myself. What... Read More
Do you feel guilty about all the publications you purchase... Read More
"TIME CANNOT BE 'MANAGED.' THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF TIME MANAGEMENT... Read More
In most organizations, meetings are often the biggest time-wasters. With... Read More
"Because there will always be something more to do, we... Read More
Time Management |