Time

In general, time management refers to the development of processes and tools that increase efficiency and productivity - a desirable business thing because good time management seems to improve the bottom line. (See a brief history of time management below.)

Today, the decision of time management has expanded to surround our personal as well as our working life; Good time management also enhances our work balance and therefore, our overall happiness.

However, this theory is not accepted at all. For example, "There is no such thing as a work-life balance. There is work, and there is life, and there is no balance," said Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO and author of Lean In (buy on Amazon). If that is the case, how important is the value of applying time management to our personal lives?)

A Brief History of Time Management

The roots of all time management are in business. The industrial revolution of the 19th century and the rise of factories created a need to create a new relationship in time. Factory work, unlike agrarian, requires muscle. People need to learn to live by the clock rather than the sun.

Learning has become more (or more) about preparing students to become good factory workers with the right habits. Promptness and productivity have become goals. “Time is money,” says Benjamin Franklin, an opinion that has become the mantra of the business world.

Blame it on Taylor (and That Ford Fellow)

In 1911, Frederick Winslow Taylor published the Principles of Scientific Administration, which outlined his theory of management based on the study and development of workflows. The main purpose of Taylorism, as it is known, is to improve worker productivity.

On the whole, Taylorism consists of observing the task, finding “a best” way to do it, breaking the task into discrete actions, and having management and then training the workers to get the job done. .

His work is widely influenced, reaching its peak, perhaps, in the assembly line of the Henry Ford Model (1913). Although Ford did not invent the assembly line, he refined it by installing driven conveyor belts that could produce a Model T in 93 minutes. Taylor is known as the father of scientific management and a whole new discipline was born.

The Drucker Transformation

Clearly, factory workers are not the only types of workers employed. White collar workers also need "managed". Peter Drucker developed a broader theory of governance based on goals and needs to manage business by balancing different needs and objectives, rather than subordinating the institution to a single value ( The Practice of Management, 1954).

It is difficult to deepen Drucker's influence. He authored 39 books and his ongoing study of the way organizations work and his ideas about social responsibility literally reshape the business landscape. He saw many of the developments of the late 20th century such as the rise of knowledge workers (a term he created) and the emergence of information society. In 1958, the first book on time management was published by James McKay.

Of the many time management theories put forward since then, the work of Steven R. Covey deserves only mention. His The 7 Characteristics of a Very Effective Person (bought on Amazon) (1989) is another of the best nonfiction books today and his body of work has done a great deal to popularize the concept of personal time management .

A Closer Look at Personal Time Management

When we think of time management, most of us think of personal time management, loosely defined as managing our time to reduce it less by doing the things we need to do in order to have more to do the things we want to do.

Time management is often presented as a set of skills; the theory is that once we master the skills, we will be more organized, effective, and happier.

Whether you believe it or not, any working person can benefit from maintaining any or all of their time management skills.

Personal time management skills include:

Goal Setting

Planning

Inuuna

Decision making

Delegating

Scheduling

Many people have found that time management tools, such as PIM software and phone apps, help them manage their time more effectively. For example, a calendar app can make scheduling easier and keep track of events and appointments.

Whether you use time management technology tools or plain old pen and paper, however, the first step to effective time management is learning how you currently spend your time and deciding what changes should be made. made.