This is the Part two (2) on how our individual dispositions, can impact on our time. You may read earlier post here, before returning to this page. In this piece, I draw attention to how our individual Values, Goals,
Principles, etc., affects the Choices we make; and its impact on how we prioritise activities and by inference, use our
time.
We all need to understand that there is just so much that we can achieve at each point in time. We need to take certain critical decisions, to help us make effective use of the little time we have available. So how do we then make a choice between which tasks or items on our "To-do List" must be done immediately, re-scheduled, pass on to someone else, or erase totally from our calendar. You will get to understand what tasks should be on a list of "Do, Delegate, Decide or Delete", as you read through this article.
Time may not be controlled or prevented from moving, but everyone has a "will" or "desire" to control what they see as
"important" or "urgent" - this is in our control and hence we owe it to ourselves, to take the right decisions at all times. That forms the crust of the
choices we make and how that impacts on what we give the highest attention or
priority to.
Basically, when you are offered two or more options but
don't have the luxury to have everything done at once, you need to make a choice. So
choices are made when we go through the process of selecting between two or more alternatives, or choosing from more than one possibility.
One can have several choices made, regarding
different things. For example, one may have a choice of keeping more than one SIM card from different
Telcos. But out of these choices, the individual may rate one Telco as more important to them and hence can be reached more often that network than the
other. It only means that at that very moment, you have made that easy-to-reach
line, your high priority line.
You could have the choice of accepting a job offer that
gives you more income, or another that gives you possibly less income. But
underlying factors like proximity to your home, your children's school, etc.,
can make you choose the lower paid job, as opposed to the higher paid one. In
this case, giving priority to the issue of proximity to home or kids, etc.
Our priorities are therefore our basic decisions, made
regarding what we see as more important than other factors, at each point or
stage in our life. Again, before one can be in the position to give average
weights of what's more important in their lives, it is based on their
individual vision, mission, value, goals, etc., at that time of their lives. And these consciously or
unconsciously impacts our usage of time. For someone diagnosed with a serious health issue, getting back into shape or shedding off a few pounds at the gym may take a higher priority than hanging out with friends at the restaurant.
As Employers or Employees, we all have this same conflicting demands placed on our time. There are activities we wish to complete on a personal level, and what is required of us by our Employers too. No one ever has enough time on their hands - we must all manage to do what is required at each given period. And that is why
most people also regard the term "time management" as an irony in
itself. Because in reality, you can only manage yourself and control how you
perceive or judge what is "important" to you or what is
"urgent" to you.
Why would some people always be on time at a function, or
event while others don't? Why would some people always be noted to appear just at the
nick of time? Our Values as individuals also determines the kind of
guiding principles we abide by - resulting in the personal forms of behaviour or standards that
one creates for themselves. To them, they want to be seen or viewed as such.
And so it shapes their actions, reaction or proactive ways in dealing with
situations.
It is not so much about whether or not you value time. Because time
would not wait for you anyway. But the actions we take before, during, or after a
specified period would determine whether we are able to achieve our desired
goals, missions or vision in life.
In the first post on Time Management, we understood that those with a strong judging
personality type, are prone to plan ahead. And hardly get taken by surprise.
But their weakness is also from the fact that, they can end up juggling too many
things all at once - the proverbial multi-tasking - leaving them stressed or burnt out.
We also realised that those with a strong perceiving
personality type usually want to give room for options, make way for "the
what if he or she comes back to change their mind", etc. Hence they end up
waiting around for so long, and in the end get stressed up because several
deadlines are starring at them in the face.
So how do both personality types work around this issue?
Some of us may be familiar with the Decision-making matrix. You can also watch this video to understand how to use a Decision-making Matrix, or read this article.
Whether it is 4-D or 5-D it actually requires practice to
make it perfect.
Steven Corey through his research made the Eisenhower
Decision Matrix very popular, for those who desire to make effective use of
their time, this can be quite simple for you to use. Dwight Eisenhower a former US President developed a working
plan around 4 Quadrants, that helps you to judge what is "Important"
or "Urgent".
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And in his own favourite quote, he created another oxymoron
that makes us realise that it is actually our own values, mission, and goals
that can best help us in determining the best fit for what.
And I quote, "What is important, is seldom urgent, and
_what is urgent is seldom important" - Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The best way to manage our time effectively is to work in
the Q2. or the 2nd Quadrant much longer than the rest.
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You may be wondering, how to determine which of your activities falls into Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4. That is why you must start with a review
of how you are currently tracking, in relation to your usage of time. It is said that you need continuous practice of 21 or more to form a habit.
This means you must ask
yourself each time -"which is more
important to my organisation or employer or can help achieve the objectives that are most critical to my team". This can be applied in the same way you look at your individual vision,
mission, values and goals, in order to make a choice.
For those working with Microsoft office Tools, these tools have been factored into the software programming and can help you manage your Tasks, track progress, sync with your Calendar, and do so much more.
All personality types must learn to say NO, to activities
that are not important, and not urgent. Simply Avoid them and Delegate from your schedule. These can include informational emails from shopping sites, that are no longer relevant to your immediate tasks. It could also be general messages sent widely through a broadcast that may appear on several other platforms you join. Learn to delete such activities or trivia.
Do not take on more than you can handle. Even if you have a
strong judging personality type and can handle it. I have learnt over the years
to do this efficiently. Delegating does not mean relinquishing the final
responsibility, it only means someone can complete that task at least 75% or more and
you can review the rest and ensure the activity meets the desired expectation
of whoever assigned it, where necessary.
It gives you an opportunity to train others, if you find no
one can do it as best as you can.
The fourth quadrant, or Q4 is where a lot of us find ourselves nowadays. In the rise of Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, etc., it is so easy to get lost in the images or videos that do not have any direct relationship to your achievement of your goals, mission or vision. These are time wasters and don't add value to your end goal. Delete them - once you have identified them as "Not Important and Not Urgent".
If you have only 24hrs, and decide to stay tuned in to 24-hour news channels or watch Series of movies at the expense of pending tasks needing your action; then you are wasting valuable time. Sometimes we all need a break to relax and de-congest the mind, but when it becomes a habit of scrolling through page after page on Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, 24hrs
without it adding value to your mission, vision, goals, etc. is a Q4 for you.
Bare in mind, that for the individual who is delivering
goods, taking orders, etc. via these same tools and receiving "Mobile Money Transfers" or "MoMo in their
wallet", for them it is a valuable use of their time.
So the next time you are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or on Whatsapp, ask yourself, which Quadrant am I working in right now?
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In conclusion, we simply must operate with a Focused Time Management
Mindset and not simply want to manage time. For the person who has planned
effectively in Q2, and nailed that major contract; they can decide to go on a 2 weeks’
vacation to relax and de-stress at some point. And that might be a very valuable use of their
time. Because at a particular time, they focused, and worked to put many things
in place. What you fail to handle in Q2, is what actually comes to haunt you as
approaching deadlines, crisis management, always on the run, etc. in Q1. So
most Q1 issues can be prevented if we are proactive, instead of reactive. If you train more people to learn to do, what you do; you enjoy the benefits of Q3. This means you can delegate to responsible people, which frees up
more time for you to invest in your relationships, family and leisure.
PATRICIA DZIFA MENSAH-LARKAI, DTM
FOUNDER, LEAD CONSULTANT - PERISSOS HORIZON
Instagram: @Perissos.Horizon
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