Effective Time Management

Every corporate guy has a fetish for adjectives. He has to be, because it fishes him out of situations.

One such adjective which I feel is misused most often is “Effective”. And most often “Effective” is related to planning time.

“Effective Time Management” is most often the response from your superior when you provide ample justification for low productivity or for the failure to reach target. What people fail to understand, in the first place, is that they have set faulty expectations.

Common Sense

“Common Sense” is one aspect which most often people forget when they get into a position where they have authority to question people. When I say common sense – I am trying to refer to our failure to consider the innumerous disturbances that come up during work. The disturbance can be related to your work, Organizational activities, a friend might ask for a favor, a team mate ask some help, you wife calls up with some problem, your mother needs help in booking a ticket and so on. The list is endless.  You like it or not, you have to live with it. And when you live with it, you have to consider it!!

Human Factor

Although, the work hours in most places is 8 hours, most of us would agree with me that most often we do not spend 8 hours completely on work at a corporate? Yes there are people who spend more than 8 hours, Guys, I agree with you, shit happens!! I am not talking about you. I will try to discuss about you sometime later. So why can’t we dedicate 8 hours to work only? The Answer is simple – “We are Human” I have talked about Effective, Common Sense and Human Nature. But what am I trying to prove?

Accepted “Effective” Time Management or Planning = Total work/8 hours

This formula, which most of us use now, will work only under Ideal/Optimum condition. And Ideal/Optimum condition doesn’t exist when you talk about humans.  So, This term  “effective” Time management will leave us falling short of target, Every Single Time!!!

Actual “Effective” Time Management or Planning = Total work/(8 hours – Time lost due to Human Factor– Time not considered due to lack of Common Sense)

This revised formula will be the actually be the actual output. And this would help us meet our target, not always, but most often!!!

And I think everyone will agree with me that “Most often yes” is better than “Every time No”

What do you think???