When Is Time Management Not Enough?
By Gerry McRae, Sat Dec 10th
A working manager needs more than time management. That old saying, “Dance with the one that brought you to theball,” came to mind as I received a reality jolt recently. Let me share with you that jolting insight. I was in transitionaway from managing several groups of technicians andprofessionals to more personal hands-on production management.My self-image and reputation lead me to assume that simplyputting in the same hours in my usual efficient manner would dothe trick. So, I continued tracking my time.
Wrong assumption! It was necessary to get back to basics or, to use the wisdom ofthat old saying, to dance with the one who got me from there tohere. Namely, tracking specific actions that produce resultsinstead of tracking time spent on specific and general activity. What I was suspecting was painfully true. Effective results werefalling short of my own standards and objectives. I replaced my time managing controls with production controls.My daily discipline, attitudes and focus changed immediately andso did the output. I was no longer deceiving myself by playingthat look-how-hard-I’m-trying game It’s a humbling experience when the manager needs the samesupervision as salespeople, technicians and other suchproducers. It’s embarrassing when a manager applies to oneselfthe same stringent supervisory methods he or she once used onsalespersons and other responsible persons working in criticalprofit centers. While this piece is directed to the owner/manager who plays ahands-on role in a small business, it serves as a reminder toall managers who could
be due for a comparative review of dailyactions, time use and actual output. Now, let me share with you the simple control device that didthe turn-around for me. It was set up as a spreadsheet. In the first column I listed theitems to be produced, in the second column were the objectives(e.g: 10 / week, 0.2/day, 12 in can, etc.) and to the rightcolumns headed with dates of the workdays for the month intowhich you tally your production. In the far right columns aretotals 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 orpalm device. I opted for a printout for recording my singlestroke [|||] tally because I was working at my desktop computer.Results can be entered on my spreadsheet or into my databaselater if I want more extensive analyses or records. This is especially valuable for the manager assuming theresponsibility of selling to key accounts and may have excusedhimself or herself from the scrutiny of a sales manager. It’s a good idea to occasionally review all of your functionsfor any possible lapses into some gold-bricking activities. Itpays to ask yourself, “Who’s managing the manager?” Should youfind a weakness, you have my empathy as it can be a humblingand/or embarrassing experience. Take heart – it’s rewarded withvaluable improvements in your own productivity along withimproved self-esteem.
About the author:Gerry McRae has taught time management techniques in hisuniversity courses and at several police colleges. He is alsothe author of "Time Management for Entrepreneurs - What to do,When & Why" available athttp://www.unclemaxsays.com/timemanagement.php |
