This is my first management related post. In future posts I will talk about my current
system for personal and professional time management (Getting
Things Done by David Allen) and some of the tools and processes I use to
manage my team (ticketing software, Microsoft Project, etc.) But in this post I thought I
would deal with time management as it has evolved for me.
1) Take your basic twenty something tech guy
Why does my boss want me to attend time management training. I
have all the time in the world. If I don’t finish it today, I will work on it later.
Maybe I won’t get around to it until midnight, if thats the case, I’ll just stay up
all night. Doesn’t matter, my time is flexible.
2) Add management responsibility
Okay, I can handle this, I just have to realize I’m going to spend a lot more
of my time watching other people’s time. And planning their time so that they can
be more effective. And answering questions from my manager about their time.
And answering questions for my team. And planning for our department. Oh, and all
that technology I like to stay up to date on. Hmm, I’ll do technology stuff at home
at night, where it is quiet (I guess those of you with families know where this is
going…..).
3) Top it off with a family (wife and two kids)
Ok, can I go back to that time management class again now?
I guess my main point in this is that if you are a manager, you shouldn’t be too concerned
trying to force time management on people. Its like a parent trying to tell their
child not to make the mistakes they did. They aren’t going to listen. (I should know,
I once showed up nearly two hours late for a time management seminar). Time is like
any resource. You are not going to manage it until it is scarce. If you are young, single
and have all the time in the world, make the most of it. And ignore us if you want,
you’ll see…..
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