Time Management on Project Management

The essay explains the importance of time management to project management. The goal is to define what time management is and its significance to guard a project’s success. The essay emphasizes the importance of maximizing time, known to be our most limited resources. The report presents different skills tethered to effective time management. I will include popular tools to advance the mentioned skill and reduce stress.

What is Time Management?

If given a choice, would you instead choose to save money or time? Most people don’t realize that time is the most significant commodity one has. We earn more money to gain convenience and increase liberty. Time does not wait for anyone, and we can’t turn it back and make it longer, basically because we all have the same 24 hours a day. Why are some struggling in handling their time while others achieve much more in the 24-hour time frame? The answer lies in effective time management.

“Time management is essentially the ability to organize and plan the time spent on activities in a day.” A person who appreciates time management can allocate duties to their schedule according to urgency. Since time is limited, the soft skill can improve the use of time wisely.

Time management is a valuable ability to Project Managers because it requires planning, prioritization, and goal settings to ensure high-quality project delivery. In this essay, I will discuss the importance of effective time management, the skillsets required in developing time management, and the tools to improve it.

Why is Time Management so Important to Project Management and life?

Time is the most crucial commodity that a Project Manager wants; however, it often is the least because of its restriction. Businesses are moving agile now due to a highly competitive market. An organizations’ key to a project’s success originates from its timely delivery to increase competitiveness. Hence, any Project Managers demands to learn practical time management skills to secure the project’s success.

In one of our early lectures in Project Management class, a little over 50% of projects were late in 2017, and only 27% of delivered were on time and within budget. The statistics mentioned illustrate how Time management affects project delivery.

There are compelling reasons why time management is critical to project management and anyone who has a goal to achieve.

We only have 24 hours in a day. Anyone who wants to rise on their ranks understands the significance of resourcefulness in their most limited resources. Time, as we know, is minimal; even how you try to divide it will stay 24 hours.

Control your time is self-discipline. When one has control over time, the efficiency will increase because of focus and momentum. Things run smoothly, and time is not a worry. A person will avoid procrastination because a well-managed time suggests a disciplined life. Also, it depicts one’s success over sluggishness and destructions. People cannot achieve their goals generally because of a lack of discipline.

Decision making is better. When a person is time-pressured, there is a likelihood of impulsive decision making. If a Project Manager understands time management, they feel calm and in control of all circumstances. A person with this soft skill does not need to hasten and can carefully examine all alternatives.

One has opportunities to grow through new learning, leading to a successful career. If Project Managers manage time, there is an advantage of learning new skills and essential knowledge to add to their portfolio. Also, one can quickly transfer their skills to their colleagues due to spare time to train others. Project Managers with this skill have constant growth exposure because they are reliable and get things done.

Stress reduction and spare time increase. Poor time management leads to work overload; a person becomes agitated as the deadline approaches. This kind of stress is not suitable for health and career. A person who understands time estimation can decrease stress and finishes a project before the target time. We don’t usually find a pause in a day because we have plenty of duties to perform outside of work. A person who effectively manages time can use this extra time to relax or have a good night’s sleep.

Skills to Improve Time management.

Even the most effective, well-managed project manager still has room for growth in time management. This soft skill is not stand-alone and correlates with some of the essential abilities that will ultimately make one efficient with their time.

Goals and objectives setting. The most effective way to manage time is to secure a realistic and achievable goal for a project or yourself. People sometimes procrastinate when a milestone is met and forget the plan, especially when the target is nonsensical. A project manager should set SMART goals to acquire the right schedule and planning — Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based.

Planning and Decision Making. Planning and decision-making work together to achieve a task; hence, it will save you a lot of time if done correctly. Planning is essential because it directs a team through the project. A not well-planned project causes the project to go over budget and miss the target. Also, planning can improve task organization, where each chunk has its position and phase.

Meanwhile, decision-making is dependent on how prudent a project is. A solid plan examines all factors and risks. Often, any decision has a domino effect on the rest of the assignments, which affects the entire project.

Prioritization. The third of the seven habits of Highly effective people mentioned sorting of tasks; thus, one must prioritize what would best serve the goal. The functions that fall into urgent and important should be a top priority, respectively. A project manager understands that not all tasks have equal importance. Some duties are not yours to do and suitable for elimination. Some jobs can wait and can queue after the fulfillment of essential tasks.

Most importantly, a project manager must identify a top priority assignment. Determining the priority of the tasks can help one’s focus and shift efforts to laborious tasks. If we do not put proper allocation for every job, it will increase the team’s pressure to fulfill the commitment and cause a project to fail.

Stress Management and Patience. We may not like it, but the pressure is essential to life. A heart cannot beat without pressure, and the world will not exist without gravity. Nevertheless, overwhelming job assignment produces stress that can take a toll on health. Prolonged stress can negatively impact well-being, performance, and time management. A person cannot avoid stress, and one must face and address it. Excellent prioritization will encourage someone to avoid stress by identifying and dropping duties that should not be on the plate.

A project manager should also learn how to manage your customer’s expectations by providing clear timelines and transparency. In addition to this, patience is a value and a skill a Project Manager should practice. One should acknowledge that a task demands an amount of time to accomplish it with high-quality. With this approach, we can reduce stress, stay confident, and feel in control even in times of strain.

Tools to Improve Time management.

There are various tools available to improve time management. One useful method is the Eisenhower Method or Eisenhower Box. This method aims to organize a person’s assignments and duties to distinguish proper prioritization. The approach named after US President Dwight Eisenhower quoted, “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”. The technique separates essential and urgent from non-critical tasks.

Task or time management software can significantly benefit one’s time allocation. With software ready, we can handle assignments lightly, which elevates productivity. Some platforms allow partners to review daily activities and verify it. The Scoro is a software to boost Time management. It also includes time tracking, reports, and task management. Another known software to use is Trello, which visualizes tasks in a dashboard for short daily duties management.

I use the Pomodoro technique, designed by Francesco Cirillo. The method creates a pattern of 25 minutes of work and five minutes break. If four 25-minute piece passed, one could take 15–20 minutes pause. Although the technique is not for everyone, it will boost one’s focus with less mental fatigue.

Conclusion

Time management is key to a successful project. A Project Manager who manages time efficiently will unlock both a successful project and a life skill. There are more opportunities for people who exercise effective time management and enjoy life with less stress.