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Aidworkers Exchange
| | Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 04:48 pm: | |
Aid Workers Exchange - September 18, 2002
Time Management
by Sarah Packwood.
Time is a precious commodity, perhaps because there always seems to be so little of it. Are important deadlines creeping up on you and you feel you are drowning in a sea of unnecessary tasks? Do you feel there are not enough hours in the day to achieve all that you have set out to do? If you are a busy fieldworker, managing your time effectively is key to a smooth-running aid operation. This article aims to help fieldworkers identify the reasons why work gets delayed and establish some basic rules for effective time management, offering some useful hints and tips along the way. [read full article]
Your Say ...
Do you have any hints and tips to share about time management? Do you have a favourite way of prioritising tasks and planning your workload? Do you have any wise advice to offer about the art of delegation?
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Sebastien Fesneau
| | Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 05:00 pm: | |
TIME: Rushing is useless; one has to leave on time
* We don't have the time, enough time, there is limited time, etc.
* How many times (!) have we tasted the bitterness of this situation?
* Time, or more precisely, lack of time, too often becomes the ultimate enemy to surrender in contexts where activities are numerous and complex, and resources limited. We tend to rush into things, trying to accomplish the maximum in a short time. Frankly, do we always face pure emergencies requiring working 7 days a week, 20 hours a day? Fortunately, no.
* So what if we made time, whatever limited, a constructive ally?
From great constraints comes great freedom. What if we TAKE the time, and deliberately make the CHOICE to INVEST time in order to SAVE more time in the future.
* Time management is first of all about management, organization, values promoted within the organization of the team.
* Poor ORGANIZATION, at all level systematically results in delays, more time spent on activities, miscommunication. Is there a clear organizational chart in your organization, a clear reporting procedure, or is it always a mystery of the Gods to know who's doing what and when? Do team members have job descriptions, terms of reference? Does it sound familiar? Another issues is that, as aidworkers, we are implementing projects, but strangely, few people have project management background or experience. To be the expert in reproductive health does not necessarily make you a good manager and time organizer. To spend some time on project management tools and the beauties of Gantt chart is not wasted.
Some remarks on internal systems and procedures: OK, everyone hates paperwork. But we spend a great deal of time preparing procurement, admin, recruitment, compiling financial reports, etc.
* one can take the time to reflect on processes, systems and see if it is possible to make some improvement. Do not need to come from Harvard to do that. Frankly, often, all you need is a master degree in common sense.
* I have initiated development of a database system to track, monitor and produce financial and accounting operations in a field office. The time spent on financial activities has been reduced at least by 3, the finance officer has now a global understanding of the project, the financial and logistics procedures and is able to interact more efficiently with her colleagues. We are able to track the budget on real time and make program decisions that were previously delayed because financial reports were not compiled. To achieve this, it was necessary to take the time, to analyse and
understand processes and requirements, to put them in the big picture, to explain them to the staff involve, to take time developing appropriate tools and train the staff on it. - I also hired somebody to design the database as I don't have time to do it myself!-. All this required additional time, and was actually completed in 2 months. My finance assistant goes home at five instead of spending late evening compiling reports. She is more motivated to work and has the time to conduct other activities.
* Time is also spent on reproducing activities, reports, task that have already been made by others, often better. Unless you want to be part of the Wheel Project, dissemination of essential information, report, data lessons learnt can tremendously contribute to reduce time spent. To build a reference library of previous proposals, at the agency headquarters and at the field office level will be useful when you want to avoid some pitfalls when you write your next proposal.
* INVEST time in people. More than delegating, take the time to explain, involve, promote your teams. A deliberate choice that will require some time. It is a set of values that are promoted. It is part of the Sphere standards too, by the way.
* For web surfers. use INTERNET. It is amazing what you can find on internet. You call downloads all the books you need on watsan, public health, education, emergencies. It save a lot of time to find solutions and
contact key people where you are stuck in the middle of nowhere. If you can't, or don't want to bring outrageous bills from your satphone, there must always be an internet café near the head office or where you go on R'n'R.
After Bob Dylan, here is another reference tale : the Hare and the Tortoise,
Rushing is useless; one has to leave on time. To such
Truth witness is given by the Tortoise and the Hare.
"Let's make a bet," the former once said, "that you won't touch
That line as soon as I." "As soon? Are you all there,
Neighbor?" said the rapid beast.
"You need a purge: four grains at least
Of hellebore, you're now so far gone."
"All there or not, the bet's still on."
So it was done; the wagers of the two
Were placed at the finish, in view.
It doesn't matter what was down at stake,
Nor who was the judge that they got.
Our Hare had, at most, four steps or so to take.
I mean the kind he takes when, on the verge of being caught,
He outruns dogs sent to the calends for their pains,
Making them run all over the plains.
Having, I say, time to spare, sleep, browse around,
Listen to where the wind was bound,
He let the Tortoise leave the starting place
In stately steps, wide-spaced.
Straining, she commenced the race:
Going slow was how she made haste.
He, meanwhile, thought such a win derogatory,
Judged the bet to be devoid of glory,
Believed his honor was all based
On leaving late. He browsed, lolled like a king,
Amused himself with everything
But the bet. When at last he took a look,
Saw that she'd almost arrived at the end of the course,
He shot off like a bolt. But all of the leaps he took
Were in vain; the Tortoise was first perforce.
"Well, now!" she cried out to him. "Was I wrong?
What good is all your speed to you?
The winner is me! And how would you do
If you also carried a house along?"
Jean de La Fontaine, 17th century, France
I love turtles.
Sebastien Fesneau |
Wayne Murray
| | Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 05:02 pm: | |
I received Sarah's article at exactly the right time.
I'm in central China handling health management
development and have to include time management in a
full applied management training program I'm
developing. I will certainly follow-up on the links
provided and make reference to the source.
Wayne Murray
Health Management Adviser
Bazhong Rural Health Improvement Project
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Andrew Cates
Guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 12:09 pm: | |
The hardest thing sometimes it not getting everything done efficiently but filling the times when we are frustrated (e.g. waiting for another official form). This is what requires the advance planning
Andrew Cates
Children charity |
Tom
Guest
| | Posted on Friday, May 20, 2005 - 08:07 am: | |
I got most from Getting things done system (GTD) by David Allen. There is a book out there, and many forums and places discussing it. Works also well in combination with Covey's system.
Tom
Time management forums |
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