When it comes to time, people in power believe they have more of it at their disposal than others.
But positions of authority give people a sense they are better able to control time than subordinates, even though both groups are equally at the mercy of the clock. In an era of day planners, deadlines and billable hours, there are far more clocks than people.
Business executives, policy makers, business owners of SME’s, healthcare insurers and hospital administrators, engineers and others in power are far more likely to underestimate the time required to complete work, ignoring past experience, according to four recent behavioural experiments by researchers at the University of Kent at Canterbury, in the U.K.
Social psychology studies have shown this illusion of executive control can be so strong that it can lead those in authority to believe they can command events that are beyond anyone's direct control.
When people have too much work to accomplish in the amount of hours they can devote to their work, their energy can become depleted and everyone who works with them suffers a loss of performance and productivity. How do employees survive in such a work environment? They multitask, “surfing” from project to project—doing a little bit of work on each one in a very efficient manner.
Time Management is all about organising and executing around priorities. That does not mean just focusing on creating notes and checklists or having well-scheduled calendars or appointments to give some semblance of recognition and inclusiveness to the many demands placed on your time and energy.
Helping employees pay attention to their and the company's intentions allows them to better manage their time and energy.
Time management is important for both men and women. However, in a woman’s brain there will always be more to do. That's why some women employees will work late or come in on weekends 'to catch up' on things that didn't get done during normal work hours. The downside to this is the more stress a woman feels, the more overwhelmed she becomes. There are too many things for her to do before she can relax. The more exhausted she feels, the more urgent it becomes for her to get everything done.
For both men and women creating a more holistic paradigm of balance to your work and home life will help you from thinking you are running between compartments. A good place to start is taking an in-depth look at time management.
Can you work long hours without sacrificing your personal life?
More senior executives and business owners think that is possible.
About 52% of 571 such executives worldwide are satisfied or very satisfied with their work/life balance, according to a new survey by BlueSteps.com, an online career management service of the Association of Executive Search Consultants.
Meanwhile, 81% of those polled consider work/life balance a critical factor in whether they accept a new position.
Global executives work an average of 58.5 hours a week and 39% work more than 60 hours weekly, concluded the study.
By comparison, 55% of 800 senior executives surveyed worldwide in 2010 by BlueSteps said they didn't believe their work/life balance was satisfactory.
Time management is not about focusing on things and time but focusing on preserving and enhancing relationships and achieving results. Creating a synergistic world of work life and personal life takes some focused self-learning along with an enlightened employer.
As an executive and business coach, I understand that one's personal life affects their work performance both negatively and positively. The roles you play at home and work must be in concert...not requiring you to play different roles. Although there are distinct competencies attached to each role, it is to the employee's and employer's advantage to create a powerful synergy among all roles. This inter-role synergy saves incredible problem-solving time and energy.
Time management is a symptom, not the underlying problem. Not paying attention to your intentions (that allows you to easily manage your time and energy) is the problem. That is true for the individual employee or business owner, as well as for the department, business unit, and organiation.
Business Tips
Time Management and Customer Service
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- Category: Work & Life Balance
