Let's face it, the Silicon Valley engineer's world is constantly evolving and it's difficult just to stay abreast of new technologies that pop up regularly, much less worry about time management. Corporate training always lags the invention of technology and a "team" atmosphere embracing good communication is required to keep up with it. Today, an independent engineer who relies solely on his (or her) own resources can have a difficult time in the workplace.
Time management in itself means little (it's impossible to manage [to manipulate] time). What we're really talking about here is improving how and what an engineer does to allow for other more satisfying things in his (or her) life to open up. It begins not in the corporate classroom but in the engineer's mind, and ends at home. It's called "peace of mind."
The late great John Wooden, Head Basketball Coach UCLA said: "Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming."
The engineer is encouraged to study Coach Wooden's "Pyramid of Success," (Google) which has at its foundation industriousness, friendship, loyalty, cooperation, and enthusiasm. Coach Wooden didn't teach his players the skill of playing basketball (they already had the skills). He taught them to be individuals, to have faith and stand up in what they believed, and embrace his philosophy of basketball-poise and self-control driven by faith and patience. Coach Wooden's teams were sometimes overmatched physically but he won more national championships (ten) than any other coach.
Time management should be more of a life-long philosophy than a one or two day class given in a corporate classroom. Instead of "Uncluttering your Desk" the subject should be "Uncluttering your Mind." Instead of a training program espousing the benefits of a 20% increase in employee production and efficiency it should target the engineer's growth as an individual and as a member of the team.
