The Time Management Training Institute

When I was a child I sometimes watched an Australian-made television programme called The Magic Boomerang. The premise of this show, you may not be surprised to learn, was that a young lad by the name of Tom found an old boomerang that held magical properties. When the boomerang was thrown, time stood still for everyone except Tom and it restarted again when he caught it. It was as though he were in possession of a flying pause button. Of course, children's television being what it was back then, Tom used the boomerang's powers for the good of the local community, thwarting bank raids and rescuing people from precarious situations.

On a typical show a bank robber may be puzzled as to how he now has a banana in his hand where only moments earlier he held a gun and the desperate attempts to save a baby from a burning building are called off with relief as, inexplicably, the little mite is spotted down the road, safe and sound in his push chair. Like many of my fellow street urchins I longed to possess a magic boomerang, although my own fantasies on how to use it were not so wholesome as young Tom's: I visualised self-service trips into sweet and toy shops, where I would march out with all manner of goodies while the staff stood like statues. Now as an adult there are times when I wish even more that I had the ability to pause time, but of course this a feat that is confined to the fantasy world of television.

So with no magic boomerang to assist, how do you manage your time in order to hit a target, even when it seems an impossible task? It may be that you have to meet a five o'clock deadline that will be tight, but you are not unduly worried. Yet, even if excellent time management procedures are being adhered to, something unexpected could happen that can plunge you into a race against time. It could be a fire drill, the computer going down or someone else letting you down that turns a tight deadline into a seemingly unattainable goal. So as you head towards five o'clock like a paddle-less canoeist towards a giant waterfall, what can you do to allow yourself those much needed extra minutes? Here are some tips.

Loose lips sink ships Do not answer any phone calls and do not be distracted by colleagues. You can always catch up with other matters when the heat is off, but for now just concentrate 100% on meeting that deadline.

We can do it If you think that you might not make the deadline as things stand then it may be a good idea to try and speed things along with the help of colleagues. Relax your incommunicado status and delegate tasks to those who are working on less urgent projects. This option is best taken early in the game and not at the last minute, so do not be afraid to ask for assistance.

Withhold no sacrifice If there are penalties for failing to meet the deadline then you may have to work through that three o'clock tea break. It is something of a sacrifice but the scenario we are dealing with is not a regular occurrence and so surely it is worth giving up something just this once in order to keep the operation on track. The time saved here could almost cancel out the time lost on that fire drill.

Dig for victory When you are up against the clock it is vital that your goals are clearly defined so that maximum efficiency can be obtained and no time is wasted on unnecessary work. You should always ensure that you are working towards clear, unambiguous targets so that when the pressure is on you can remain focused.

Give us the tools and we'll finish the job Use every tool you have at your disposal to streamline your efforts. Any time-saving functions, such as Auto Text, Spelling and Grammar Checker and Word Count, should be utilised in order to save vital minutes.

Keep calm and carry on While some people thrive on pressure, for many it means stress - and a stressed worker is an unproductive worker. No matter how daunting the looming deadline may appear, you should remain calm and stay focused.

These are some of the ways that a well managed time schedule can rescue a job from a crisis caused by unforeseen interruptions. Normally more traditional time management skills will be enough to get through the working day, but it is always a good thing to know what to do in an emergency. As costs and margins are being cut ever finer, time management skills are going to become even more sought after in the future, so now is the time to brush up on them. After all, the saying 'time is money' is as old as the hills.

Rich Talbot: link

Category: Time Management Training

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