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at work
Time
By Dr. Román Rodríguez Barrigüete
Time is often a very limited resource, parti-
cularly at the work place, where the accu-
mulation of outstanding tasks can test our
organizational skills when trying to define
our priorities. The impossibility of tackling
all our obligations immediately, forces us to
plan ahead, identifying that which is urgent
and cannot wait and other matters that
could be tackled later.
Not being able to do this could diminish our
efficacy in resolving and handling these is-
sues.
It is not always easy to actually implement
such a logical and seemingly simple stra-
tegy: we are bombarded with messages,
orders pile up, and the problems overcome
us and block our ability to think. The stress
caused by this situation complicates our
ability to tackle problems and paralyses our
ability to think. Managing our time correctly
has a positive impact on our work as well
as in our health.
To be able to control our time, it is neces-
sary that we first plan ahead, considering
two approaches:
•
Long-term planning, defining the is-
sues by their order of importance and
which will require our attention in the
coming days, weeks or months.
•
Another planning, this time with a
short-term horizon of the current day
or two or three days ahead, differentia-
ting those issues that must be tackled
immediately and which cannot be de-
layed, and others that can wait or can
be postponed without any major con-
sequence.
Managing our time at the work
place
Taking a few minutes at the beginning of
our working day or taking a break to or-
ganise ourselves when other work unex-
pectedly comes our way and piles up with
other pending work, can help us redefine
the way we are going to tackle this work; it
will not cause any major delay in our work,
no matter how urgent it is.
Another step to avoid being overwhelmed
with our work is to learn how to delegate.
This is essential for planning and it is impos-
sible to manage a department, no matter
what type of department it is, if the person
in charge pretends to do everything directly
without counting on the participation of the
workers under his responsibility. In fact,
there are many tasks that have to be hand-
led by the head of the department directly,
but many others could be carried out by his
helpers and collaborators so as to improve
efficiency in the final results. Believing that
one is indispensable could mean that the
boss was not able to choose an efficient
team or could mean personal psychologi-
management