MODULE 3 – Time Management and Decision Making

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

1. Identify the Importance of time management and decision making

2. Describe the steps to effective decision making
3. Identify the tips for effective time management
4. Elaborate decision making techniques for managers

Table of Contents:

1. Importance of time management and decision making

2. Tips for effective time management
3. Steps to effective decision making
4. Benefits of time management
5. Decision making techniques for managers

DISCUSSION

TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management is a skill where an individual or a team manages the available time
efficiently so as to complete all the expected or required tasks as per a plan or a
schedule. It also signifies how well a person or a team can divide and optimize the
allocated time to complete a process which may consist of different steps, tasks,
activities or goals.

Time management is the coordination of tasks and activities to maximize the

effectiveness of an individual's efforts. Essentially, the purpose of time management is
to enable people to get more and better work done in less time.

Elements of time management include organization, planning and scheduling to best

take advantage of the time available. Time management techniques also take into
account an individual's particular situation and their relevant capabilities and
characteristics.

Time management is an important personality trait especially when working in an

organization. Managing time properly increases efficiency, output and helps a person
grow personally as well as professionally. Time management is a quality parameter
which is required in any business task or activity. There are complete fields dedicated to
various aspects of time management like project management, production scheduling,
logistics, delivery of goods and services, SLA management etc. All the above fields
have time management as their core principle.

Importance of Time Management

Time management is an extremely important parameter in utilizing the existing time and
ensuring maximum work is done in that period. Every individual, whether a student,
professional, manager, entrepreneur or home-maker have limited time available in
which multiple tasks have to be completed. Without time management, one would never
be able to complete tasks in a given time period.
It would also hamper the quality of output, efficiency and increase work load. Hence,
time management is important in ensuring completing tasks based on priority in a
limited time period. Apart from time management, the other effective skills for
management are leadership, team management, good governance, decision making,
effective communication etc.

In any field of business or personal life, time management plays an important role in
ensuring work is done on time and with maximum efficiency. A few important steps
and tips for effective time management are as follows:

1. Declutter your work space -having an organize work space, if you were work in
a frantic way, you’re bound to waste a time for finding/ searching a paper or file. So, to
boost productivity, start by decluttering your work space and only keep any vital items
around you.

2. Create a To-Do List - a good to do list helps you to stay on track rather than
swaying to and from task and it will give you a great sense of achievement when you’ve
managed to take off a large chunk at the end of a day. The best way to create your list
is to analyze your tasks towards the end of your shift and prepare for the following day.
That way, you won’t waste a time in the morning when you’re most productive on
something minor like a list.

3. Prioritise- now you have your list of duties, you’ll need to rank them in order of
priority. The way you do this is up to you, you could use a numerical ranking system,
highlights or mental notes. What’s important here is to understand which is the most
urgent job and get that out of the way first.

4. Set Achievable Goals - a great way to say motivated is to set achievable goals. If
you have 20 difficult tasks, it’s apparent that you won’t achieve them all in one day.
Therefore, be realistic when prioritizing and creating your list so that you don’t get
disappointed when 5PM rolls around.

5. Use Organization Apps- if you’re a tech-friend, an organization app is what you

need in our life. You could use a projector management tool like Trello to keep your
tasks visible and your work-flow clear. On the other hand, if you want a simple checklist,
to do List is your perfect match

6. Don’t Multitask- many people assume that multitasking is a great skill to have,
but if you’re not able to work fluidly you’ll end up bouncing from tasks and wasting time
in between. This can also lead to careless mistakes and forgetfulness

7. Reward Yourself -when you’ve finished a big task why not reward yourself with a
treat? This could vary depending on your interests, you might want to order a coffee, a
cake or have a catch up with your favorite coworker. Just don’t overdo it and have 10
cups of coffee a day, that won’t help you anymore.

8. Stay Off social media- unless you work in marketing, limit your time on social
platforms you’re trying to get jobs done if you really can’t resist looking ate every
notification, put your phone on flight-mode or download a social media blocking app.

9. Audit your Time- once you’ve spent a week following your new plan, audit your
time and see how productive you’ve been. You may see that you can spend less time
on certain tasks and adjust your plan accordingly.
 10. Take Frequent Breaks -it is crucial when trying to keep productivity levels up,
otherwise your energy levels will drop and you will end up swaying from your work.
Many competing theories suggest specific time frames; however, you should figure out
how long you can stay focused for and then take a 15–30-minute break in between

There is no single way in which a person learns effective time management but it is a
gradual process which takes time to learn and develop those skills.

In order to fully grasp the Importance of managing your time effectively, and what you
and your company stand to gain from it, consider the following 6 reasons why time
management is crucial.

Reasons why time management is crucial:

1. Time is limited
2. Accomplish more with less effort
3. Improve decision making ability
4. Provide more learning opportunities
5. Reduce stress
6. Promote self discipline

The Benefits of Good Time Management

When you know to manage your time effectively, you can unlock many benefits. These
include:
1. Greater productivity and efficiency
2. Less stress
3. A better professional reputation
4. Increased chances of advancement
5. More opportunities to achieve your life and career goals

Challenges of Time Management

Do you feel like you are never meeting your goals on time? Time slips away, you always
feel busy, and yet you can’t get everything finished. Why does this seem to happen to
you?
The truth is that many people struggle with time management. Understanding the
different time management challenges can help you change and be more productive.
Top 10 time management challenges (and how to fix them)
When it comes to increasing productivity, it’s crucial to overcome time management
challenges. But how do you identify what obstacles are slowing you down?
Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of the top ten time management challenges and how
to fix them.
Acceptance is the first step to recovery. While you probably don’t struggle with all of the
challenges on our list, find the ones that make you nod your head and say, “Yep, that’s
me.” Then, concentrate on recognizing those challenges in your life.

Let’s get started.

1. Procrastination. It is the action of delaying or postponing the task which
needs to be accomplished. Some people often postpone or ignore tasks which
has to be completed to deal with it later which results in poor time management.

Procrastination occurs when you put off a project until the last minute.
For example, maybe you choose to check your email for the fifth time instead of diving
into the work you’re supposed to complete. You know you have to do it, but you don’t
want to do it now.
There are several possible reasons that you might be procrastinating. Here are a few
examples:

 Your task is difficult. You don’t think you can do the task correctly, so why even
try?
 Your task is tedious. You yawn just thinking about it.
 Your task is unpleasant. You know you won’t have warm fuzzies working on it.
 Your task is stressful. The mere mention of your task raises your anxiety level.
 Your task involves decision-making. You have trouble making hard decisions.

If you procrastinate, you may be putting yourself at risk for mental and physical
health issues. Increased stress and anxiety could lead to issues like migraines and
insomnia.
Obviously, these health risks are a red flag, but how can you stop procrastinating?
Try starting with smaller tasks. You can also try a productivity method with built-in
breaks like the Pomodoro Technique.
If you are still struggling, try breaking up a project into several smaller sections. Then,
set a deadline for each one.
2. Multitasking.
Multitasking is a common time management problem. Unfortunately, our brains don’t
cope well with multitasking. When you switch from one task to another, it takes an
average of 23 minutes to refocus.
If you have a big project and several small tasks, you may think that simultaneously
working on each piece will help you work faster. Sadly, that’s not the way it works.
To work most efficiently, you should limit your focus to the task at hand.
3. Allowing distractions.
Are you reading this article because it popped up on your radar? Did you click on the
link right away?
Well, we’re glad you’re reading it. However, we hope you are not using this article about
time management challenges to distract yourself from completing your work.
What are some of the main distractions in your life that contribute to your time
management struggles?
Unfortunately, some of them are out of your control. For example, you can’t stop the
backup beeping from the construction truck outside your office.
That said, there are some other distractions you probably invite into your life. Those
might be:

 Your phone. Put it away where you can’t see it.

 Emails, social media, phone calls, and other work tasks. Remember the last
challenge? Focus on one thing at a time.
 Other people. Let your teammates, family, or roommates know if you need
privacy.
 Your environment. If you can’t control what’s happening in your surroundings, a
change of scenery can help.

If you can eliminate even just one or two of these distractions, you’ll be able to work
more efficiently.
4. Poor prioritization skills.
What’s the most important thing you should be doing today? If you can answer that
question, then you can make that task your top priority.
It may seem like you’re procrastinating because you’re not doing everything you need
to, but try not to think like that. Instead, think of it as clearing your most difficult task first,
so you don’t procrastinate.
Prioritizing is essentially just organizing your day from the most critical tasks to the least
important ones. If you follow your schedule from high priority to low priority, you won’t
drag out easy tasks to avoid difficult ones.
Unfortunately, priorities do shift. Sometimes, urgent tasks pop up. When this happens,
you might need to set aside your current task and start on a more urgent one.
That’s okay. Life happens. Keep trying to work through your prioritized tasks without
constantly jumping back and forth from task to task. Not prioritizing can leave you
feeling aimless.
Making a time management plan can help you stay focused on your priorities.
5. Perfectionism
Taking pride in our work is something we all aspire to, so how could doing your best
work ever be a bad thing?
For example, if you are an accountant, you want those numbers to be correct. Double-
checking your work is crucial and worth a few extra moments.
However, once you have the numbers, do you take several minutes to change the font
on the cover page to the one that best suits your company image? Do you personally
staple every copy yourself because you don’t like how your assistant does it?
Often, perfectionism indicates a fear of failure. If you’re truly doing your best work, that’s
all anyone can ask of you. Learning to let go takes practice, but it saves you a lot of time
in the long run.
6. An inability to say no
Are you a people-pleaser?
If your main goal is to make everyone happy, you’ll probably do just about anything
someone asks you to do. You can’t say no because that might hurt someone’s feelings
or make someone think less of you, right?
Wrong. Too many big projects, social events, meetings, and family activities will stretch
you thin. This leaves you with less energy and insufficient time to finish everything. How
does that help anyone?
Practice saying no. Your boss, co-workers, friends, and family are capable of
understanding that you do not have superpowers. Although you might produce less
work, the quality will be better.
7. Poor organization skills
Being disorganized leads to stress and poor time management.
You may think that you like your messy room. You may feel that you know exactly
where everything is. But what about a cluttered brain or a disorganized workday?
Lacking organizational skills makes everything in your life more challenging. Organize
your day around what you need to accomplish, where you have to go, and how long you
have to do it.
If you find this difficult to do, you might want to try giving yourself a time audit. You don’t
need to organize your pens by color, but you should have some semblance of
organization to help you keep track of your time and smooth out your workflow.
8. Lack of self-discipline
Have you ever seen a job description that says, “Applicant must be a self-starter,” and
wondered what that meant?
The ability to draw on internal motivations means you won’t need a supervisor to train
you on every single task. It also means you have the discipline to work on your tasks
without being forced to do them.
In fact, a lack of self-discipline is a time management challenge that leads to other time
management challenges. Procrastination, distractions, and poor prioritization skills are
just a few time management challenges that stem from within.
Low self-discipline is probably the most formidable challenge to conquer. Fortunately,
there are many ways you can learn self-discipline. Here are a few:

 Use a free time tracking app to balance your work and personal life, schedule
tasks, and set priorities
 Free up some time for meditation
 Give yourself small rewards for accomplishing measurable goals

9. Burnout
The brain can’t focus for long periods. Eyes shouldn’t stare at a screen for hours.
Thought processes slow down, and the quality of work suffers.
Unfortunately, some people don’t recognize when they need a break. Whether it’s
working long hours, weekends, or without taking vacation, there are plenty of ways
to suffer from burnout.
Humans work more efficiently when they are less stressed and more relaxed. Schedule
time to take a break. Then, get back to work and finish your project.
10. Not using time management apps
Maybe you think time management apps are for people who feel insecure if every
minute of their day isn’t planned out. That’s not at all the case.
Without a time management app, you’re missing out on an effective solution for
eliminating time management challenges and distractions.
Time management apps can:

 Motivate you
 Help you complete tasks in less time
 Help you schedule time for breaks and reduce burnout
 Let you know how long each task takes you
 Help you improve your organizational skills

Technology can help you save time on virtually any time management technique.
Find a solution for common time management mistakes
Once you have identified the time management challenges you struggle with, you can
work on fixing them. To actualize your long-term goals, work on developing effective
time management skills.
Remember, understanding your time management challenges is the most difficult step
toward good time management. Once you better understand your weaknesses, you can
begin to make them your strengths.

Overall, you start feeling more in control, with the confidence to choose how best to use
your time.

And by feeling happier, more relaxed, and better able to think, you’re in a great place to
help others reach their targets, too.

Conclusion

Overall, time management can directly reduce stress. The process will result in fewer
surprises, less time pressure and some urgent events from one task to another and
from one place to another.

Being productive can be an objective for you and this can be done by introducing time
management. It gives an idea of what needs to be done to better manage the workload.
It allows a person to be organized and achieve the expected results with less work and
errors. Time cannot be increased but can be managed.
Decision Making
Decision making is the process of making choices by identifying a decision,
gathering information, and assessing alternative resolutions. Using a step-by-step
decision-making process can help you make more deliberate, thoughtful decisions by
organizing relevant information and defining alternatives. This approach increases the
chances that you will choose the most satisfying alternative possible.

Why is decision-making important?

Strong decision-making help solve problems promptly and create a leadership

position for the decision-makers. Strong decision should be impartial and devoid of
any emotional influences that might make us overlook shortcomings. Such decision-
making should also be transparent and logical.

What is good decision-making?

A good decision-makers chooses action that give the best outcome for themselves
and others. They enter into the decision-making process with an open mind and do not
let their own biases sway them. They make decision rationally, after researching
alternatives and understanding the consequences.

Decision-making is an essential business skill that drives organizational performance. At

many organizations, it’s up to managers to make the key decisions that influence business
strategy. To avoid falling, here are five decision-making techniques you can employ to
improve your management skills and help your organization succeed.

DECISION-MAKING TECHNIQUES FOR MANAGERS

1. Take a Process-Oriented Approach

One of your primary responsibilities as a manager is to get things done with and
through others, which involves leveraging organizational processes to accomplish goals
and produce results. According to Harvard Business School Professor Len Schlesinger,
who’s featured in the online course Management Essentials, decision-making is one of
the processes you can use to your advantage.

2. Involve Your Team in the Process

Decision-making doesn’t have to be done in a vacuum. To avoid relying on managerial
decisions alone, involve your team in the process to bring multiple viewpoints into the
conversation and stimulate creative problem-solving.

3. Foster a Collaborative Mindset

Fostering the right mindset early in the decision-making process is critical to ensuring
your team works collaboratively—not contentiously.

When facing a decision, there are two key mindsets to consider:

Decision-Making Mindsets: Advocacy vs. Inquiry

Advocacy: A mindset that regards decision-making as a contest. In a group with an
advocacy mindset, individuals try to persuade others, defend their positions, and
downplay their weaknesses.

Inquiry: A mindset that navigates decision-making with collaborative problem-solving.

An inquiry mindset centers on individuals testing and evaluating assumptions by
presenting balanced arguments, considering alternatives, and being open to
constructive criticism.

4. Create and Uphold Psychological Safety

For your team members to feel comfortable sharing their diverse perspectives and
working collaboratively, it’s crucial to create and maintain a psychologically safe
environment.

5. Reiterate the Goals and Purpose of the Decision

Throughout the decision-making process, it’s vital to avoid common management
pitfalls and lose sight of the goals and purpose of the decision on the table.

The goals you’re working toward need to be clearly articulated at the outset of the
decision-making process—and constantly reiterated throughout—to ensure they’re
ultimately achieved.

7 STEPS TO EFFECTIVE DECISION MAKING

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References:

 Principles of Management, Copyright 2019 by Anastasia H. Cortes et al.

 https://harappa.education/harappa-diaries/functions-of-management/

 An Introduction to the Principles of Management - Principles Of Management -

StateUniversity.com

Time Management & Decision Making

• https://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/human-resources-hr-terms/17824-time-
management.html

●Simplilearn. (2022, July 12). Management Decision Making: What is it, Process, Techniques,
and Tools. https://www.simplilearn.com/management-decision-making-article

https://hubstaff.com/blog/time-management-challenges/

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