Breaking Time Management Objectives Into Tasks

Time management objectives is an integral part of productivity. Time is limited and the use of it can determine a manager’s productivity. Prioritization is a great tool of time management because its sets issues in the scale of preference. This has to do with setting tasks and objective in their order of importance. There are two ways you can look at tasks and objectives when you want to prioritize; achievable objectives and laudable objectives.

1. Achievable Objectives

These are objectives that are linked to tasks that can be accomplished within a given period. They are tasks that are tied to objectives that can be met in a practical manner.

2. Laudable Objectives

This are tasks that are tied to objectives that may be hard to accomplish within a given period even when they are laudable. Effective prioritization can only be implemented when the listed tasks and objectives are achievable and not laudable. That is, the managers have things on their list that they can actually accomplish if they set out to do them.

However, there is another consideration because an achievable objective may not be what the manager needs to accomplish. That is, his goals and objectives may not be in his or her power as it could be handed to him or her as a task. So what happens if a manager is given a laudable objective to accomplish? The manager must create tasks that will make that laudable objective achievable.

Tasks and objectives should be related, but when objectives are given and the manager is given a free hand to fulfill or come up with ways to fulfill the objective, the onus lies on him to create tasks that will ultimately fulfill such objectives. In effect, the manager has to come up with grounded and practical tasks that will achieve the objective.

This means that laudable objectives can be achieved by creating practical tasks that simplify the process of achieving them.

3. Simplify The Process Of Achieving Objectives

We are still talking about time management- simplifying this process gives the manager a chance to be able to use his or her time strategically. They got mini-goals that they can apply themselves to in a way that makes the time used a productive one. However, talking about prioritization, everything we have just mentioned above serves the purpose of prioritizing the tasks in the order that will ensure that the objective will be achieved.

Beyond this, it gives the manager the ability to set a time scale in achieving the overall objective. This in effect serves the purpose of proper time management. Up to this point, we have been looking at time management for the manager as it has to do with a particular project. This is ideal when it just has to do with one project or when they have been given a set objectives to fulfill.

Generally speaking, a manager has a lot of his or her desk at any given time and they will have to look at how they can effectively manage their time in tackling the issues on the table. We are not addressing this hydra-headed problem here, but looking at how to manage their time in addressing specific issues especially when they are being clocked over that issue.

4. Applying Time To Task

Once each task is broken down, the next stage will be to apply time to task. Applying time to task should also be done strategically. Time is scarce and you do not have it all  to face a task perpetually. Of course your eyes should be on the bigger picture of meeting with deadlines. Deadlines would naturally determine how much time you can allocate to each task.

In a fairer world, a large resource base like the number of people you have on the project could help you in dealing with the issue of time as you assign more people to a particular task to cut the time in having it accomplished. You can even go as far as multi-tasking and having sub-teams working on different aspects of the tasks while you hold an oversight position. This will cut the time applied to each task and reduce the result-time applied ratio.

SEE ALSO: 4 Things That Can Force You Into Effective Time Management

This is what will happen if you have the resources at your disposal to a certain degree, this is what generally happens although you will have to work within your limited resources. This is a systemic way of time management when it is tied to a project that has a deadline.

Of course some other factors like your resources, individual team member capabilities, oversight function and interference on the part of senior managers, reporting and defending each strategy adopted and so on and so forth can make it a bit more complex. However, this holds true in concept, philosophy and spirit.