Time is our great measuring stick.
Everything we accomplish is judged against the time it took to get us there.
Our first, steps, our first teeth, our first date … all measured against time. When did it happen? Who in the family was first?
Measured time.
What is this fixation with time?
Time is constant, it’s universal, one language no translators required.
In the modern world we use seconds, minutes, hours, dates to mark and measure time. In older times (and some cultures) we use movement of the sun, moon and stars to mark time for travel, sowing, harvesting.
Time defines. What we should do, when we should do it and how long it should take.
In an ever moving modern world referring to time is how we get stuff done. We get up, eat, work, socialise, go to bed all based on time and how long we do each is measured by time.
Time Management
In Project Management we try to ‘manage time’.
The success of almost every project is defined by one factor – “Completion”
However, Completion of any project is a factor of progress over time; how much work is completed within the given (or forecast) time frame.
The Project Schedule is all about time. The expected duration of each task (measured in time), the order in which each task should occur (defined by a time) and how many resources are needed to achieve the task (in the time allowed).
Time Management is essentially the ability to organize and plan the time spent on activities in a day…. It is a key aspect of project management and involves skills such as planning, setting goals and prioritizing for a better performance.
The performance and efficiency of any project manager will be their ability to deliver their project on time and in budget.
Effective Time Management is key to this attaining this success.
Time management is a many faceted topic which can be summarised in PM terms as:
- Define your task list and priorities
- Avoid distractions / don’t waste your time
- Measure & track your time
- Duplicate your time where possible – use office resources
Remember, time does not expand or contract, it is in fixed measuring units and it is what we are governed by. We call it time management as a way of trying to convince ourselves that we have control over time.
I would love, just once, to say that the project will be finished by the next waning gibbous moon. Imagine the reaction!! 🙂
