Time Management
Introduction
People have been using various time management skills and methods to improve their work or research to find the balance in life while dedicating to work a certain amount of hours where the employer should perform and maintain the workload for the tasks given to the employer. Several articles and research were directed to improve the management of self-workload while you are at home or in the office.
1st Article: A project management system for time planning and resource allocation
In this article, the studies are concentrated on understanding the problem within the management in the group project and how to reduce the failures of the projects that could stick to the planning. After the research on the graphic design companies and a couple of interviews with the employees, several techniques were used to maintain the tasks that needed to be done:
An Excel template for offers - every project manager had to copy the template in the clients’ file, fill it and send it to them.
A traditional web-based system for project tracking. A roughly 10 % of the system capabilities were used due to its difficult and hard to navigate interface. The most needed functionality – the gantt diagram – was not used because the software can build a gantt diagram for one project while the managers wanted to see the status of all projects at once, a further confirmation to the theory that today’s projects are complex and collaborative
Excel templates for tracking the work progress of every employee, also used for calculating the salary of every employee based on the work done.
Gantt diagram for tasks allocation also made as an Excel sheet. Every morning the project manager will update the gantt diagram according to the statuses given by the team members.
Fig. 1 - Gantt Diagram
The results and analysis of the study are caused by the belief that integrating the new approach is needed to achieve an efficient workload [1]. The formula is presented on eq.1 with the crucial for achieving cost-efficient results:
C=f( P, T, S )
Equation (1) shows the cost as a function of performance, time, and scope.
After having observation of the company in more detail, then we could understand the basic functional requirements for having a more appropriate environment for a better workload:
From the overview of a small organization is obvious that a project management system has to meet basic requirements in order to be efficient and fit for work.
The systems has to offer easy management of the work processes, reporting and controlling the activity of the employees
It should provide a way of quality control over the finished projects by reducing the mistakes, optimizing the work hours and prioritizing the tasks
All input and output data should be centralized and monitored
The system has to provide a comfortable working environment for team members such as easy access to needed resources, reliable application and intuitive design.
The application has to provide a way for control and self-control of the employees
Customer relationship is important factor when building a strong and successful business. In order to have satisfied customers every company has to offer accurate updates and reports to their clients. The system has to have the option for easy reporting or even giving clients access to their files.
The problem with time-consuming offering has to be eliminated and for that, the application has to offer faster and more efficient way for making offers and processing of clients’ requests.
The need for detailed reports of operational and financial character is mandatory.
Receiving a quality report for the complete project based on a set of questions regarding the way the project has been done is also a requirement the company wanted.
The system has to give quick and apprehensible view of the current projects in order for better planning and organizing of current tasks
The most important requirement is the time sustainability – it should be able to evolve according to the needs of the company while the company itself evolves and not stopping it.
2nd Article: A systems model for the design of occupational health and safety management systems inclusive of work-from-home arrangements
In this article, the author argues for designing new OHS (organizations’ occupational health and safety) systems that are based on needs that are present in the psychologically safe work environment. The results are concluded in the diagram in Fig. 2.
Regulatory environment
This is the conclusion that changing rapidly different external environments for work and study is positively impacting the OHS regulations.
Senior management
The right leadership that can help you motivate you to continue working on tasks is also important to achieve success in working from home regime.
Line management
The theme that repeatedly appeared in discussions is that the well-being of the work-from-home employees is increased when line management trusts the focus group. Trust and Commitment are important tools.
Team and Individual environment
Communication between co-workers linked to organizational or senior-level conversations is the key theme to managing teams and individuals as well.
Figure 2 - A systems model for the design of OHS systems and processes to ensure the inclusion of work-from-home arrangements within a psychologically safe work environment. [2]
Tips to stay focused
Mindfulness and relaxation practices, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga, to reduce stress, enhance concentration, and improve overall well-being. Integrating these techniques into study breaks can help students recharge and maintain focus for prolonged periods.
Pomodoro technique that originated in Italy: Break down your big tasks, projects, or goals into something you only have to do for the next 25 minutes. It keeps you hyper-focused on the next thing you need to do rather than get overwhelmed by the enormity of what you're taking on. “Don't worry about the outcome — just take it one pomodoro at a time.” [3]
Japanese "Kaizen" Philosophy: Kaizen emphasizes continuous improvement through small, incremental changes. It involves breaking tasks into smaller, manageable steps, similar to the Pomodoro Technique's focus on short, focused work intervals.
References
[1] T. Mladenova, “A project management system for time planning and resources allocation,” 2019 42nd International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics (MIPRO), May 2019. doi:10.23919/mipro.2019.8756834 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8756834
[2] T. A. Bentley et al., “A systems model for the design of Occupational Health and safety management systems inclusive of work-from-home arrangements,” Applied Ergonomics, vol. 109, p. 103966, May 2023. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2023.103966 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003687023000042?via%3Dihub
[5]The Pomodoro technique — why it works & how to do it. (n.d.). Todoist. https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique