The Hindu Business Line : Work-life balance: The crux of time management

Time management is life management, says Ramesh K. Arora. “Managing time better, therefore, implies a philosophy and a strategy to apportion equitable time for physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, familial, social and professional demands and responsibilities of life, and to get the best value of time through proper planning and prioritising,” he explains, in a recent e-mail interaction with The New Manager.

Arora, who has a Masters in Public Administration and a PhD from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, US, is Chairman, Management Development Academy, Jaipur. He has been a consultant and trainer in the fields of management, government systems and behavioural sciences for the past three decades. He is the author of Time Management: For Happiness and Success ( www.paragonintpub.com). Excerpts from the interview:

With the increasing use of new and user-friendly technologies, is there more time at the disposal of the executive? Alongside, has work expanded beyond the time saved?

User-friendly technologies save time on routine and repetitive activities and thus generate additional time for more creative and crucial assignments. Newer opportunities for organisational growth motivate executives to initiate additional ventures and resultantly, work expands beyond the time saved. In fact, that is the hallmark of a dynamic organisation.

Is it a normal human tendency to pack into the hours more than can be achieved?

Yes, it is normally true. Man’s ambitions are reflected in one’s style of time management. Little wonder, to-do lists are rarely executed fully. A lighter work schedule leads to low output and a heavier schedule produces enhanced results. But one should be cautious while planning a day, for too many unattended tasks creates a sense of stress and un-fulfilment.

Do you advise against the use of the phrase ‘I am busy’? Aren’t people ‘busy’ when focused on a task, so much so they can’t spare time for any other activity?

General Cariappa said, “I have never used the words ‘I am busy’.” The sentiment of his proclamation was whatever he was doing at any point of time, it was in fact the most natural pursuit for him though he could be construed as ‘being busy’ by other people. When focused on a task, people are ‘busy’ but that ‘busyness’ is more with the sense of inclusion of one’s objectives and priorities than exclusion of other activities of less priority and importance.

On a different note, I would certainly and humbly caution people against using the phrase “I am busy” for creating an artificial aura of importance and un-approachability specially when coupled with power and authority. Instead, it would be better to say, “Currently, I am focused on this activity, and that would engage my total attention until next week.”

Are there differences between time perception in India and time perception in other countries? Does Indian philosophy come in the way of effective time management?

The question has both philosophical and psychological shades. There are certainly differences in time perceptions of the South Asian people as compared to those of other regions like Europe and the US in the realms of long-term versus short-term orientation, respect for punctuality, commitment and sensitivity of others’ time and reverence of time as a character-building value. The Indian philosophy of eternity does affect our orientation towards time management. The notion of eternity dilutes the reference point of time, resulting in the weakening of a sense of urgency in goal-achievement. But in the urban, educated India, this approach is being replaced with a more down-to-earth orientation towards efficiency and effectiveness.

What, according to you, are the indicators/metrics of proper time management?

A few indications/ metrics of proper time management are:

Rational work-life balance.

Planning and prioritising the tasks and assigning deadlines to ‘important but not urgent’ obligations.

Focus on results, not activities.

Maintaining a diary for time-logging and for recording reflections on the day spent.

Avoiding procrastination.

Controlling interruptions.

Punctuality.

Mitigating personal and official time-wasters.

Having a ‘quiet hour’ for reflection, sound introspection, evaluation and creative work.

Self-management and systems improvement.

Proper delegation and supervision.

Working with enthusiasm and avoiding stress.

Should employers disable the Net, e-mail, games, chat and other such facilities on desktop computers to ensure that employees don’t spend time on things other than work? How effective are such controls? Do mobile phones contribute to time leak?

In professional organisations, these are used mainly as stress-busters. Self-regulation is more effective than controls imposed from above. In any case, an over-use of recreational facilities will tell upon the overall productivity and invite closer supervision by the seniors.

In a workstation kind of setting, nothing remains hidden and secret. Hence, unless casualness becomes endemic, there is no serious cause of concern.

What are your thoughts on work-life balance – its importance and the how of it.

This is the crux of time management. We should be able to lead a ‘Rainbow Life’, apportioning ‘optimal’ time for physical fitness, pranayam, reading, reflection, meditation, prayer, family, social relationship and professional obligation.

As far as possible, there should be an inclusive and integrated approach to effecting a work-life balance, not sacrificing any essential facet of happiness and growth.

Can time management add to stress when one is obsessed with sticking to schedules?
Experiences say that only appointments should be scheduled. Time schedules and excessive obsession with sticking to these does breed stress. Some generic practices like scheduling most creative work for the most biologically appropriate time helps. In a multi-role, multi-expectation and dynamic contextual setting, time schedules serving singular convenience will only complicate life. Somebody very rightly said, “It’s not the time that needs to be managed, it’s the activities that should be managed.” Whenever time-schedules create moderate stress, it is termed as useful stress or ‘eustress’.
What are the typical problems that arise when implementing the urgency-importance matrix?
Some of the typical problems confronted in this regard are:
Categorising what is ‘urgent and important’ or ‘important but not urgent’ or ‘urgent but not important’. Subjectivism can make the classification topsy-turvy. Hence, it should be revised whenever a need arises.
Focusing on ‘urgent’ at the cost of ‘important’.
Prioritising within the categories of ‘urgent’ and ‘important’ activities.
Your top five tips for managers, staff and students. Tips that can immediately show results.
Tips for managers:
Be a total person. Strike a work-life balance.
Follow the 80/20 principle.
Prepare properly for appointments and meetings. Be punctual. Have cushion time.
Improve the system and follow the canons of self-management.
Mitigate time-wasters. Avoid procrastination.
Tips for students:
Have regular hours for meals, sleep, study, play and recreation.
Listen most attentively to lectures in the classroom and complete your school/ homework regularly.
Upgrade your knowledge, language and expression power constantly. Do as many written assignments as possible.
Control gossip, TV time, laziness and mobile talk time.
Always prepare a daily to-do list and implement it with sincerity.

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