Mastering Time

At work, we often hear complaints like “I don’t have time,” but are we really making the most of our time?
I once came across a very interesting test in a magazine. Let’s start by assessing how well we manage our time. For each of the following questions, please rate yourself honestly based on your actual experience. Scoring is as follows: “Never” = 0 points, “Sometimes” = 1 point, “Often” = 2 points, “Always” = 3 points.
a. A daily to-do list, arranged in order of priority, to be tackled one by one;
b. The schedule allows for flexibility to accommodate unforeseen events;
c. Before each workday, be able to prepare for the planned tasks by using a work schedule to formally document task assignments and objectives;
d. Repeated occurrence of the same type of error;
e. Any task that can be delegated to subordinates (others) should be assigned to them;
f. Process each document in a single pass whenever possible;
g. Try to avoid disruptive phone calls, unsolicited visitors, and last-minute appointments whenever possible;
h. Try to schedule your work according to the physiological rhythm variation curve.
i. When others try to take up my time, but I need to attend to more important matters, I say “no.”
Conclusion:
0–12 points: You don’t plan your time and always let others dictate your actions.
13–17 points: You try to manage your time, but you can’t stick with it consistently.
18–22 points: Your time management is in good shape.
23–27 points: You are a role model for time management worth learning from.
Through the above tests, we can identify the various reasons why time is wasted:
a. Lacking a plan, failing to prioritize, and unable to focus on the key issues;
b. Before undertaking any task, a comprehensive FMEA was not conducted, and potential failure modes were not analyzed.
c. Acts blindly, with unclear objectives;
d. Does not analyze and summarize, nor can it apply lessons learned to similar situations;
e. Tends to handle everything personally and lacks the ability to delegate;
f. Procrastination;
g. Overly focused on details;
h. Negative thinking
i. Will not refuse others’ requests
It seems that such precious time is being squandered without our even realizing it. An international survey shows that the productivity gap between an inefficient worker and a highly efficient one can exceed tenfold, suggesting that everyone needs to master time-management techniques and principles.
So, what is time management? According to the best definition I found on Baidu: time management refers to accomplishing tasks in the shortest possible time or within a set timeframe. In other words, it’s about boosting efficiency. Each day has a fixed 86,400 seconds; if you get more done in that same amount of time than others, you can, in a sense, claim to have gained extra time. But how can you actually carve out that extra time? Below are several strategies that consultants have shared with us:
1. 6-Point Priority System:
This method was proposed by efficiency expert Eliyahu M. Goldratt while he was providing consulting services to an American steel company. It enabled the company to transform, in just five years, from the brink of bankruptcy into the largest privately owned steel enterprise in the United States at the time. The approach requires ranking daily tasks by importance and assigning them numbers from “1” to “6,” identifying the six most critical items. At the start of each day, one should devote full effort to completing or fully preparing the task marked “1,” then move on to the task marked “2,” and so forth.
Avery believes that, under normal circumstances, if a person can wholeheartedly accomplish six tasks each day, they are undoubtedly highly efficient.
2. Pareto Principle:
This principle was proposed by the 19th-century Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. At its core, it posits that 80% of outcomes in life stem from 20% of activities. For example, those 20% of customers often generate 80% of your revenue and may account for 80% of your profits; likewise, 80% of the world’s wealth is held by 20% of the population, while the remaining 80% of people share only 20% of that wealth. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on that critical 20% of tasks or priorities.
In accordance with this principle, we should prioritize our tasks and arrange them in the following order:
a. Important and urgent: such as firefighting or emergency rescue—these must be addressed immediately; when the situation is critical, why aren’t you acting faster?
b. Important but not urgent: For example, studying, making plans, getting a health check-up, or even telling someone you love, “I love you.” As long as there’s no pressure from the first category of tasks, these should be treated as if they were urgent.
c. Urgent but not important: For example, someone suddenly invites you to dinner—only address such matters after you’ve prioritized the truly important tasks. A common mistake is treating “urgency” as a guiding principle of priority. In reality, many things that seem urgent can be postponed, and in some cases, they can even be set aside without affecting the bigger picture.
d. Neither urgent nor important: such as entertainment or leisure activities—save these for when you have spare time.
3. Office Aesthetics:
Simplicity is speed, and organization is efficiency. Simplicity and organization are themselves a form of beauty—a kind of office aesthetics. We should cultivate the following good habits to boost our speed and efficiency:
? Birds of a feather flock together; after use, return items to their proper places.
? Don't leave things lying around
? Number the organized items, affix labels, and maintain proper records;
A good memory is no match for a bad pen—be diligent in taking notes.
? The three stages of document management are: first, prompt response; second, swift filing; and third, timely destruction. Unnecessary documents should be disposed of promptly to avoid further waste of space and time.
In fact, there are many more methods and techniques for time management; the ones listed above are just a few examples. But no matter how numerous the approaches, they will only yield results if you’re willing to put in the effort and resolve to change your ingrained habits and work routines. When you truly master the art of managing your time, you’ll be among the wealthiest people in the world.
 

Li Xin, System Management Specialist, Corporate Management Improvement Department