Systems approach to Time
Every year I help teach a course to undergraduates. My contribution is to spend a couple of hours explaining how life long learning and career development is critical to professional success. In the process of my section of the class, I ask the students to tell me what are the core competencies for success for undergraduates starting here on campus as Freshmen. The most often cited competency is "an ability to manage time and organize your life." Yes.. though most of us have since forgotten, the most overwhelming thing about starting college is you just don't have time to lay around anymore. I can still remember the first biology class where I had to read for an hour every night.. just for one class. I was amazed and spend the first semester thinking if being a Freshman takes this much work, what must Seniors have to do.. but in the end, I just needed to be more organized! So, what has this got to do with leadership?
The overwhelming feeling that a Freshman feels when he or she starts to sense in September is identical to the same the feeling leaders feel as they are promoted. The need for organization grows with each promotion. Your ability to set priorities and use your time wisely actually becomes a dominate theme in the success of your career with each promotion. Last year I adopted an new system of managing my project information. It was based on the shear fact that I was overwhelmed with so much to do and I could never find what I needed easily. The traditional method I had been using was just not working any more. But it had served me well for some 20 years and I had been very successful with it. The change was new responsibilities which were more demanding and higher in significance from what I had done prior to this year. So far,things are going well, but I am following my own advice to the undergrads.. life is really all about learning.. keep learning, keep building new ideas.. explore ways to improve what you do in an organized way..
Posted at 07:00AM Aug 25, 2006 by mowen in General |