Time: Valuing it as a Resource

Time is a valuable non-renewable resource. Appreciating that it is a limited and non-recoverable resource can help an individual to focus on making beneficial use of time.

Recognising the limitations of time can help to focus attention on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the time available to carry out work activities. Some actions that might be considered include the following:
1. Clearly defining the purpose of the task and how this can be adequately achieved in the least time possible.
2. Prioritise tasks, ensuring that the most important and impactful is attempted and completed first.
3. Manage time by recording and monitoring how time is used. Keeping a time record of maybe 15-minute blocks can help to identify where time is being used on work activities. This tracking process can be very useful in helping to identify ‘time stealers’, and therefore can be used to address them and make better use of the limited time available.
4. Value your time. Time is money, so consider how relevant and impactful the activity and outcome of it is that you are doing. Be careful not to spend excessive amounts of time on an activity where the additional time inputs are showing minimal returns. Can time be spent more beneficially on a different activity? What is the most cost-effective approach to take to achieve the desired outcome?
5. Address skills and knowledge gaps. Spending time learning new activities, processes, ideas, practices, etc. can help to improve your competence and capability. This in turn can improve productivity and quality of outcomes. The time input for learning is often significantly rewarded with improved efficiencies afterwards.
6. Delegation. Can the activity be delegated to others, allowing you to focus on specialised or high-value activities? This re-allocation of workload can improve efficiencies within organisations, as well as encourage other staff to undertake more challenging and rewarding work, if managed appropriately. Can some tasks be automated, for example, through the use of robot line markers?

Time is a valuable resource and recognising it as such can help to improve not just productivity but also ensuring that workloads are achievable. In addition, and just as importantly, the apportionment of time to provide for an acceptable work-homelife balance is essential if all of an organisation’s resources are to be utilised to optimum effect. This latter aspect can see indirect workplace benefits through having a more satisfied and motivated workforce, reduced absenteeism and a greater social investment from employees wanting to progress and succeed within the organisation.