*Managing Time and Activities

The mechanics and techniques of managing your time and activities are very simple and well known. A good book to review the tools and techniques of time and activity management is Building Personal Leadership: Inspirational Tools & Techniques for Work & Life. What is not simple are the beliefs, attitudes, and motivations behind the title subject that supports using the tools and techniques.

People manage their time and activities in two very different ways according to Myers-Briggs Personality Type differences. One type of person plans far ahead, is early starting and completes tasks quickly, works methodically, and is systematic in their actions. The other type person responds spontaneously to work, waits to the last minute to start jobs (things might change, why start early), is open to change, and lives more in the moment. That’s a big difference!

The person who plans well ahead will normally have internal beliefs that support learning and using systematic and productive time management tools and techniques. The way they think is in alignment with good time and activity management. They find little resistance to learning and using tools and techniques to increase their productivity and effectiveness. Their motivation may be simply a goal to be achieved and by golly, it is going to be done and done early.

The person who lives in the moment and responds spontaneously to work demands has a greater challenge in learning systematic time and activity management tools and techniques. Their beliefs support being flexible, not tied to a schedule, responding to present demands, going with the flow, and burning the midnight oil to make deadlines. Their attitudes are aligned with “wait and see,” because assignments could change and so action now could be wasted. Motivation comes from time pressure to meet deadlines of the work that they must do or in work that appeals to their natural preferences.

The easiest solution to great time and activity management for either type is to find work where their natural beliefs, attitudes, and motivations may be best utilized. However, with great energy expenditure, discipline, and desire, the spontaneous person can develop competencies in planning, starting early, working methodically, and becoming systematic in their work. By the way, good personality type development occurs when the planned person can learn and become more spontaneous and quickly adapt to change.

Knowing these differences, both types of individuals and their supervisors can match the work to the personality or support both types of persons in developing more effective and productive methods of managing their time and activities. Remember, one type will find it easy and one type will find it more energy draining and difficult.

Neither way of working and living in the world is right or wrong. Both have their contribution to work and life. Best wishes in helping people of all types find where they can contribute their best.