3) Principle of Personal Management

3) Principle of Personal Management suggests

that things, which have the greatest priority, should be put first in our lives.

When we've

become programmers of our lives and written down our programme, we should act on it and fulfil it.

Here we activate

the independent will, this is the actual physical creation.

Successful people:

Know where and why they are going

Know that it is important to manage oneself

Know their priorities

Manage their lives and time according to their priorities

Do things that other people don't like doing or that the average people "don't have time for"

Time management

People have long tried to organize and plan their time. Throughout this period four generations of time management have developed.

1st Generation

Some things get planned (simple notes, lists of things to do: exam, clean the garage etc.), the things we did are ticked off and the unfulfilled tasks moved to tomorrow.

Managers of the first generation are flexible, respond to people and their needs, adapt well and do everything that seems to be urgent at the time.

The most important thing can be anything they just come across - attract their attention.

2nd Generation We plan and prepare, fulfil set goals (we plan what

we have to do, write our obligations down, work on deadlines). This generation emphasises efficiency and responsibility for fulfilling set goals.

Such managers set themselves goals and by planning improve efficiency but the time schedule is sometimes more important to them then anything else. Then they shut out from people or give orders and see people as a source through which they increase their influence and achieve what they want. They often try to manage people as things

The most important things are given by calendar and schedule.

3rd Generation We plan; decide priorities, long-term, mid-term,

short-term goals. We daily set priorities of our activities. Planning and organizational tools are typical for

this generation (on paper or electronic). Managers of the third generation are very

successful as for their personal productivity and economy.

For many people they represent the ideal. It is fine as long as the system works.

Results

The tools help us manage much more in shorter periods of time. (everytime: plan, create time schedule, do one thing after another).

Sometimes we accomplish a lot of goals but still we are not satisfied

because we don't act upon our priorities (there is sometimes a big difference between what

we want and what we really need).

We need to stop using inefficient ways of thinking and behaving.

Paradigm of management and control

The primary paradigm of the third generation We are rational and manage more things in a short

time. The major mistake can be that "more and faster" means better (it does, but only when we are heading the right direction).

It usually works when we deal with things. We may come across obstacles in productivity as soon as we start dealing with people.

Not only quantity but also quality of time spent a certain way is important.

WE ORGANIZE THINGS BUT LEAD PEOPLE.

Put the most important things first

To be able to put the most important things first we have to place leadership before organizing and managing. Ask ourselves: Am I doing the right things? And only then ask: Am I doing them right?

Such managers regularly get to the paradigm of management, - rush all day, - manage lots of things - live a very hectic life.

If they stop and ask themselves what they are

doing of things they really care about, they often have to admit they don't know.

It doesn't even help to change the planning tool or

method. It is necessary to change a paradigm!

IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP DOING THE SAME

THINGS AND EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS

Oppressive problem we face

Cannot be solved

On the level of thinking that created them.

A. Einsten

4th Generation

This generation doesn't focus on how to fit all tasks into a time schedule but asks if they should be there at all.

DOING MORE THINGS FASTER DOESN'T REPLACE DOING THE

RIGHT THINGS!

Urgent or important ?

The schedules and planners of the third generation keep us focused on urgent things instead of doing important things.

We feel guilty when we don't follow our schedule.

We often create disharmony between what we really care about and the way we spend our everyday life.

We learn how - to take our everyday decision-making into our hands,

- to stop between stimulus and response, - and how consult our inner compass, which will differentiate the important

from the urgent and help us - put the most important things first.

Planning, Time Matrix

The Second Quadrant Tool Its properties are:

Coherence - between personal mission and roles, goals, etc. Balance - between important areas. Failure in one cannot be usually replaced even by a great success in another. Focus of Attention in Quadrant II. Whatever helps us to decide according to our priorities. The aim is not to fit everything we have in our plan but to put the most important things in the plan. Human Dimension - have people as one of the priorities. Things are subject to people not the other way round. Don't blame yourselves when you need to adjust plans to people, because people and relationships are more important than things. Flexibility and Adjustment according to our own lifestyle (Do we like working in the morning or at night etc.) It must suite and serve us. The tool serves us we don't serve the tool. Mobility - we need to have our tool handy at any time (to be able to add, revise etc.)

Core of effective management

Working in Quadrant II

represents the core of effective management. It's not just a technique but it is our inner compass. It helps us to manage ourselves and organize matters according to our priorities.

If we apply this habit we will be able to manage our lives much better according to our programme.

Optimal for personal use seems to be planning in weekly periods - we create a basis for decision-making for the whole week.

Let's use a visual example. Imagine two vessels:

Imagine we are putting material into a vessel..

The vessel = the amount of time at our disposal. The material = things that we concern ourselves with during a week (even as to the size).

In this case we have to start from the priorities (large objects) to trivial things (water).

If we don't put the activities of Quadrant II first, our week will fill up by a flood of activities from Quadrants I, and III that constantly demand our attention.

Then it is difficult to fit our priorities in as well. It doesn't mean to make our plan the priority but to put the priorities first

Essential Activities Involved in Weekly Planning

To be organized in our weekly planning we have to practice essential activities:

Being in touch with our mission statement

(before we start organizing we should be aware what is the sense of our lives - against which wall to lean our ladder - long-term goals, the most important relationships), personal leadership.

Identification of roles - Name the priority roles, realize their interrelations (personal, professional).

Goal setting (we decide for 2 to 3 important results which we write down as goals)

Planning - best in weekly periods (put down time necessary to achieve the goals). It is important to give as much attention and respect to ourselves as we give to anything else.

Daily adaptation (space to solve current situations). Every day we come across unexpected opportunities and problems. When making choice we use our integrity, our conscience is the criteria, which tell us to either follow the plan or to make a change.

Evaluation before planning another week we evaluate the past one ( avoid repeating mistakes).

Types of Plans According to the time period, which they span, the plans and tasks are:

1) Strategic (Long-term) Mission Role Goals 2) Tactical (Short-term - Weekly) Mission Role Goals - Planning (What I have to do myself) - Delegating (Where I can be replaced) 3) Operational (Everyday adaptation) Operational planning is a just punishment for neglecting strategy. (The more of the urgent there is in our actionthe less of the important).

Delegating Competencies and Responsibilities

We can delegate tasks,

which we don't have to do inevitably ourselves.

The difference

between a single producer and a manager

lies in delegating. Producer (doing it myself, managing myself)

Manager

(delegating, sharing competencies, multiplying efficiency) –

we manage more people.

Types of Delegating:

Fetch it, do it

and tell me when it's done; don't do anything until I tell you. We delegate time = economy (do it instead of me). The nominee waits for what we order (this way only a few people can be managed).

There is a constant need for our control!!!

Administrator

represents an effective way. He or she focuses on results, manages him or her = managing through goals.

In this case we need to concentrate on effectiveness (not only economy).

We invest time to gain it later.

If you give a person fish,

you will feed him for one day.

If you teach him how to fish,

you will feed him

for the rest of his life.

Five Dimensions of the Administrator We need to clear:

1) Desired Results = WHAT (Concentrate on WHAT is supposed to be achieved, not HOW). Results not methods. Let the other person confirm what the result is to look like (feedback confirmation - it's not important what "A" said but what "B" heard).

2) Rules, guidelines in which the person is supposed to operate, possible limitation. (Let them decide what is important to do within the given guidelines)

3) Resources, which he or she can draw from in order to achieve desired results. (Material, immaterial, financial, technical, organizational etc.)

4) Responsibility (standards of performance, evaluation of results based on the criteria, deadlines, reports on progress etc.)

5) Consequences, what will they be as a result of the evaluation (good or bad).

Consequences can be:

Financial (reward or penalty)

Psychological (praise or reproach)

Opportunities (give or take away further education etc.)

Responsibilities (Promotion or suspension)

Administrator(stewardship) type of delegating

- requires more time to start with.

- If this time is spent effectively though, it is a good investment,

- It will help us move the "point of support" on the imaginary seesaw and enlarge the lever effect.

- At the same time it requires clear understanding (feedback) and a common interest to succeed.

The more mature the delegated people are the:

More daring results Less control on our side Higher quality criteria More growth on both sides

With less mature people (it can be question of age or experience) we can expect:

Less results Simpler results More rules More sources More regular control Immediate consequences