Let Me Share My Own Method of improving Time Management, by Breaking....

Let me share my own method of improving time management, by breaking down the abstract concept of time management into 3 areas to tackle. This has proven extremely effective for me in the past.

In the world of management consulting, especially when it comes to consulting in the manufacturing sector, there is a concept we focus on quite a bit, called OEE.

OEE stands for “overall equipment effectiveness”, and helps to break down the problem of improving the effectiveness of a machine into simple and relatable terms.

There are 3 constituents of OEE: availability, utilization and productivity. Simply put, improving the effectiveness of a machine boils down to improving the amount of time the machine is available, improving the percentage of time the machine can be utilized when it is available, and the productivity of that machine when it is being utilized.

Let us apply the same concept to our own lives.

• Availability: The number of hours per day available to a human being to be utilitized are basically 24 hours minus the number of hours the person needs to sleep. This is because sleeping is an essential activity, without which the human brain cannot work. The number of hours one needs to sleep optimally is a debatable topic, but let us assume that 8 hours is the optimum figure. I believe one can function well with less sleep also, but most research says 8 hours is the optimum sleeping time, so let us go with 8 hours. Hence, the number of hours available to a person can be maximum 16 hours. If you are sleeping for more than 8 hours, you are simply wasting time. That is the first lever to improve your time management skills.
• Utilization: Now that you have 16 hours available in a day, how many hours do you actually utilize? For the sake of simplicity, let us assume that when you sit on your desk to work, or when you take out time to pursue some hobby, you are utilizing your time. The only time you are not utilizing is the time spent without doing anything. The idle time spent lying around. Reduce or eliminate your idle time. Ensure you always have something to do in your time, be it work, hobbies or meeting friends. That is the second lever to improve your time management skills.
• Productivity: Now that you are utilizing your time doing an activity, how productive are you actually? If you spend 3 hours sitting at your desk working, do you actually get the output worth 3 hours or do you get an output worth only 2 hours? In my mind, this is the trickiest lever to resolve. How do you ensure that you are being productive? There are two aspects to productivity.
• Being able to concentrate well - I strongly believe it all boils down to your mental space. If your mental space is clear and less cluttered, you will be more productive. If your mental space is filled with irrelevant thoughts, negativity, or a lot of emotion, you will be less productive. Get rid of negative thoughts, get rid of irrelevant emotions, and get rid of distractions. And you will find yourself improving your concentration.
• Planning your time well - Every activity has a different perceived value. You might have utilized your time fully and also concentrated well on the activity, but just choosing the wrong activity will reduce your productivity. Plan your day ahead so that you can cover all the activities that you want to pursue, be it work or hobbies. Plan ahead, and plan well.

The human brain is very complex, and we tend to get lost in the complexity. But if you simplify the human brain and think of it like a machine, you will find yourself much more capable of mastering your brain and thus your time.

-Rohan Jain,IITK, 2011-2015, IIMA 2015-17