Page 42 - Time Management

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A Few Myths About Managing Your Time
Also keep in mind that time expectations differ even within a
country. Someone from a metropolis such as New York thinks
very differently about time than does someone from little 27
Seekonk, Massachusetts. A person from the Midwest embraces
different values about chronology than one from the Northeast.
Who’s to say that any one style is better than another?
Americans who visit Italy often go crazy at the inefficiency,
while Italians argue that Americans are obsessed with things
and organizations, rather than people.
Even corporations themselves have individual “cultural” atti-
tudes about time. Within some companies, a more casual and
less hierarchical culture may place a higher value on creativity
than on efficiency. Many high-tech firms depend more on
research and development—on nonlinear ways of thinking—
than do more traditional kinds of businesses.
The key is to adjust to another culture’s style, to help others
adapt to yours, and to find strength within your own cultural
systems while remaining open to borrowing from others.
Like the other myths about time management, believing that
only one style fits all is self-defeating. On the other hand,
accepting that you can manage time within the framework of
your own personal style may liberate you to find the joy in a
well-organized life and overcome the barriers that may be keep-
ing you from achieving success you deserve at managing time.

Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 2

❏ Myths about time management can erode true commit-
ment to an organized lifestyle.
❏ Time management is not merely a label for obsessive
behavior.
❏ Time management is, in part, a tool for stress reduction,
both in the workplace and in one’s personal life.
❏ Rather than stifling creativity and pleasure, time manage-
ment can, in fact, create opportunities for them.