All 4 entries tagged Time Management

Challenge Accepted!!!

Hello

Deadline for next PMA is 16^th February, but that does not mean I should not finish it before Christmas. Actually according to my time management I was supposed to be finished with it today. Or at least have been using the feed forward. Why have I then only written 1000 words?

I know the time is tight and every hour counts this year. That should keep me motivated for keeping the time management- like the burning platform theory. I know all this why have I not kept my time management then?

One thing is to be motivated from having a deadline and thereby create the burning platform. Another way I get motivated by is to not know how to do things. Like getting or finding a problem which I can’t figure out from the beginning. Don’t know if there is a theory about this but I call it being on deep water when learning how to swim. The challenge in not knowing what you are doing and where I am getting thrills me. Maybe that’s what missing in a PMA? I am not saying that I don’t learn anything when writing a PMA and don’t find anything new either- because I do. But just because I know a little bit about the topic demotivates me a bit.

I think this is the same thing when doing a project in a company. Having routines makes you think in the same pattern. These routines are also causing the jumping to solutions problem, because you think you know the root cause all ready. The team might also get demotivated by doing the analysis process if they can’t see the point of it. It then might create bad solution for the company, just as it might create a bad PMA for me.

Don’t know the solution to this yet but I can see the challenge. In other words, as a good friend of mine would say, “challenge accepted”.

Rasmus Gejl Kristensen : 02 Dec 2011 22:46 |  Tags: Analysis Motivation Pma Time Management |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Good or bad time management?

Hi

Bad time management what is that? Is it the plan which is bad or the use of the plan which is bad?

If having a project, let’s say six sigma project, and you make a really good plan for that project. That plan will show the team and other stakeholders when things should start and end. It creates an overview of the whole project. There is a saying that you can drag a cow to a lake but you can’t make it drink. Making a plan does not secure that a project is keeping the deadlines. The team has to be faithful to the plan for it to be a success. We have been told this so many times and it is also pretty logical. Why do I then see stressed out people around campus? (Not only MBE students)

I have made a plan for my MBE year and I know how little time we have. This helps me understand the consequence of missing a day or more. Knowing this consequence should make me more focused, like the burning platform theory. I do work on my PMA’s and I do go to the gym while having the weekend off for some fun. But when doing this I feel like I am taking life to serious. Like I am missing out of so much fun but is that really the case?

Two of my goals this year are to create an international network and pass with a good degree. These two goals somehow interfere with each other. I could chose to only focus on getting a good degree and thereby focus on the tight time schedule. Or I could choose to close my eyes to this plan and be more focused on creating the right network. Which one is the best?

I think it is a balance, like always, between the two. Good time management is where you manage to have a perfect social life while getting a good degree. Bad time management is therefore to only focus on one of them.

Don’t know if I have a good time management or if I am too much focused on the degree. But I know that I will try to get the best out of my time here in UK. Having a good time management, or at least learn by doing, will help be doing this.

Rasmus Gejl Kristensen : 30 Nov 2011 22:36 |  Tags: Time Management |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Hello November

Hello

So two modules is over and two PMA´s needs to be made before November ends. Additional I also have to attend one more module in November which of course also needs one of those PMA. Above that I also have to grow a beard due to something called Movember. In know, me growing a beard is like impossible. November seems hard with all those PMA´s and modules, but that is nothing compared to me growing a beard. At least I can make a plan for how to complete the PMA´s and modules but I cannot plan to suddenly grow a beard.

Having started the first PMA ( the CBE) I learned how easy it is to start reading about a different topic and how hard it is to keep your plan. I mean all those reference which needs to support your ideas and answers are also the ones stealing your time. When I started my PMA I thought that I knew what my topic was about but after some rumble in the knowledge jungle it changed. Suddenly I was in doubt of something really basic which I learned from my BSc. That doubt might have taken me away from my question. I guess thats what feed forward is for?

Well one thing I know, is that I can only use the 40 hours set to be the normal timeframe for a MBE PMA. If I use more I might get less time for the other PMA but also less time for my project which is still unknown.

That was just another thing I also has to do in November- get clear on what kind of project I want!

So I will just say welcome to November hope you brought time with you :)

Rasmus Gejl Kristensen : 01 Nov 2011 23:25 |  Tags: Module Pma Time Management |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

What did i learn?

Hi Everyone

The first real study week at MBE is almost over and the question is now what have I learned? Maybe also how much have I learned? It’s a fact that I have spent approximately 90 hours of my life during this first week in this blogging moment. It would be great if all these hours was spend in only learning, or as Paul says “having fun”, but let’s face it I am only human and need to sleep and eat as well. I am also one of those who have a time consuming facebook account who needs my attention- it would be terrible to miss out a new status up date. Additional I also have the need to do sport, talk to friends, meet new friends, catch up with youtube and so on. In other words, the time I have is used for many different things, which I try to plan in my own time management program- my own head.

One of the taught lectures this week was time management, where one of the tasks was to identify how much time we used on study and not study. All my class mates responded really quickly on this small assignment by saying two numbers, while I was still calculating my own time. I ended up giving no answer L

This made me wonder, am I a guy who can’t plan his own time? Or am I just in a really organized class?

Before the lecture I thought I knew what I was using my time on, but after the lecture I felt the opposite. I did not have a clue about where my time went. The only thing I really could argue for was the taught lectures fixed on my time schedule. Is this bad? Or is this just normal?

If I look at it from another view, let’s say going to a party. A planned party is almost never as fun as an unplanned party- just to get a picture. Learning is fun at MBE, but is planned learning as fun as unplanned learning?

Also like Paul said, “if you don’t feel like studying, don’t do it!”, If I plan when I am going to study I think it would be followed by a high probability for not feeling for it- like the fraise “the grass is always greener on the other side”. Would it be possible to have an “unplanned” time management, where it is much more fun, and still come out with a good MSc result? Or would I be a stupid dare devil?

I mean, I know all the deadlines and also how much time we are supposed to use on each assignment, so do I really have to plan my whole week and have no fun?

Anyway back to the original question have I learned anything this week? If I read what I just wrote I have been doing the exact opposite of what I have learned this week. I got distracted and wrote about time management instead of what I have learned during this week. In other words I need to figure out what enabler I need to improve to get a better result so I in the future will be able to answer the question. I need to make a plan!

Rasmus Gejl Kristensen : 13 Oct 2011 19:01 |  Tags: Fun Learning Study Skills Time Management |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem