The concept of time management refers to the process of planning and controlling the time allocated to a specific task or activity. A person who possesses time management skills is highly likely to be more productive than a person who does not plan a day meticulously. Time management is commonly used in everyday life to decide how much time should be spent on work or study, hobbies, sport, social life, and family. However, proper time management is necessary to manage any company effectively. The current paper discusses the significance of time management for professional nursing organizations. It also provides a brief overview of leadership theories and the differences between leadership and management.
To begin with, it is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of leadership and management. According to Zaleznik (2004), a leader is a person who inspires and energizes the subordinates to achieve a goal he believes in. A leader is marked with creativity and projects personal views and attitudes towards the surrounding people (Zaleznik, 2004). In contrast to a leader, a manager is guided not by desire or inspiration but by comprehension of necessity to achieve a certain goal or perform a specific task (Zaleznik, 2004). From this, it becomes apparent that the concept of management refers to the process of administering, whereas leadership is about inspiring people and making them comprehend the vision of a company’s creator.
The most critical of several leadership theories are the great man theory, situational theory, behavioral theory, contingency theory, and trait theory. At this point, it should be mentioned that my leadership style is best of all could be described by the first-mentioned theory. The great man theory implies that leaders are born, not made (Dugan & Komives, 2011). In other words, one cannot become a genuine leader if he was not born with a particular set of abilities and traits, including “intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability” (Dugan & Komives, 2011, p. 39).
According to this leadership theory, a leader could unexpectedly arise in case of an urgent and pressing necessity. In other words, a person might find himself in such circumstances that would help him to show innate leadership skills. A leader could be regarded as a hero or a gifted person who manages to accomplish goals even when no one supports him.
Nowadays, this theory is better to call the great person theory because the epoch, when only men were expected to run an organization, is over. Still, one of the most popular criticisms of this theory is that a decent leader should necessarily possess traditional masculine traits. At the same time, it seems fair to notice that a person with feminine qualities such as stillness and passiveness is doubtful to manage a crowd and get its attention. A leader is someone who shows an example to others and persuades them to follow it.
The example expressed by the leader might be adherence to the idea of time management and development of time management skills. A crucial role in enhancing these skills is played by constant self-assessment. An employee should start a working day by planning his further activities and analyzing what tasks should be done and when. Besides, it is essential to write everything down in a planner or notes on a laptop or a smartphone to not forget about deadlines.
Time management self-assessment also implies that a person should regularly check a planner or notes with deadlines to ensure that he follows a previously outlined plan. To decide if the chosen strategy to allocate time works, an individual should ask himself if the current task is the most important one and if he has enough time to complete it. In addition to that, it is essential to check if the current activity corresponds with the schedule and if there are any interrupting factors that could be somehow eradicated to increase productivity.
As it has already been said, time management is essential for the productive work of every person, company, and organization, including a professional nursing one. The critical task of professional nursing organizations is to facilitate the flow of ideas and collaboration between nurses, physicians, and narrow-profile specialists. Propper time management is essential for nurses because it allows them to provide patients with better care. Professional nursing organizations could help nurses develop skills related to time management via seminars, lectures, and masterclasses. These organizations might become a leader that would inspire others to practice time management self-assessment and improve skills of planning and controlling a schedule.
To conclude, time management is essential not only for nurses but also for all employees, regardless of specialization. In a commercial company, adherence to a schedule is controlled by a manager and a leader. However, every individual should create a plan of action and strictly follow it because managers cannot control every staff member. The administration of a hospital could monitor nurses’ performance in terms of time management. Still, professional nursing organizations are also able to motivate nurses to practice and evolve time management skills.
References
Dugan, J. P., & Komives, S. R. (2011). The handbook for student leadership development. Wiley.
Zaleznik, A. (2004). Managers and leaders: Are they different? Clinical leadership & management review: The journal of CLMA, 18(3), 171-177.