Principles of Self Management - Strengthening Anticipation, Deliberation, and Stress Tolerance

Self management is an underlying discipline thatas facilities and equipment, to promote balance,
applies the techniques of the managerial rolehappiness, harmony, health, and prosperity.
(planning, organizing, executing, measuring,Resource management:
evaluating, and adjusting) to personal activities.Resource management is about consuming
Hence, the personal competencies of anticipation,materials, supplies, and services effectively and
deliberation, and stress tolerance improve. As aefficiently. It begins with how an individual
consequence, an individual's ability to performconsumes resources, and how they influence
personal, professional and enterprishipothers to do so.
(entrepreneurship, leadership, and management)Resource management is about setting budgets
activities strengthens. Thus, an individual becomesfor resource consumption, and then monitoring
a role model for an effective and efficient workthe earned value - the budgeted cost of the
style to others.resource consumed to date. Negative variances
The scope of the self management disciplineresult from an insufficient budget or waste;
includes prioritization, time management, spacepositive variances result from an overly generous
management, resource management,budget or conservation.
follow-through, and stress management. It alsoIf time is the resource, then waste results from
means living by a set of personal values andinefficiency, and conservation results from
guiding principles.efficiency. Both productivity and efficiency
Prioritization:determine if results are delivered ahead or behind
Prioritization is about managing activities basedschedule. Productivity is the rate at which units
upon value. The simplest method is to apply theare produced within a time period; efficiency is the
Pareto principle (eighty percent of benefit comesratio of the work performed to the effort applied,
from twenty percent of the effort). However,and is the difference between the budgeted cost
the principle should be applied twice so as toof work performed and the actual cost.
address the top four percent of the activities firstParkinson's law states that work expands to
that account for approximately 64 percent of theabsorb the available time.
benefit.Follow-through:
The method is applied by creating a list ofFollow-through is about carrying an activity
activities and then assigning priorities as A, B, andthrough to its natural completion. It is easier to
C items - A having the highest priority, B havingstart an activity than it is to complete it
medium priority, and C having the lowest prioritysuccessfully. Natural completion includes
based upon contribution to value. The A itemsdetermining the consequence of an event or
should account for no more than twenty percentactivity once it has occurred by getting feedback
of the entire list, and the C items should accounton results. It includes both quantitative and
for no less than ten. The principle should then bequalitative information.
applied again to the A items as AA, AB, and AC.How an individual asks for feedback on their own
The AA items account for about four percent ofperformance determines what they expect from
the entire list.others. Follow-through starts with an individual
The list should be visible, reviewed, and updatedassessing their own performance, and then asking
on a regular basis. Attention must be given tofor feedback from others. Perceptions regarding
resolving AA items, and the eliminating of asan individual's own performance will differ from
many C items as possible.that of others. Ultimately, it's the feedback from
New items will be added to the list from time toothers that matters.
time, and the list should be recreated fromFollow-through is achieved by asking questions of
scratch as necessary. Old C items usually drop offconstituencies, either directly or indirectly through
in this process.surveys, in addition to whatever quantitative data
Time management:is available about actual behavior.
Time management is an extension of theFollow-through is also essential to prospecting
prioritization technique, but relates to theactivities. If effort is expended to identifying those
scheduling of activities. Time frames can differpeople with whom to build relationships, then it is
depending upon the types of activities and value,essential to follow-through to find what mutual
and can range from minutes to years. Timeopportunities and benefits actually exist.
management begins with how an individual laysFollow-through is extremely important when
out their own schedule, and how they interactproposals are issued. If a salesperson doesn't
with others.follow-through on a proposal, can a prospective
The key is to determine the time frame for eachclient or customer expect them to follow-through
activity, and layout schedules in blocks of timeon the account itself? Prospective clients and
with slots. The activities should be listed andcustomers are notorious for not following-through
prioritized, and then assigned to the slots. Scheduleto deliver results to unsuccessful bidders.
contingency should be allowed for by assigning upTherefore, bidders should always follow-through
to 85 percent of the available slots. That way, ifto find out status, criteria, and reasons for both
there are overruns, or if unanticipated eventsacceptance and rejection, so that they can
occur, there is some room within the schedule toimprove in the future.
accommodate extra activities. Priorities should beStress management:
reviewed regularly.Stress is human body's response to demands
An individual should be careful aboutmade on it. It is the response to pressures from
communicating with others with a different timeresponsibility, to both real and imaginary threats
perception. For example, strategic planners thinkfrom people, and to fear of potential negative
long-term, but production staff tend to thinkevents and activities. Stress arises when an
short-term. An information technology strategyindividual moves beyond their comfort zone - their
may take five years to implement, but theboundary for risk tolerance, especially when
response times of resulting systems may besituations appear out of control.
have to occur within seconds, or fractions ofPositive stress has a facilitating effect on activity;
seconds for process control systems.negative stress has a debilitating effect. Negative
Space management:stress must be overcome otherwise illnesses can
Space management is about arranging physicaldevelop. Individuals who are self-motivated
layouts ranging from desktops to entirechallenge the debilitating effects of stress by
communities. It begins with how an individual laysmoving to action.
out their own workspace, and how they interactStress reduction techniques include:
with others. Space management is based upon- Exercising and relaxing
communications needs and workflows between- Eating a balanced diet
related parties.- Getting a good night's sleep
The further parties are located from each other,- Avoiding alcohol and drugs
the less they are motivated to communicate,- Involving a support system, such as family or
especially if they are on different time zones.teammates
Crises are the exception, and actually forceBy applying the techniques of planning, organizing,
parties to communicate. Effective globalizationexecuting, measuring, evaluating, and adjusting, an
requires establishing strong communicationsindividual translates mindset into action and
capabilities between the various parties around thebecomes self-motivated.
world.Personal values and guiding principles:
In urban areas, it is usually necessary to denselyPersonal values and guiding principles form a
pack people, equipment, and inventory into smallsystem of beliefs that set expectations for
facilities. Some individuals are bothered by theindividual behavior and decision making that can be
close proximity of people and objects aroundapplied to personal, professional, and enterpriship
them, and the potential for background noise,activities.
whereas others are not. Music can be used toAn individual's attention self management is a
reduce distractions from background noise, anddeterminant of their suitability for advancement. If
create ambiance.an individual can't manage their own affairs well,
An individual should be careful aboutthen how can they be expected to manage
communicating with others with a different spacesomeone else's?
perception. For example, strategic planners thinkEntrepreneurs, lifestyle enterprise owners,
globally, but others may think locally. An electronicexecutives, and managers must balance both
product design may require large drawings thatlong-term and short-term mindset with action to
represent components that are fractions ofensure that important items get done on a timely
millimeters apart.basis, without losing focus on the future.
The Chinese practice of feng shui is becomingSelf management is an enterpriship
more popular in the West. Definitions vary, but in(entrepreneurship, leadership, and management)
general the practice relates to organizingcompetency.
environments and the objects within them, such