Life and business move quickly and there’s never enough time. Yet, I’ve never met anyone who didn’t need to improve their efficiency and, a lot.

At the same time I don’t recall ever meeting anyone who didn’t think that overall they are pretty efficient. Maybe sometimes they’ll confess to procrastinate a little, but ultimately they are solid, work hard and get things done.

So, my observations don’t match people’s self-assessments.

Now, I could accept my judgment may be off a little, but frankly (and to be kind) the weaknesses I see are pretty blatant. There is no exceptional observation skill involved on my part. Here’s an example case:

Like many folks I spent a recent evening watching Hockey at a playoff party. Late during this event I was noticed and then approached by an experienced management professional who opened with, “About effective management…” This is generally never a good introduction for me to any discussion (sigh), but fortunately this proceeded quite well, as we supported the same team!

It seems my new acquaintance is a senior and successful management professional who works long hours and felt he had little more to learn in developing his own skills. Again, he was particularly convinced that his time management skills are par excellence and this was the root of all his and most others’ career success. Note: throughout this Blog we are specifically talking about personal time management.

Now, I would agree that time management is a very critical skill in almost every management role. However, it is one of many. The set of skills one must develop for any job (and their specific priority) should be determined by the unique needs of that particular position. More than this, no matter how good any expert feels they are within in their field of greatest strength, they can always improve. Even world-class authorities constantly practice, study and evolve.

Time management is a commonplace element in people’s lives where simple improvements can massively enhance effectiveness and productivity. Hence our obsession with “One minute this” and “Five minute that!” Yet how many managers (or individual contributors) have actually sat down, studied and invested in their ability to maximize the effective use of their time? And, of those that have, how many have followed up and implemented important changes? I have not met many.

My personal experience has been that as I either evolved in a particular position or was promoted to another, I was still able to make significant improvements in my own effectiveness if I periodically reviewed my time management practices. Something that does remain relatively constant is the process and method by which time is best managed:

• Plan time and actions. Simple action item lists ensure you “check off” the positive results of each day and spend a few minutes planning the next.
• Focus. Learn to do one thing at a time; be very Zen like and “eat when you eat!”
• Manage your energy. Healthy regimens are a must in diet and exercise, but recognize if you are ultimately a “morning,” “afternoon” or “evening” person with respect to your highest productivity and adapt accordingly.
• Avoid time wasting elements. Work when you work and relegate entertainments to breaks or private downtime.
• Leverage technology. Increasing arrays of tools are available that range from hands-free headsets, through speech-to-text software to mobile phones for use during (convenient and safe) periods of travel.
• Manage your mental health. The simple rule: don’t worry; just plan and act. Avoid negative elements and nonessential entanglements, recognize and celebrate what you achieve and simply re-plan missed goals to ensure success. Actively balance and separate your business and private lives.

Following such a regimen really requires self-discipline. Despite the simplicity of this process I have rarely seen anyone that routinely and effectively follows this simple method.

I believe that adhering to such discipline would remove the obvious stress and struggle we see in many individuals, be they managers, individual contributors or even folks not within the traditional work-force! So, how well do you practice these principles?

As for my new acquaintance from the Hockey party, he freely acknowledged he neither Plans time and actions (uses no simple Action Item list(s)), nor actively Manages mental health (not enough quality family time). And, I have seen this exact scenario in many other professionals.

Although my new friend requested I didn’t use his name, he thanked me for a recommendation and happily OK’d his mention in my blog. I wasn’t initially too pleased with him repeatedly referring to me as “the Management Dear Abby,” but on reflection (and as this wasn’t the first time I’d heard exactly this, before), I’ll take it as a compliment!

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh