Time for Internals
Last week, lesson plans included
identifying self-awareness, including the aspect of attitudes toward change of
which locus of control is part. Yukl (2013) includes locus of control, internal
and external, as a specific personality trait that is linked to and relevant
for effective leadership. Internals believe their life events are governed “by
their own actions”, not “by chance or uncontrollable forces”, the belief of
externals (Yukl, 2013, p. 140). As such and as noted by Whetten and Cameron
(2011), in order to maintain control internals are more prone to adopt methods
aimed at both accomplishing goals and eliminating or reducing the primary cause
of stress in management, time. In order to understand how each element connects,
assessing time management skills provides an elementary beginning point to see
how time management skills affect locus of control.
My locus of control assessment score
indicated my ranking, when compared to that of 5,000 students fell in the
second quartile (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). From an interpretive standpoint,
since my score of four is lower than the average score, I am an internal;
something I have known for as long as I can remember (Whetten & Cameron,
2011). Internals often employ strategies such as preparing, planning, fostering
resiliency, and organizing in order to not only control life events; but, to
focus on actions deemed to be either important or non-urgent (Whetten and
Cameron, 2011). “Important activities … produce a desired result… urgent
activities… demand immediate attention” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 121).
Since internals like me plan, important matters are scheduled to be addressed
so that they do not become urgent matters; thereby eliminating the stress that
accompanies having to constantly react to situations wherein too much is
required within an insufficient time-frame (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). Having
identified my locus of control, I was able to assess my time management skills
by completing the diagnostic.
According to the scoring key of the “Time
Management Assessment”, my total score is 118, with a score of 59 for each
section (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 164-165). My score falls within the
top quartile. These results are not surprising. I am a planner. Whether I am
organizing a day of household chores, or setting up my daily, weekly, and
monthly tasks at work; I plan. I am completely aware that the ‘best laid plans
of mice and men often go astray’; however, for the most part, planning and
organizing help me to achieve results; and, more importantly avoid the stress that
comes from the occasional procrastination. My grandmother had a saying, “act
like a bee stung you”. Those words are never too far removed from my thoughts
whenever I am tasked with incorporating activities into my routine. Whetten and
Cameron (2011) list 40 techniques, applicable to personal and managerial
situations. Of the first twenty, I do or have done all but two, Rule 8 and Rule
18 (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). These techniques serve as a foundation upon
which I have come to rely, especially since returning to school, joining
several community organizations, and tutoring my son.
Think about how one reacts when
stung by a bee. It’s an immediate response, not delayed. This is how I approach
time management. With school, the first step I have always taken is to print
out the syllabus and highlight test and project due dates. This allows me time
to establish reading and other deadlines, like completing rough drafts,
outlines, or finding additional sources. By planning ahead, I avoid situations,
such as a book not being available, trying to skim read in a hurried fashion,
and missing important details for a rough draft. I write down my notes for
assignments. I prioritize projects. Additionally, while I am working on a
paper, I generally do smaller jobs, like laundry or dinner preparation. Similarly,
community groups, like the local Republican club, the American Association of
University Women, the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce, Palm Coast and the Flagler
Beaches, and the city’s code enforcement board, provide me with the chance to
organize my schedule so I can take a break from school and focus on other
topics. Many times, this gives my brain a break and allows it to work on
problems in the background. I put meetings on my calendar. I print off meeting
agendas and read any accompanying documents. I make notes of ideas or issues to
discuss. Finally, I plan time in the evenings so I can tutor my son. We go over
Spanish assignments, FCAT test preparations, and ACT sample tests. Setting a definitive
time helps me to bring other tasks to completion or a stopping point. Although
planning has been a part of my life for more than four decades, I am always on
the look-out for ways to improve my scheduling process.
We live in a world of e-mail and
e-calendars; and, while I have become proficient with one, the latter requires
more attention. As a way to improve the integration of my school, community
groups, and tutoring, I will be making better use of the tablet device given to
me as a Christmas present. I plan to create and maintain an electronic calendar
and make use of the notes feature to have a central and portable location for
my daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. This will give me more control and reduce
stress, as my time management will become more effective and efficient, which should suit
the traits of an internal quite nicely.
References
Whetten, D.A.
& Cameron, K.S. (2011). Developing
Management Skills. (8th ed.). Upper
Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
Yukl, G. (2013).
Leadership in Organizations. (8th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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