An Engineer's Challenge - Time Management

 If an engineer, scientist, or technical professional is asked what his or her biggest challenge at work is, what do you think their reply would be?

I'm not making enough money?
My boss is a tyrant?
Management does not support the workers?
Top three complaints

How about "none of the above." According to a survey by computerworld.com the top three main complaints (for software engineer) were:

Too much work (28% of responses)
No room for advancement (20% of responses)
Deadlines (20%)
Although this survey was performed with software engineers, according the results would likely be similar for most any technical professional, including Silicon Valley engineers.

The main problem reported is too much work, which translates into not enough time. If you think about it, all three responses were related to time. No room for advancement means that management isn't utilizing their time properly to staff their company. Deadlines; well, they're all about time.

Not enough time

In recent time management articles the author has examined methods of saving time that are valuable to the engineer. Here is important ammunition to add to the engineer's arsenal to harness time and step up to the plate on the professional and personal front.

Make a list of the tasks that you are required to do daily (include computer tasks such as checking e-mail, etc.).
Prioritize the list. Tasks that are "high profile" or require special skill should be at the top. Consider the effect of each task on both short term and your long term goals.
Think about what you contribute most to the organization you belong to and what skills you could acquire to enhance your position. The more important you are to your organization the more specialized your job will become (specialization=more time available=growth as engineer and as individual=peace of mind).
Determine if some of your tasks (especially redundant ones) can be performed by lower ranking personnel or by co-workers.
Turn weaknesses into strengths

Identify any weaknesses that you possess that could contribute to your problem (examples: often late for work, not a good listener, not well organized, miss work often) and rectify them.

Make an effort to understand where your boss is coming from and let him know what your concerns and goals are. If your organization uses a "performance review" study it and use as a guide to better work results. Request training in areas you are weak in.

Locate a mentor for tasks that you feel uncomfortable with or don't understand.

Doyle Matthews is a former U.S. Foreign Service officer and civilian radio engineer who has had over sixty-five visas stamped in a shoebox full of passports (including diplomatic). He has written four novels, two of which are in publication [http://doylematthewsnovels.com]

Nowadays, he spends his time between Los Angeles and Bangkok. The two "City of Angels" provide provocative material to populate his "idea" files for future stories and articles.