I've been busy, yes. With preparing for my internship interview (I'm happy to report it was a success), school, client project and my "other life" as a sales associate, this blog has been a little lonely. That said, I'm hoping to come up with some material over my much-needed reading week...that is, when I'm not re-folding sweaters and finding you those jeans in a darker denim and a smaller size.
Which brings me to some thoughts about time management. Working part time this year and throughout most of university has made me quite familiar with this term-- in terms of how I manage myself and my own tasks. But, this is only part of the time management process.
Everyone has their own personal time management style, but when you're in communications your own time management must mesh with the work habits and deadlines of others, the timely needs of various stakeholders, and the successful bridging of various reporting relationships. This, I imagine, is true in all facets of communications-- agency, corporate, internal, external, government, not for profit, and it goes on.
In any business, time management is essential. If you're married, have children, do volunteer work, have hobbies or are organized to enjoy all of the above, it's likely that in some respect, you have to box your life into manageable compartments at least some of the time.
However, because public relations has so many different strands and components, I'm betting that when I head out into the real world, time management will involve not only segmenting my own schedule, but also dissecting and taking into account the needs and time management strategies of others.
In this way, we've been well-prepared by colllege. Group work, particularly projects that involve external research or consultation, is quite possibly the best way to learn this skill in a school setting. You've got everyone's personal/work life to balance, plus your teacher's deadlines, the work schedule of your interviewee or venue owner and your other classes.
Like I said, this is good practice. After all, public relations isn't about relating with yourself. Sure, it involves dealing with the public (hence the title), but to be successful, it requires a sound intuition about people around you. Understanding the way they choose to manage their time, and subsequently adapting the way you manage yours, is a good start.
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1 comment:
Nice post, Emily! You've brought up a good point that time managment is not only managing your time, but respecting everyone else's as well. It's a vital skill for success, especially in communications and business, because if you neglect time management, it's likely that you'll lose clients and the support from colleagues and other stakeholders.
In my experience, I often became frustrated with others because they didn't respect my time or the organization's deadlines. As a result, I often thought of these individuals in a negative light. So I think it's in everyone's best interests to practice good time management and respect the other person's time too.
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