Time wasting behaviour: how to identify and address it as the team leader

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to help leaders and managers understand what is going on behind time-wasting behaviors they see in their teams and support them in making productive changes.Design/methodology/approachTaken from Time Mastery: Banish Time Management Forever by Karen Meager and John McLachlan. This study uses an integrative psychology approach drawing on modalities such as transactional analysis, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), cognitive behavioral theory (CBT) and traditional leadership models, and integrating those with the authors’ practical experience working in organizations over the past 15 years.FindingsTeam members’ time management issues can be addressed if leaders take a more holistic view of their behavior. Traditional time management approaches do not work for everyone, so leaders need to tailor their style to adapt. There are some common time-wasting behaviors that are easily addressed, once identified.Originality/valueTaken from the newly published Time Mastery: Banish Time Management Forever by Karen Meager and John McLachlan, this study combines the psychology of how we process, communicate, and use time from a number of psychological methodologies and combines them with practical organizational case studies and experience.