Time management for Mariners

In the 6th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC), Hon Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, interacted with students, teachers and parents on 29 th January 2023, at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. Pariksha Pe Charcha has been conceptualized by the Prime Minister wherein students, parents, and teachers interact with him on various topics related to life and exams. This day the PM spoke of time management. While it is very important for young minds to be trained in Time management, it is also imperative for sea farers to be skilled in this area.

Maritime sector especially in the Off shore segment, requires additional focus as far as Time management is concerned. The travesty specific to maritime is in managing time in too extremes. When the ship is anchored and waiting for the port call or during such times when demand of work is minimal, and also when ship is sailing and is on port operations, the approach to its management is significant.

It is said that an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. When you have enough time available on board, utilization of those time for your professional and personal work is very significant for work life balance. The devil of boredom and loneliness will not haunt you if you are busy and loneliness will not haunt you. This time should also be utilized for socializing, talking with fellow mates. The captain and the Chief Engineer has an important role here as leaders to engage with sailors and keep up their productivity. It is recommended that the sailors are given a personal planning template and actively discuss it and what they did in a team, which will impart the benefits?as accrued through Group Counselling. Converting his staff into a family is one of the leaders’ responsibilities.

The other side of Time management is on work planning especially during peak operating times. The Senior officer has to facilitate the juniors in work scheduling, setting up targets, feedback mechanism, smart working and in work prioritization.

For most of the junior, their ability to prioritize is minimal and hence senior leaders should teach them to prioritize. A template of Urgent, Very Important and Important tasks need to be jointly worked out and labeled such that the prioritization can be effectively done by the working individual

Another method used in management workshops is about the Eisenhower Decision Matrix Template. Its name comes from the 34th President of the United States Dwight Eisenhower. His humoristic statement‘’ I have two problems Urgent and Important, Urgent is not important and important is never urgent’’ Stephen covey in his famous book ‘’ 7 habits of highly effective people’’ took this concept and developed a matrix where he wanted managers to work on the important ones before it becomes urgent.

The model divides the work into Urgent and not urgent with Important and Not important and the Urgent and Most important become your to DO list (refer table). Many such management techniques are employed for time management and maritime community leaders should train themselves in these to make a happy and productive sailing.

Author: Mr Rajesh Menon

Subject Matter Expert and Executive Counsellor, Nevoxel

Founder - Executive Counselling

( Rajesh Menon is a maritime executive and he writes on organisational culture and executive wellness , and conducts counselling and training to corporate executives .

More can be known about him through?www.executivecounseling.in?)