TMI US: Time Manager Q & A Corner

Time Manager Questions and Answers

Exaggerating Only Makes it Worse

People exaggerate about time—all the time. Well, perhaps they frequently exaggerate, but this habit is so destructive it tends to not only destroy trust, it also increases time pressures on the exaggerator.

People flat out increase the amount of things they have to get done. They say things such as, "I'll never get this all done." Unfortunately, these statements then make it more likely that that is exactly what will happen.

People lie about the amount of time they work. Mostly, they exaggerate the number of hours they put in. When they do need to work extra hours, it becomes the "normal time" they say they work. They are more likely to quit just when they need to work because all those exaggerated hours become too much. "I can't work this much," people will say and excuse quitting just when they need to focus.

People are not honest about how much time it will take them to get something done. "I'll be ready in five minutes," and it takes them 15 or 20 minutes before they are available. After awhile no one believes these statements.

People exaggerate the amount of work they have gotten done. Again, credibility is lost when this happens. Saying you've done something, doesn't mean you've done it!

It's important to be able to trust others about their "time stories." It's equally important to be able to trust ourselves. These "small" exaggerations many people engage in only make us distrust our own ability to do as we say. That's a big waste of time!

Janelle Barlow, President
TMI US

Please submit your questions to Time Manager Questions and Answers. If you have questions, undoubtedly someone else has the same question. By asking a question, you'll help a fellow Time Manager user become more effective.

Previous "Time Manager Q & A Corner" pages:

    #1 Key Areas and Interruptions

    #2 Daily Plans and Home Offices

    #3 Result Statements

    #4 Reading and Responding to E-Mail

    #5 Sending E-Mail

    #6 Filing According to Key Areas

    #7 Setting up Files for the Whole Office

    #8 Controlling Loose Pieces of Paper

    #9 The Value of Time

#10 More on Results Statements

#11 Managing Time on the Road

#12 How to Get Time with Someone

#13 The Downside of Goals

#14 Thinking Types and Time

#15 Feeling Types and Time

#16 Intuitive Types and Time

#17 Sensate Types and Time

#18 What's Real about Strategic Planning?

#19 What Does Being Strategic Really Mean?

#20 How Perception of Time Influences Goal Choices

    #21 The Four Immutable Laws of Controlling Your Desk

   #22 Decision Making and Cultural Groups

   #23 Paperless Office: Fact or Fiction?

#24 Exit Planning

#25 Speed: Does It Free Up More Time?

#26 Time in the 21st Century

#27 Open Office Plans

#28 The Costs of E-Mail

#29 How Do Senior Level People Manage Their Time?

#30 On Saving Time

#31 Paying the Ultimate Price with Time By Not Getting Enough Sleep

#32 Telecommuting and Productivity

#33 How Much Is Your Time Worth?

#34 Goal Setting and Change

#35 Making Career Decisions

#36 Controlling the Volume of Paper

#37 The Soul Catcher and Time Management

#38 Goals and Team Work

#39 Negotiate Better Goals for Yourself!

#40 Efficiency: A Plague or a Blessing?

#41 Computers and Time

#42 Culture and Time

#43 Performance: Getting What You Reinforce

#44 Punctuating Your Time With Small Breaks

#45 If You've Lost Some Good Habits...

#46 More Proof That Daily Planning Is a Good Idea

#47 Taking Time for Yourself

#48 Predicting Performance Problems

Please submit your questions to Time Manager Questions and Answers by fax or e-mail . If you have questions, undoubtedly someone else has the same question. By asking a question, you'll help a fellow Time Manager user become more effective.

Link to Time Manager

TMI US
8270 West Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89117

tel: 702 939-1800
fax: 702 939-1804
email: tmius@tmius.com