Journyx Excellence In Project Accounting Philosophy Scholarship
2007 Winner: Rocco Costa

Topic: Persuade someone who doesn't want to track his time on a per-product per-activity basis as to why it is in his best interest to do so.

You cannot mandate productivity; you must provide the tools to let people become their best. – Steve Jobs

I would add to Mr. Jobs' observation that you can't manage productivity if you can't measure it. Persuading people to "become their best" at work depends on finding and meeting their needs. The "tools" for accomplishing this include using some kind of time management system.

Tracking the time spent on products and activities throughout the workday has many applications, most importantly as a cost-saving instrument for business. If a person can measure productivity within a given period, they not only know how their time is spent, but also whether it is the best "value" for the company. Both businesses and employees gain from this since workers can establish if they are functioning efficiently, and businesses can determine their deadlines, profits and costs on an hourly, daily, and even yearly basis. Enhanced productivity leads to maximized profits, which may then be distributed via promotions, raises, and even the creation of new jobs.

This tracking tool applies to all industries. Even the public sector - where measuring productivity and outputs is more abstract - acknowledges the substantial benefits. Nonprofits and international organizations increasingly look to such private sector methods as a way to improve efficiency and capacity. Their donors are beginning to behave like investors: they want to protect their "investment," determine what a service is really worth, and set deadlines for results.

Tracking time per-products and per-activities is derived from the principle mentioned earlier - you can't manage what you can't measure. In terms of personnel, it offers an unbiased, clear picture of a company's costs and profitability by gauging the output of individual workers. This lets managers make informed decisions about what helps or hurts the business. By determining a subordinate's productivity, they know the extent of their contribution and time management skills, which often reveals an organization's star performers.

When the formula produces unfavorable results, managers can pinpoint causes and solutions. This approach to tracking products and services answers the time-based questions managers ask: how labor or cost-intensive are the company's activities and products? Are they produced efficiently and as scheduled? Can they be simplified or discarded? Do certain activities or products deserve more time than currently allotted? Why isn't the company's or an employee's time being used effectively?

Despite our varied interests and occupations, there are two things everyone in the workforce would like more of: money and time. Even those who love their jobs with the utmost zeal will concede that one cannot live on enthusiasm alone (nor pay the bills). And who would refuse extra time to spend doing what they love or with family and friends? Since a business also wants to harness these two elements, its greatest control comes from only maintaining workers and/or activities which bring in more than they take out in terms of costs, wages, salaries, etc. The most competitive applicants are, therefore, the most productive.

People should be more aware of how they spend their day because it empowers them. Applying the tracking tool can be an eye-opening process, since the quality of one's work is often affected by the time dedicated to it. Once you realize how time is spent, you can best decide how to regulate yourself and prioritize work. Managers ultimately judge performance this way, and it's hard to dispute subordinates presenting tangible evidence of their productivity and time management skills (e.g. an analysis of per-product per-activity output). Not only should we recognize whether we are more of an asset to our company than a cost, but we should also know by how much. An accurate assessment of output translates into proof of value, which – we would hope – equals suitable compensation. And when it comes to pay and job security, it's no longer a matter of whether we can afford to track time on a per-product per-activity basis, but whether we can afford not to.

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