Management Problem

Currently, my biggest management problem comes from lack of time and resources. I work about 50 hours per week and attend school in the evenings (either 3 or 4 classes, depending on the semester). Then, there are the necessities of life, such as sleeping, running errands and keeping a house together; and if I plan on staying sane, exercise and minor social activities should fit into the schedule on occasion.

Managing this workload, my time, energy and money is extremely difficult, and I have to constantly use my problem solving skills throughout the day and night in order to get everything done efficiently and at a level of quality that I’m happy with. Somehow I’ve been quite successful with it over the past couple of years, if you define success as achieving short-term goals and getting closer to achieving long-term goals. However, many people think I’m crazy, and that I can’t possibly be living an enjoyable life. So here’s where I’ll say, without getting too philosophical, that it’s all about perception, and one’s priorities and choices; and for now I get the most satisfaction in life from running it this way.



Biggest Obstacles

Work – I love my job, which has kind of turned me into a workaholic. This is especially true when I’m working on an interesting project that I’m passionate about. I would stay at the office for at least 12 hours per day if I didn’t have to go to school right now. I also have to juggle wearing many hats at a small company and dealing with a large number of both internal and external clients. As I take on new responsibilities, it becomes increasingly difficult to find someone who is willing and capable to take on some of the things that I don’t need to be focusing on anymore; yet another time management issue. All in all, there is never enough time in the day to feel satisfied with how much I’ve accomplished.

School – I basically end up rushing to class in the evenings, and usually getting there late because of something keeping me at work late. I do my homework/studying in the middle of the night, which tends to get in the way of sleep.

Life – I’m just grateful that I have friends and family who understand me and can still appreciate me even though I don’t spend much time with them. I really need to find better ways to stay in touch. Thank god for facebook, text messages and email. Without these things I’m pretty sure I would fall off the face of the earth. Other issues in this category would be the loads of money I spend every month on eating out, laundry service, dry cleaning and taxis. I simply don’t have time or energy on any given day to shop for groceries, pack a lunch, and sit in the laundromat for 2 hours… and unfortunately it becomes necessary when I’m rushing to class to hop in a taxi instead of relying on a subway these days.

Solution?
Everyone thinks I should take it down a notch; maybe not take so many classes or not devote so much of myself to my job, but I truly believe there’s a way to do it all. Generally, I can do it all. The big issue here is the fear of the domino effect. Everything is balanced, and even though it’s difficult to stick to at times, I’ve worked out a pretty good system by learning how to prioritize, multitask and delegate as effectively as possible in the given situation. What hits me hard are the little curveballs that get thrown at me, such as my apartment’s roof caving in, or my web developer bailing out on me mid-project. When things that call for unplanned resource allocation occur, everything else suffers in one way or another. I need something to fall back on; maybe a better network or foundations, but I’m not quite sure how to materialize these things at this point.

A brief intro...

My name is Alexandra Shaffer, and I've been asked to create this blog by my Management professor at Baruch College this semester. Hopefully I'll be able to add something of value to the topic, and fellow managers out there.

A little bit about me... I'm currently attending Baruch College for a BBA in Industrial & Organizational Psychology, while working full time for a Human Resource Consulting firm. I like to challenge myself and strive to be innovative in the process. I enjoy creating new things, as well as taking old products or concepts and updating or improving them. I like planning out projects and carrying them through to completion.

I'm interested in theories of management, leadership, human behavior, goal setting and accomplishment. My short term career goals are not particularly fascinating, but ultimately, I would love to own and operate my own high end restaurants one day. I'm a foodie above most things - and I think I would thoroughly enjoy combining that with business experience and creativity... I also don't mind the long hours if I'm enjoying it.

If you were wondering, I came up with the title for my blog while reading what I found to be a timely quote:

"The best way to predict the future is to create it. " - Peter F. Drucker