Introduction
Generally, law enforcement units and military organizations are sensitive bodies undertaking various significant operations within their system. The nature of their functions requires proper planning and organization to make sure the intended objectives are met. Sometimes might require urgent intervention, while others may need more time to resolve. Therefore, the personnel must have a well-structured time plan enabling the prioritization of duties. Time management is significant in the US military and law enforcement because it facilitates productivity by scheduling responsibilities according to their importance.
Main body
Police departments are tasked with several responsibilities that require attention from the officers. Managing the jobs at once is always challenging due to variations in the time frame required to resolve them. Therefore, the management must plan the schedule to ensure all the duties are assigned and tackled within the stipulated period. Officers, through planning, would be able to group the work based on importance, thus improving their effectiveness in completing or managing the responsibilities.
Time management is important for the officers because it allows them to have a proper schedule to rest. Military and law enforcement professionals engage in technical duties that drain their energy and concentration (Taylor et al., 2019). The nature of their work requires the officers to remain active and balanced throughout. To achieve this, soldiers have to plan for an adequate number of hours to relax to increase their brain function, which is necessary to keep them rational at work.
Time management also allows US law enforcement officers to have adequate staff to attend to the needs of civilians. Generally, the profession is very involved, and several duties must be done, making the schedule tight. However, managing time ensures that professionals do the right thing at the required time. Through this technique, the soldiers can quickly respond to any situation that demands immediate attention and intervention. For instance, during a crime investigation, when the management level plan and schedules the time frame, the detective will have enough duration to collect essential and necessary pieces of evidence.
The professions require the officers to be physically fit to manage complex situations they might face in the line of duty. The essence of time management allows the staff to have spare time to engage in exercises that would ensure they gain the necessary strengths to perform their duties (Lockie et al., 2019). Bodily fitness is essential in increasing blood flow, improving mental health, and lowering the possibility of illness. Therefore managing time for workouts makes the officers strong and healthy, thus increasing their overall impact at the workplace.
Time management is an integral part of decision-making involving crucial military missions. Leaders use the Thirds Two-Thirds rule in most cases to enable the team to meet the objectives of the assignment intended to be executed. For example, supposing army officers are supposed to prepare for a given mission for six days, the commander in charge will scheme and organize for the preparation to take only two days, leaving the rest of the period for the subordinates to be ready. Managing time allows the officers to plan and complete the main tasks within one-third of the speculated time frame. The approach ensures soldiers have enough time to assemble the necessary arsenals for the awaiting operations.
Furthermore, time management allows military and law enforcement officers adequate socialization. Human beings are social, and the soldiers are not exceptional. Despite their tight schedule, planning their periods effectively would allow the professionals to have free duration to interact with their fellow staff and friends (Yu, 2019). The connection will make them feel part of the families, reducing possible stresses due to frequent isolation and lack of relationships with other people.
In the modern world, the advancement of technology has resulted in sophisticated crime activities, making it difficult for law enforcement officers to curb and fight criminality effectively. The police departments, therefore, are always in the race to solve the offense puzzle leaving them more committed and resulting in burnouts (McCarty et al., 2019). To manage the scenario, the management level has adopted some techniques to manage time, thus enhancing the effectiveness of fighting the growing misconduct. The methods ensure there are minimal errors while dealing with complex situations.
In the military, accuracy is essential when dealing with a critical situation such as a terrorist attack. To attain this, officers have to plan and prioritize their duties accordingly. When individual knows what is supposed to be done at a given period, they focus and give their best leading to greater output. Therefore, through time management, soldiers can effectively schedule themselves to enhance the ease and precision of eliminating the target.
In both law enforcement and military units, there is much expenditure that is undertaken to maintain the operations. Proper time management through adequate planning can be significant in managing costs incurred (Murphy, 2020). For instance, assuming the police officers are supposed to take one week of training, the organization will incur higher charges than if they plan and make the exercise run for three days. The practice will enable the management level to save and invest the available budget in other areas to improve the performance of the departments.
Moreover, time management allows military leaders and law enforcement officers to complete the assigned tasks quickly. In the professions, there are various operations to be undertaken from one period to the next. For example, police would be required to monitor crime activities, arrest offenders, intervene during disasters, and attend necessary training to boost their skills. All the involvements require the attention of professionals, yet the time is limited to attend to them. The management officials properly schedule the undertakings to ensure they are completed in time to allow room for attending to the next.
Summary
In summary, time management plays a vital role in enhancing efficiency and productivity in the US military and law enforcement units. It facilitates the prioritization of work based on the deadline. The technique allows officers to have an adequate period to rest, thus improving their concentration. Furthermore, it ensures there are professionals to attend to the needs of the civilians. The approach ensures soldiers have a schedule for physical fitness, which is significant for increasing their blood flow. It also enables leaders to make the right decisions and encourages the socialization of the staff. Time management allows police to overcome sophisticated criminality and accuracy during missions. Lastly, it helps organizations in reducing unnecessary budget expenditures and timely completion of assigned tasks.
References
Lockie, R. G., Balfany, K., Bloodgood, A. M., Moreno, M. R., Cesario, K. A., Dulla, J. M.,… & Orr, R. M. (2019). The influence of physical fitness on reasons for academy separation in law enforcement recruits. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(3), 372. Web.
McCarty, W. P., Aldirawi, H., Dewald, S., & Palacios, M. (2019). Burnout in blue: an analysis of the extent and primary predictors of burnout among law enforcement officers in the United States. Police Quarterly, 22(3), 278-304. Web.
Murphy, A. J. (2020). Making managers in the US military: the case of the Army Management School, 1945-1970. Management & Organizational History, 15(2), 154-168. Web.
Taylor, Y., Merat, N., & Jamson, S. (2019). The effects of fatigue on cognitive performance in police officers and staff during a forward rotating shift pattern. Safety and Health at Work, 10(1), 67-74. Web.
Yu, H. H. (2019). Work-life balance: An exploratory analysis of family-friendly policies for reducing turnover intentions among women in US federal law enforcement. International Journal of Public Administration, 42(4), 345-357. Web.