Zeitführung

Zeitführung is a German term used in organizational and management discourse to describe the governance and use of time as a resource. It encompasses planning, prioritization, scheduling, and oversight of how time is allocated to activities in order to achieve objectives. In some usage, Zeitführung is used interchangeably with Zeitmanagement; in others, scholars draw a distinction: Zeitführung emphasizes the leadership and ordering of time within processes, while Zeitmanagement stresses techniques for personal or organizational productivity.

The concept is applied at multiple levels, from individuals managing their own workday to teams coordinating project timelines and organizations aligning time use with strategic goals. Core elements include setting time horizons and milestones, allocating time according to priorities, coordinating interdependent tasks, and monitoring time performance against plans. In manufacturing or service operations, Zeitführung may refer to the synchronization of work tempo and the sequencing of tasks to maintain flow and meet deadlines.

Relationship to related terms: Zeitplanung (planning of time) focuses on the design of schedules, whereas Zeitführung centers on governance and leadership of time as a resource. The term is not uniformly defined across disciplines, which can lead to varying interpretations.

See also: Zeitmanagement, Zeitplanung, Time management, Productivity, Operations management.