Learning to manage our time effectively can not only enable us to
complete required tasks on time, but reduce our stress in doing so! The
following is a list of 21 ways you can manage your personal time more
effectively: (I strongly suggest you commit this information to
memory!)
Set clear priorities in writing – and keep the list in clear
view of your working area.
Prioritize your priorities – if you have trouble doing this,
ask for assistance from a supervisor.
Develop a method of keeping track – you need to know what you’ve
accomplished that day so you’ll know where to begin tomorrow.
Don’t over-schedule your priorities – learn to manage your
calendar and set reasonable deadlines.
Start early in the day! – many workers waste the first 45
minutes of work with useless time wasters such as socializing, coffee
drinking, and trying to "wake up" – arrive to work ready to
begin!
Make yourself work! – You need to be responsible for being your
own task master.
Get others to help – lean how to delegate when possible. Don’t
try to be the "super-human"!
Work on the things that count – don’t waste your valuable
time working on things that don’t matter. For example, I once worked
with someone who spent an enormous amount of work time re-arranging
furniture! This was not a part of the employee’s job nor was it
beneficial to others in the office!
Listen effectively – See the listening unit narrative for more
tips on how to do this well!
Do creative work early in the day – It’s been proven that we
are better able to tackle creative projects earlier in the day than at
the end when we are more tired.
Make the phone work for you and not against you! – Some ideas
to help you here are: Have a set time during the day where you are
"DND" –do not disturb. If you can’t do that, then be aware
of "chatty" callers and have a standard reason you need to end
the call – an effective approach can be, "Suzy, I’d love to
chat with you – but I’m really busy right now. What can I do to help
you?" Or you might try using caller id on your phone and allow non
essential calls to be forwarded to voice mail.
Control your visitations – both in person and on the phone-
both personal and w/ co-workers. A polite way to end a visit is,
"It’s been great visiting with you – perhaps we can talk more
over lunch sometime."
Save time when traveling – be productive by bringing a lap top,
working on projects, using travel time to brainstorm for new projects,
etc.
Do unpleasant jobs first – if you wait until the end of the
day, chances are they won’t get done!
Minimize the paperwork – i.e. never touch the same piece of
paper twice. Evaluate it, make a decision, and either pass it on or
throw it away.
Do routine work when tired, later in the day.
Don’t waste time with day-dreaming – Stay focused on your job
at hand.
Go to bed early – The saying "early to bed and early to
rise" is definitely true! You can’t perform your best if you’re
exhausted from a lack of sleep.
Learn to say no -- if you’re not in a position to say no –
ask your supervisor for assistance in setting limits on how many tasks
you can manage in a day.
Consolidate – try to combine similar projects or tasks in order
to save time. Be sure and not skimp on quality though!
Plan a specific day for big projects—if you have a large
project, set aside a planned day to work on just that project. This is a
great time to utilize the DND process!
Why is Time Management a significant factor in one’s success in the
workplace?
Productivity is key – required to do more in less time
Open plan offices breed more interruptions
In addition to the 21 ways to better manage your time – what are some
other tools we can use?
Computer scheduling, calendars
Daily planners
Tickler file (work for future or requires follow-up)
What is a "Clean Desk Policy" and why do some employers
practice it?
Desk must be clean – no outstanding work displayed at the end of
each day
Why: Confidentiality issues, image – front desk especially
Has anyone ever been in the situation where you may have excellent time
management skills, but are working with a group or team in which one or
more persons do not have these same skills? – Is there anything you can
do about it?
10 Ways to Manage the Group or Team’s Time:
Delegate – and allow them to do it!
Provide a Job Description or written key expectations to each team
member
Train key people
Commit key people
Keep people informed
Have key people take the initiative to report to you
Follow up on the assignments given – don’t be over-bearing about it
though
Utilize the leadership abilities of others in your group
Show appreciation for accomplishment
Use the time needed for successful completion