Time is a precious commodity, and it is especially so in working life.
Managers unanimously complain that they don’t have enough time in the day to effectively manage their teams, handle their workload and attend to customers.
While the workload likely won’t be reduced, there are tried and true tips for time management that can help you be more productive with the time you have.
Here are some tips taken from our time management training courses.
1) Make a daily schedule
Things often come up and we end up spending more time on projects that we intended to.
To make sure you get everything done that you need to, make a daily schedule where you allocate time to a specific task.
2) Focus on priorities
You can postpone organising your filing cabinet to another day, but calling a VIP client cannot wait.
Focus on doing the most pressing tasks first, leaving time to focus on other items during less busier times.
3) Cut out timewasters
It’s compelling to check your social media account or return a text from a friend, but to be productive, you should put your phone or mobile device away and focus on the task at hand (at least until your break).
4) Delegate
As a manager, you have the benefit of assigning tasks that your team can handle, thereby opening up more free time for yourself.
Don’t be a micromanager and think you are the only one that can really handle important tasks—that way of thinking will never allow you to stop feeling overwhelmed.
5) Don’t multitask
It may seem like you need to work on multiple things at once, such as writing an email and participating on a conference call.
However, it’s been proven that multitasking simply doesn’t work.
You’ll likely miss an important piece of information during the call or make a mistake in the email, costing you more time to fix it later.
6) Don’t be perfect
Accept the fact that you will never be perfect, and strive to do a great job, but not for perfection.
Doing so will hold you up in constant revisions and not let you move on to something else.
7) Learn how to make quick decisions
Making quick decisions is an important skill that managers require.
Train yourself by allowing 10, than 5, than 1 minute to say yes or no to a certain task.
8) Give yourself a break
It may be tempting to work through lunch when you’re on deadline, but the fact is that our brain is only able to work for so long without a break until it starts becoming less alert.
Studies show we need to take a break every 90 minutes to be productive.
Thanks again
Mark Williams
Senior Management Trainer and Consultant
Updated on: 12 March, 2019
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