10 TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS AT WORK

by: Remie Longbrake | published: Sept 25, 2022

Time management is about working smarter, not necessarily harder or longer. It’s about creating a better work-to-life balance as well. Below are some tips to better negotiate time management so you can meet your deadlines, feel more in-control, and get your time back.

1. Prioritize your time

It can be helpful to use the ABC Method to plan your day and prioritize tasks in order of importance. An “A” task is my most important, must-do item for the day (or, if there’s more than one A task, label them A1, A2, and so on). “B” tasks are secondary tasks that are less important than A tasks – you shouldn’t move onto a B task while there are still A tasks on the list. And C tasks are those that are nice to get done, but it’s not a big deal if they don’t happen that day. Start every morning with this method (or you could do it at the end of each day, so you’re ready for the next day).

2. Do the priority tasks first

People often like to get the most unpleasant task ticked off the list first, just to get it done. Others like to get quick and easy tasks done first, just to feel like they’re achieving stuff. But it’s far better to prioritize in order of importance, regardless of whether it’s hard or not.

3. Set a time limit for each task

Once you’ve made a to-do list for the day, set time limits for each task on the list. This ensures you don’t let tasks expand to fill more time than they really need, and it keeps your day more manageable because you know what can realistically achieved.

4. Find your most productive hours

Productive people don’t fill every hour of their day – they know when they work best, and they make sure they get the important stuff done during those hours. Follow their lead and block out your most productive hours (be they in the morning, in the quiet of the evening, or whatever) for the most important tasks. Avoid filling that precious time up with meetings or less important jobs – which are better suited to other times of the day.

5. Try not to multitask

Multitasking is the enemy of productivity because you can end up not doing anything properly. Give one task at a time your full attention, and finish that before moving on to the next item.

6. Eliminate distractions

I love working from home, but I recognize that some people find it distracting. It certainly helps to turn off notifications on your phone or turn on your phone’s “do not disturb mode” when you need to and set boundaries for anyone sharing your space. (For example, by saying, “For the next hour, I really need to get my head down and concentrate” or “When my office door is closed, it means do not disturb.”) The same tips also apply when you’re in an office environment.

7. Learn to say No

Saying no – politely but firmly – is an art form, and if you can master it, you’ll feel much more in control of your time. Very often, it’s not even a case of saying no but setting expectations for when you can do something – for example, by saying something like “I can’t do this until next week.”

8. Build time buffers

It’s rare that everything will fall into place 100% of the time. Therefore, it makes sense to allow buffers or slight extension in your time to allow for tasks to get done fully on-time. This practice also allows for less complications when over scheduling can occur and limits multitasking too.

9. Collaborate

Allow others to help in tasks, especially those tasks that may be better assigned to other members. We often take on too much, so apply limits when able and try to focus on work that is truly within your parameters. Of course, take on responsibility, when at all possible, just try to allow others to assist when it makes sense to do so.

10. Use goals

It’s always helpful to have goals. These goals should include start goals, completion goals and incremental goals too. Setting goals allows for a timeline and helps keep you on track to completion. It’s also helpful to share your goals with your boss and those others on your calendar, such as Google, or Office so everyone involved knows your schedule, which helps with distractions, plus helps keep everyone on course.

In closing

The bottom line is the practice discipline and achieve a balance to your work. Over working can in fact decrease productivity and make you overly tired and stressed. Know your limit and allow others to assist in your workflow when it makes sense. Using technology such as calendars and spreadsheets can be good, however place limits, such as on time dedicated to emails. For more handy tips see our other articles dedicated to the workplace!