Time and Work Management Skills are essential competencies for all working people. Knowing how to maximize your time and multiply your productivity spells the difference between an effective vs. ineffective worker. Here are some areas that you need to focus on if you want your team to work smarter in order to save more time, energy and effort in the workplace.
PRIORITIZATION
Prioritization is the ability to concentrate and to put effort on the things that are important that will bring you closer to your team’s goals. It is one of the most important aspect in time and work management. To do this, you must learn to identify what is important and what is urgent or both. If you have a lot of things on your plate and feel overwhelmed, step back and pause. Assess your tasks and identify the most important and urgent work that needs your attention. If there are many urgent tasks or assignments, you can also ask your superior for guidance on what to prioritize. Doing so, will set you on the right path and give you less stress.
TIME BUDGETING
Once you have figured out what you need to prioritize, determine how long it will take to finish the task. We are all give 24 hours a day. Some of us work faster than others. Usually, we work faster on things that we find easy or are good at, while we take longer to finish things that we are not familiar yet or not interested in. Based from your strengths, weaknesses or past experience, try to carve out sufficient time for you to accomplish your tasks. Knowing how much time you need to accomplish each tasks will have you manage expectations better.
OUTLINING
Another way to accomplish tasks effectively is to make an outline. This method requires you to break down your work or project into small manageable steps. It’s like solving a puzzle wherein you put those that you are sure of until you recognize the whole picture. It also allows you to list down your ideas so you wouldn’t get lost or forget them in the middle of accomplishing the task. More importantly, it will help you avoid being overwhelmed or lost because you have a guide to fall back on anytime you need it.
WORK DISTRIBUTION
A work or project has a good chance of getting accomplished faster when others pitch it. If you have the privilege of having a team to work with you, you can distribute the tasks based on their availability and skill set. Delegating work appropriately will maximize your time and productivity. Knowing how to give instructions, set deadlines, track your team’s progress and follow up is critical when distributing work. You don’t want to delegate work and end up having to repeat it yourself due to confusion and error.
AUTOMATION
Make the most out of the existing work productivity technologies and tools that we have today. For instance, instead of lining up at the bank to pay bills, consider doing online transactions. Instead of manually recording, computing or emailing files, use file-sharing software and cloud storage. There are so many tools that you can use now to automate your tasks. Take that time to research, study and test these to ensure that it will make your team’s work better. This investment, if done wisely, will save you a lot of time, energy and effort in the long run.
In conclusion, no matter what your time and work management style is, there will always be a method that would fit you. The important thing is for you to invest the time now to study and try out time-saving and work productivity hacks. So try any of these methods and find what works for you. Good luck!