Time Management Techniques For Better Efficiency

Posted on Jul 9 2015 - 11:08am by Editorial Staff

Time

With the economy starting to boom and clients becoming international, businesses, small and large, have become extremely busy. Production is on a roll and profits are on the rise but even in such a positive atmosphere, businesses are struggling once again. The struggle is not to keep themselves afloat or stay in black, but actually to manage their time well so that deadlines can be adhered to and customers are not kept waiting. So, if you are one of the managers trying to fit everything into your day’s schedule, here are some time management techniques to help you out.

Priority Lists

The number one reason for our schedules being in disarray is that our priorities vary. So, if you are working one aspect of the project, your colleague is working on something else and your work is completely out of sync. A good way to address this is to create a common priority list so that everybody is working towards a common goal. Even if you are a sole entrepreneur, you are likely burdened with excessive work that needs to be done. A priority list helps you sort your work that needs to be done first as it is one of the most important time management techniques. This helps you work in a less stressful manner which ends up adding to your productivity.

Switch off your phone/email

Instant messaging, high speed internet, cloud computing have helped businesses stay more connected. But have also left those involved more distracted. The ping of the phone and an email alert are more disruptive to work than a disgruntled employee. Keep the devices away when you really want to get some work done and if you simply cannot, at least have a strict schedule for when you will check your messages/ email.

Avoid meetings where you can

Scheduling and convening a meeting are time killing tasks and unless you have a strong agenda, you will not gain much from a weekly meeting. If a meeting can be cancelled and the time reinvested in getting some work done, then it should be the top priority for businesses looking to manage time efficiently.

Delegate

All those who are overburdened with work by their superiors must ask the question, “Am I delegating enough?” Running a business is not a one person job and therefore, you must learn to delegate. In case, you lack confidence in your sub ordinates to carry out delegated tasks, you must look into your company’s training and development programs to see, what leaves them incompetent to handle tasks they should know. If all looks fine there, then the problem is with you and you are struggling to finish your work because you have not delegated enough.

Plan and Group

An important technique of time management is grouping similar activities together and executing them. So, if your work includes talking to your suppliers or consulting your customers on a daily basis, try and schedule these activities in groups which have a dedicated time slot say 3-5pm or on Tuesdays and Fridays and so on. This will allow you to concentrate on other aspects in the remaining time and work without distractions.

A smart trick here would be to take some time out before your scheduled meeting and make a short list of your expectations from it. This not only helps you stay focused during the meet but also lets you gauge its success soon after it is done; thereby helping you assess what you would like the outcome of your next meeting to be.

There are plenty time management techniques out there that can help you and your business grow, together with some efficient employee training methods. Managing time efficiently will not only help you increase your work out put and decrease your stress but also indirectly help your business increase its profits. Counseling on effective time management techniques is now a part of training and development of all fresher’s joining the industry but developing it as a personality trait is what takes you ahead.

About the Author

Editorial Staff at I2Mag is a team of subject experts.