It seems like the business world moves faster with each passing day. With the speed of business in today's competitive environment it is critical that you are able to learn how to effectively manage time.
While over-scheduling can lead to a lot of frustration and stress, there are some simple things you can do to help you figure out how to effectively manage time. Once you start to get a handle on your own schedule you will start to see some noticeable improvements in your productivity.
To-Do Lists
Most days are made up of a series of things that will need to be handled. These tasks can range from returning phone calls to completing reports, to preparing a proposal for an upcoming client meeting. In order to make sure the most important tasks get done you should take time at the beginning of each day to prioritize what the most important tasks are.
Without some way to prioritize your list, every item takes on equal importance. You could easily spend time working on a task that is not very important, while leaving items with looming deadlines undone. This results in those unfinished tasks being rushed, and typically done at a lower quality.
Schedule Blocks of Time
Once you have determined which tasks are higher priorities, you need to get them onto your daily schedule. Too often time is wasted on working on last minute projects that could have already been done if they had been scheduled.
Schedule your tasks into blocks of time, being sure to allow for some flexibility. If you over-schedule, it will be more difficult to handle those last minute or urgent tasks that have a way of turning up on your desk. Make sure you leave room so you can handle last minute additions.
Delegate
One of the biggest keys to getting more done is to learn to delegate some of your tasks to your employees. While you should not get into the habit of dumping all of your work so you don't have to do it. Delegating is an effective way to get tasks that could be handled by others off of your to-do list.
Organize
Studies have shown that the human mind works best when it can concentrate on one task at a time. When your area is overly cluttered your eyes will be drawn to all of the items on your desk, and you will start thinking about the other tasks that need to be accomplished.
It is a good habit to find a place to put unfinish or pending tasks so that they are out of sight. When you finish with what you are working on, put it away and you will have more room to work on the next project on your schedule.
Don't Be Too Accessible
The biggest problem with an "Open door" policy is that people have a tendency to abuse it. Co-workers and subordinates will stop by your office for a chat, or will spend time going over things that you may or may not have on your schedule of daily tasks. You should let people know that although you are available if they need you, you are not available for random visits.
Another intrusion on the daily schedule is the telephone and email. Many business people allow all calls to go directly to voice mail, where they can be retrieved and replied to at pre-scheduled times. Simply set your message t let people know what time you will be returning calls. That way they can be available if they need to talk to you. If they don't need to speak to you directly they will be able to leave whatever message they needed to get to you.
Learning how to effectively manage time is critical if you really want to use your time more better. Prioritize your tasks and get them onto your daily schedule, and your productivity will soon reach an all time high.
