Finding Time for Time Management

Time management is one of those topics that is forever raising its ugly head. If only we could be more productive, more efficient, and faster, then our business and personal lives would improve.

The two biggest factors that negatively influence our use of time are:

• Bad habits, including lack of self discipline. Overcoming the inertia of these habits is not pleasant, but it can certainly be accomplished.
• Interruptions and giving them more attention and importance than they deserve

Richard Head

How do you overcome your own bad habits and, at the same time, limit the influence of interruptions that chip away at your time? Below are some tried-and-true ways of getting our use of time under control.

1. Establish a baseline. Before you know what steps to take, you first have to understand a few things about your personal time management style. Use a personal time log for one week to find out how you use your time. A simple paper form that you have with you at all times – beside your computer at work, beside your chair at home, carried with you into meetings, beside you in the car, and taken with you while shopping – will start the process.

Mark off your day in 15-minute increments and, for each 15-minute block, list how you spend your time. Complete the log as you move throughout the day so you don’t have to rely on your memory. What did you do in those 15-minute blocks? Write it down. Also, note your energy level during the same 15-minute blocks. When were you energetic? When were you bored? Which times of the day are you most and least alert, irritated, fuzzy, or tired? 

After a week of tracking how you spend your time and which parts of the day are your best and worst, you’ll have the start of a plan for devising an effective time management plan.

2. Set goals for the day and for the week. Decide what you want to accomplish each day for the entire week. Map it out and write it down.

3. Set priorities for each day and week. What are the most important outcomes you want to achieve each day? List them. Then, schedule those tasks for your high-energy times, especially if they take mental or emotional energy. Schedule “no brainer” activities for the times of the day when your energy drops.

Keep your calendar, organizer, or Outlook/Notes with you so you have a visible reminder of what you’ve got to get done.

4. Limit time wasters and improve productivity by using these strategies:

• Discourage drop-in visitors (i.e., “Got a minute?”) – Stand up when the visitor arrives. This lets them know you don’t want them to settle in for a long discussion. If you’re on a tough deadline, ask to schedule a meeting later with the person who has stopped by. When you do schedule, set a time limit for the “got a minute” topic that you know will take longer than a minute.
• Return non-urgent phone calls later – Apply the same principle here, if you can. If it’s not the boss and the call isn’t urgent, see if you can reschedule the call for later. Many calls can wait until you’ve finished your task.
• Check e-mail only periodically – Set aside a fixed time, for example twice per hour, to review and respond to e-mail. Consider turning off the audio that signals the arrival of new messages so you won’t be tempted to open them immediately. If possible, keep your responses short. Organizations are realizing e-mail can be a huge waster, so they are providing resources and tools to help employees handle it more efficiently. For example, e-mail auto classification software can be used to largely eliminate employees’ need to keep track of which e-mails to save and how to categorize them.
• Avoid using social media – Unless your company requires their use, don’t use instant messaging, Twitter, and other social media tools during the work day to eliminate the temptation of responding immediately.
• Delegate – One of our biggest problems is taking on too many tasks and thinking we have to do them ourselves. Delegating those tasks to one of your direct reports, or asking a peer to assist, can reduce the load and your stress. Delegation is an art, and learning it reaps huge dividends in the time management arena.
• Reserve time for yourself – Make sure this time shows up in Outlook as “busy” or “private.” Blocking out 30 minutes twice a day and closing your door can provide the time you need to get some concentrated work done.

Managing your time more effectively takes a bit of effort, but your improved productivity and the accompanying peace of mind make it well worth the investment.

For more tips and an in-depth treatment of how to get better control of your time, check out the following publications: How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakein and The Time Trap by Alec Mackenzie.

Richard Head can be contacted at richardehead@gmail.com.