Learning Time Management at Work
No matter what profession you are in, if you are looking forward to a long and successful career then time management at work is something you have to master. Time is a fixed resource and because tasks need to be completed within schedule, this means your job performance depends largely on good time management at work.
While some professions are simply more demanding than others and require more working hours, anyone can benefit from improving time management at work. One of the first steps to using your time better is to get rid of time-wasters. Below are tips to help you get started on good time management at work:
If you are supervising a group of workers, make sure that you organize meetings only when it is necessary. Otherwise, you will be wasting everyone's time. If there is a valid reason to gather everyone for a meeting then stick to the agenda and be straight to the point. You should always have a time limit because discussions can go on and on.
Personal internet surfing while at work is also an issue in many offices. If you are guilty of this, you need to practice discipline in using the internet only for work. On the other hand, if you are struggling with time management at work because other people are always disturbing you then do not hesitate to let them know that you are busy or that you are trying to meet a deadline. Just be polite when you say this to avoid hurting anyone.
Likewise, try to keep your phone conversations short.
Organizing your communication is another step to better time management at work. Control the time you spend in responding to emails and phone calls. Instead of answering each communication right away or as soon as you receive them, try to set aside a specific time for this, unless your urgent response is really needed. Try to complete the tasks you have at hand first and then afterwards, get back to the people who called you and answer your emails.
Successful time management at work would sometimes require that you ask other people to help you out. There are essential tasks that you need to accomplish but there are also routine work that perhaps someone else with a lighter work load can do. It is also smart to delegate work to someone who you know can do the job better than you and finish it at less the time. Understanding daily job responsibilities is important in time management at work. This will help you plan your work schedule and look for ways to become more efficient.
