How to improve time management

“Time isn’t the main thing, it’s the only thing” – Miles Davis, legendary Jazz musician.

Now, the likelihood is he wasn’t referencing how we should spend our working days to be the most productive we can. Most likely this like is a reference to keeping time musically, however, it works exceptionally well for productivity at work.

In this article, we review what time management is, why time management is important at work, and show you how you can improve your time management.

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What is time management?

“The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” - Stephen Covey, best-selling business author.

Time management is the process of planning and organising how you will utilise your time between different activities throughout your day. Effective time management is the process of working smarter and not harder, so that more can get completed in less time.

We all get the same 24 hours in any given day, and the most effective individuals can use these hours efficiently, to get the results they desire out of the day. For some, this may mean getting up earlier, to plan their day ahead but often, individuals with the best time management skills can account for each working hour and work closely with their schedules.  

Failing to manage your time properly, will harm your effectiveness and ultimately result in stress.

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Why is time management important at work?

“Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.” - Jim Rohn, Entrepreneur, Author, Motivation Speaker.

Time management at work is important because employees who can manage their time well, are a real asset to the growth and development of the business. You are also less likely to become stressed, feel burnt out, or overloaded at work. In contrast, those with poor time management often don’t last long in busy organisations either due to poor performance or suffering from the effects of stress.

Good time management requires you to make a mental switch in focus from activities (being busy) to results (being effective). Be sure not to divide your attention between many tasks, rather focus on completing a few tasks well, before moving on.

Remember – work smarter not harder, to get more completed in less time.

Effective time management has many benefits, including:

• Greater efficiency and productivity
• Excellent professional reputation
• A reduction in stress
• Ability to achieve important career goals and life events

Poor time management will have the opposite effect, and likely result in:

• Poor quality of work
• Missed appointments and deadlines
• A stagnant career with loss of progression
• Poor professional reputation
• Increased stress levels

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How to improve time management

"One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular." - Tony Robbins

So you now understand why time management is so important and the positive (and negative) effects it can have commercially. How do you go about improving your time management?

We have put together a list of 6 things you can do to improve your time management skills:

Planning – You must have good planning skills to develop and apply an understanding of your responsibilities during the task scheduling stage. Analyse a task and create a schedule for its completion.

Set SMART goals – SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) are a great way to give yourself a structured strategy to manage your time better. These goals are likely to be completed as desired, as they are well thought out and each aspect has been considered.

• Specific – What is it you are trying to achieve?
• Measurable – How will you know when you have completed your goal?
• Achievable – How likely are you to finish this goal, based on your current resources and workload.
• Realistic – Does this goal align with your other commitments?
• Timely – What is your completion date?

Prioritise – Assigning a level of importance to your different tasks, to ensure each task is completed in order of importance. This way, more important tasks are not left until the end where there is a risk of failing to complete them. You will need to understand how long each task will take you to complete and which are the most important tasks for you (or your organisation).

Stress management – Understand and be able to measure your own stress levels and make anyt necessary adjustments at work to help control your stress levels.

A few tips to help you control stress (and in return stay focused and motivated at work), include:

• Rewarding yourself
• Delegating certain tasks
• Taking regular comfort breaks when needed

Goal setting – A bit part of time management is goal setting. As we saw above with SMART goals, creating and completing goals on time, helps you stay ahead of your workload, ultimately helping reduce undue stress. As you complete these goals, you will feel a sense of achievement, which will further help to keep you positive and motivated to complete for of your tasks.

Communication – It’s important to be able to share your goals and plans with others in your team or organisation. As such, being able to communicate effectively is an important part of time management. Communication skills will also help you achieve your goals, through the processes of teamwork and delegation.

If you feel you could benefit from additional training to help you with your career goals and ambitions, call our dedicated team of Course Consultants on +44 (0)20 3198 7700 and they will be happy to talk you through our training options. Alternatively, fill out our contact form, and we will be in touch shortly.