When it comes to being productive at work, it can take a lot of work to stay on track for 8 hours a day. If you let yourself get distracted from goals or priorities or with new tasks that land on your desk, you can start to feel overwhelmed with everything on your plate. Practicing good time management skills can help you keep up with demands and feel confident that you’re going to meet your deadlines.
Goal Setting
Setting goals is a great way to make headway when you’re feeling in a rut and can give you the boost you need to get where you want to be. Without goals, getting through tasks and projects can start to feel mundane and useless. Strategies such as SMART goals can help you bring focus and reason to what you’re doing as well as help you manage day-to-day tasks.
Prioritization
Efficiently prioritizing your tasks from day to day can seem like it’s intuitive. But many people are actually just prioritizing what is in front of them or tackling tasks that are easier or less mentally taxing. But by doing this you are actually pushing larger tasks aside until they become urgent.
Leadership Coach Alexis Haselberger “There are a number of factors that go into prioritization, primarily: importance and impact, urgency, difficulty and complexity, and deadlines.”
Take time at the beginning of your day to look at all of your tasks and projects and decide what you can tackle. What are your upcoming deadlines? What are some easy tasks you can use to start your day before focusing on more complex items? Are there any to-dos that your co-workers on you to complete?
Scheduling
If you're like most people, you probably have a lot on your plate. One way to manage your time is to schedule your workday. This means setting aside specific blocks of time for each task you need to complete. For example, you might set aside two hours to work on a project, two hours for team collaboration, or two hours for meetings.
Scheduling your workday can help you make the most of your time and get everything done. But it's important to be flexible, too. If one task takes longer than you expected, you can always adjust your schedule accordingly.
Delegation
One of the most important skills you can learn in the workplace is how to delegate tasks. When you're able to delegate effectively, you'll be able to get more done in less time and with less stress. Plus, your team will be more engaged and productive. So how do you delegate tasks effectively? Here are a few tips:
- Be clear about what needs to be done. The first step is to be clear about what needs to be done and what the expectations are. When you're clear about the task at hand, it will be easier to delegate.
- Choose the right person for the job. Not everyone is good at everything. When you're delegating a task, make sure to choose the right person for the job. Consider their skills, knowledge, and experience before making your decision.
- Set a deadline and follow up accordingly.
If you're looking to be more productive, managing your time more effectively is a great place to start. By learning some simple time management skills, you can make the most of your time at work and get more done. This article provided a few tips to get you started. For more helpful workplace tips, be sure to check out our blog.