Master the minutes.Reclaim the hours.
Office Productivity Tips
Tested Time Management Techniques
- Know your rhythms. Everyone has a time of day when they feel their best and most productive. Utilize that time to tackle your most difficult tasks and involved projects. You will complete the tasks in less time when you are energetic and clear headed. On the flip side, know your “slug” time, the time when your brain shuts down and you have less energy. Use this time for activities that don’t require a lot of thought (filing, house chores etc.).
- Make a plan for the day. Start with the items that are important that you get done. Dedicate your most productive time to those tasks that are important. The biggest time waster we face is completing non-urgent, unimportant tasks during our most productive time.
- Stop multitasking. Yes, we know that in your last job interview you claimed to be “a great multitasker.” Now we’re asking you to stop it. Why? Recent studies of self professed “expert multitaskers” found two things. One, the multitaskers did not complete their tasks any faster than the non-multitaskers. Second, the multitaskers actually preformed poorly as compared to their non-multitasking buddies.
- Schedule a time for calls and emails. Taking calls and emails as they come in is sucking your time. It also pulls you in wildly different directions as you rush to complete each request, only to receive another email requesting something else. Set a time (or times) each day to take care of your calls and emails.
- Know when to say no. Your time is precious. Commit only to obligations and activities that are important to you. It’s alright to say no now and then.
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