Leadership Skills

Time Management

Do you manage your time, or does your time manage you? Time management is the act or process of exercising conscious control over the time spent on specific activities or tasks. Time management requires 1) an understanding of the amount of time required for each task, 2) planning when and how to do each task, and 3) eliminating districtions and focusing on the task.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How much free time do you have each work day?
2. How much free time do you have each weekend?

How do you know the answers to those questions? Do you know what could change to allow you to have more free time?

Evaluate Your Time Management

Many people have multiple tasks and deadlines each day. Thinking about your workday, answer these questions:

• Have you been missing deadlines?
• Have some of your work been of poor quality?
• Are any of your projects over budget?
• Are some of the work flows or processes inefficient?
• Are you experiencing stress?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, you could use some help managing your time.

Making a Schedule

Below is a possible schedule for my position:

Notice how nice and tidy everything looks? Reality is more like the following:

Notice that all of these activities are important and related to my job; however they distract from the neat and orderly schedule that would allow me to focus. It ends up feeling as though everything is rushed.

Tracking Your Time

If you are unsure how your time is spent, then spend a few days keeping track. At the end of the time period, say a month, calculate your hours and see how your time is divided. My typical work day might look like this:

Tracking time is tedious, but it gives you a realistic sense of how you are spending your day. Try to write down what you are working on about every 15 minutes—that will give you the most accurate information. Trying to remember often leaves out activities.

Taking Control of Your Time

Now that you know your basic work schedule and how you actually spend your time, you may begin to gain control. First, though, you must consider these questions:

• Do you schedule your work hours?
• Do you plan your work day?
• Do you structure your tasks?
• Can you delegate anything?
• Do you determine priorities?
• Where can you say, "No"?

The more authority you have over your work day, the more control you will have. If you answered "Yes" to most of the questions, you have the authority to make changes. If you answered "No" to most of the questions, you will need to work with your supervisor to control your work day.

Scheduling Work Hours

The main purpose of scheduling work hours is to ensure that your work roles and responsibilities are covered. If you would like to shift your hours (earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon), work with your supervisor and coworkers to identify how roles and responsibilities will be covered in your absence.

You may also want to schedule your focused work during your peak times. Which of the following are your peak times?

• Morning
• Mid-day
• Early afternoon
• Late afternoon
• Evening
• Late night

Please realize that your employer needs you there to do your job. If your peak time is late night and you are the receptionist for an office that is open 9 am to 5 pm, your employer will be highly unlikely to shift to accommodate your schedule.

Planning Your Day

It is important that you plan every work day, so take some time in the morning to determine the required tasks for the day. Set goals on what you will complete, and make a list, if that would help you. Consider ways to reduce distractions (headphones, closed door, etc.) for the big projects that require concentration.

Around mid-day, reassess your daily goals and reprioritize, if necessary. Remember to eat properly, move your body, and take regular breaks. Right before the end of your workday, reassess your work. Leave your workspace tidy so that you may pickup where you left off. Leave your work behind and continue with it tomorrow. If possible, consider postponing tasks or delegating, as necessary.

Structuring Your Tasks

One of the components of time management is knowing how long a task will take. If it is a new task, you will have to use your best judgement. Schedule a chunk or block of quiet time to plan, work on, and assess the status of your project. If you have a long project, you may want to intersperse high-energy activities along with your focused periods.

Make lists! Keeping your task list in your head is exhausting. Make a list of projects, including deadlines. Use this list to prioritize activities. Also, check off completed tasks. If you have tasks spanning several days, try to break them down into manageable daily tasks so that you are making progress.

Keep track of your deadlines. If it appears that you cannot meet a deadline, let your supervisor or the project manager know. Those people may have resources that can help complete the work, or they may be able to postpone other activities so that major projects can be completed.

Delegating Tasks

If you have other people whom you may call upon, consider their knowledge, skills, and abilities before delegating a task. Remember to be considerate of his or her time, too. If you delegate a task, it is still your responsibility. Make sure that you check in with the other people so you know where they are towards meeting the deadlines.

Ways to Gain Time

One good way for you to gain time is to be aware. That means being aware of your strengths and weaknesses as well as your coworkers' strengths and weaknesses. You must also be aware of your organization's processes and procedures (so the red tape does not tangle you up). Understand individual people's roles and responsibilities so that you are asking the correct questions to the appropriate peole. Finally, you must be aware of your organization's mission, goals, and priorities so that you may align your work tasks.

Another way to gain time is for you to be responsible. That means being responsible for your health and well being (rest, exercise, and nutrition) as well as your work habits. Make sure that you produce quality, accurate work. It is your responsibility to avoid distractions and focus on your tasks, when necessary. Make your meetings brief and effective, because meetings tend to waste everyone's time. Finally, communicate with others appropriately.

Use time-management tools, and find those that will work best for you. Some people prefer paper calendars and planners, while other people prefer electronic applications or software programs. Identify those tools that you will use, and then use them.

Do some of the following:

• Use the first 30 minutes of each day to plan
• Adhere to starting and ending times
  (for your work day and for meetings)
• Schedule interruptions (chat times, calling doctors, etc.)
• Put up a "do not disturb" sign with an indicator of when you will be available
• Allow phone calls to go to voice mail
• Set automated reminders
• Allow a time buffer between activities
• Identify, eliminate, reduce, or schedule time wasters