Strategic HR Technology Investment: A Comprehensive Checklist for Global HR Teams
Did you know that only 20% of people feel that they have their workload under control daily?
Let’s begin by imagining A Day in the Life of a busy professional.
Wake up in the morning and check the day’s to-do list, only to realize that there is a lot more to do than there are hours in a day.
Sounds relatable? That’s where effective time management comes into play!
Gone are the days when multitasking used to be one of the highly desirable employee skills. Today, multitasking is viewed as prioritizing quantity over quality. And that doesn’t work in the professional world.
To avoid delivering substandard results, there is a need to learn to utilize the time you have to its maximum potential. That is why time management has emerged as a critical life skill to have.
By managing your time instead of letting it manage you, you can ensure higher productivity and quality, impacting your professional reputation. And who knows, you might even reclaim those lost hours for some well-deserved ‘me time.’
Here, we will discuss the top seven time management hacks that will enable you to efficiently use the time you have and boost productivity.
It is easy to feel stressed in a demanding world where to-do lists seem to only get longer and juggling tasks feel like an uncalled-for adventure. The good thing is that not all tasks are created equal. Some are always more important than others. Prioritizing those high-importance tasks is a vital strategy that boosts productivity.
Once you have established your daily work goals, you must categorize them, ranking them in order of priority. Start the morning by working on the most important task before getting derailed by emails and other menial tasks.
You can leverage the project matrix tool created by Steven Covey to identify the tasks you can delegate. The method helps to determine what’s urgent, important, neither, or both (as shown in the image below).
Another effective time management strategy is time blocking, i.e. planning out every part of your day in advance. Essentially, it involves breaking your entire work week into small, bite-sized time slots where you work on projects, check your emails, and even take a break.
To most, this technique may sound like turning your calendar into a completely frenzied mess. However, it can have the opposite effect. The technique not only provides a better sense of where your time is going, but also promotes focus.
It enables professionals to focus all their energies on a single task at a time, which can boost productivity by up to 80%. Brilliant, isn’t it?
Despite wanting to do it all, understand that this is impossible. So don’t be apprehensive about distributing tasks among your team members to ease your workload and boost overall efficiency.
Start by evaluating your strengths and weaknesses. Focus on the tasks that align with your expertise and consider delegating those that fall outside your core competencies.
For instance, say you are working on a marketing campaign for a mattress company like Each night. If the intricacies of video marketing strategies aren’t your forte, take the opportunity to delegate or outsource this aspect. This strategic move allows you to concentrate on your strengths, such as crafting compelling content tailored to the brand.
Browsing through social media, chatting with co-workers, text messages, instant messaging–distractions at work are endless. And these distractions significantly reduce productivity. A survey results on Statista reveal that 80% of workers agree that chatting with colleagues is the leading cause of procrastination at work.
Shut your doors to distractions by being more proactive. This involves taking steps like–closing all tabs except the ones you are currently working on, turning off notifications, leaving your calls for lunchtime, etc. One of the best ways to go about this is to identify your top two distractions and focus on eliminating those for two weeks.
Enlist technology assistance wherever possible. There is a plethora of useful apps out there that can help you take charge of your day, week, and month. These apps, when used appropriately, can help you stay on top of your progress and maximize efficiency.
For instance, there are time-tracking tools that give you an accurate idea of how you are spending your time. Additionally, some text-to-speech readers enable users to save valuable time by swiftly converting text files into spoken words. Once you know your requirements, you can easily choose from the many tools available online.
Let’s look at some of the most notable tools/apps you can consider using:
Batching is a highly effective time management technique that lets you get more things done in less time. The technique involves grouping similar tasks so you can work on them at the same time rather than approaching them sporadically throughout the day.
For instance, responding to your emails, replying to social media messages, editing a work, video, etc. These are all menial tasks that you can do in a single sitting. Complete them all together so you can eliminate them from the rest of your day.
Creating small batches of work helps, as it makes it easier to focus and manage your goals. You don’t have to constantly switch gears. Science has shown that every time an individual shifts to a new task, there is a ‘retooling’ process that occurs. And this takes a lot more time than one anticipates.
This may sound counterintuitive, but taking regular breaks in between tasks is crucial for better time management.
A report by Michigan State University stresses the unparalleled importance of taking regular breaks to boost productivity, mental well-being, and decision-making. It also claims that skipping breaks can result in more stress and faster burnout.
High levels of stress impact energy, cognition, and engagement at work. Therefore, by working fewer (by taking more breaks), you can achieve more in less time.
Make small breaks a part of your schedule. Ensure these breaks are spread throughout your day, giving you enough time to relax and rejuvenate.
Mastering the skill of time management stands as a cornerstone of success. Luckily, there is always room for improvement for effective time management.
Follow the aforementioned tips to get the maximum things done in the shortest possible time frame. Also, make sure to include certain time management or productivity apps in your routine for the best outcome.
Remember, the journey to effective time management is a continuous evolution, and each refined step brings you closer to achieving your goals efficiently.
