Time is money: A powerful statement that has proven almost impossible to observe. We’ve all squandered this priceless resource known as time, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
You wake up optimistic—hoping to not only meet all your deadlines but hit the gym and brew your favorite cup of fresh coffee, too. But before you know it, you’re late for work and running out of time to accomplish everything you set out to do.
Well, it’s one thing to mismanage personal time and it’s another to mismanage time at your workplace. Poor time management can bring down even the most successful business. As such, all business owners and managers must pay attention to their employees’ time management skills.
To help with this, here are 10 time management hacks that can help supervisors instill time-consciousness:
#1: Set Goals and Make a Plan to Achieve Them
Supervisors should set daily, weekly, and monthly goals for their personnel. Set a deadline for completing each goal and divide it down into smaller, more doable tasks. Consider giving task management tools to staff, such as Tracktime 24’s time tracker.
#2: Order Work based on Priorities
Assist employees in evaluating their responsibilities in terms of importance and urgency, and encourage them to perform the most important tasks first. Note that all priorities should align with department and corporate goals. To achieve this, you need effective communication skills between supervisors and the employees.
#3: Be Organized
Every minute lost due to a misplaced report, tool, or paper is a minute not spent working. To increase efficiency, emphasize the necessity of having a well-organized workspace.
#4: Make It as Simple as Possible
To ensure efficiency, evaluate processes and procedures frequently. Managers should talk to their employees frequently to gain their input on more effective ways to complete their job obligations. Based on employee feedback, they should effect changes to streamline the process.
#5: Assign Responsibilities
Delegation ensures that the correct individuals are assigned the right responsibilities. However, delegating entails more than simply assigning a task. Managers must properly explain job deliverables, collaborate with employees to build a plan for completing the assignment, track progress, and give the resources and support needed to meet assigned objectives.
#6: Set Time Aside for Less Pleasurable Tasks
It’s human nature to procrastinate from time to time, especially when faced with a tough or unpleasant task. In light of this, break major projects into smaller segments and plan a particular time (such as the start of the workday) for the larger or more disagreeable assignments to help people stay focused.
#7: Keep Track of Your Communications
Answering phone calls and emails can be disruptive for staff on a tight deadline. As such, coming up with standards for responding to these kinds of communications is a good idea. When people are working under a tight deadline, for example, instruct them to check their phone and email at specified regular intervals and reply to critical contacts first. All other communications can be put on hold until the completion of critical initiatives.
#8: Eliminate Disruptions as Much as You Can
Schedule key job activities for a time of day when there are fewer interruptions if possible. If an employee is the first one in the office in the morning, for example, this could be an excellent time to focus on tasks that require more concentration. Note, however, that interruptions are unavoidable. As such, inform your employees to prepare ahead of time to account for them.
#9: Important Tasks Should Be Scheduled for Peak Performance
Work that is physically or cognitively demanding should be planned when employees are at their best. Depending on the employee, this may differ. Encourage staff to think about when they have the most energy and to devote that time to larger or more essential initiatives.
#10: Maintain a Healthy Balance
Employees are only human. When they come to work each day repeatedly, they’re bound to become anxious or exhausted and are unlikely to perform at their best, regardless of how well they manage their time at work. With that in mind, encourage staff to take regular breaks throughout the day and consider implementing a wellness program that promotes good behaviors.
With these 10 time management hacks for supervisors and managers, any business can utilize the time they have optimally for the success of the company!
