Community chest: What are your best time management techniques?

2 minute read  |  May 22, 2017

Instead of so called ‘experts’ telling you how to run your business, we will collate the best answers from those on the front line. This month we head over to Business.com to answer the question, what are your best time management techniques?

The most popular answer was:

‘Don’t sit on stuff’

When a project needs to be done, don’t wait for people, just get cracking. While this may sound easy, it’s simply a case of planning your day and actively managing the important stuff.

Another answer that seemed to spark a positive reaction from readers was:

ABC’s of time management

First, make a list of everything you need to accomplish. Put “A” next to everything that MUST be done that day, “B” next to everything you SHOULD do that day and “C” next to things you’d like to do that day. Here’s a hint, Facebook, and other social media channels are never in the “A” category. Also, try not to open emails until you have spent at least 90 minutes on your “A” game.

Instead of trying to manage time, look at return on time invested

For example:

Have at least three priority items that if you got done today you’d be happy with. Concentrating on things that require energy and focus in the morning, when you’re most likely to have the desire to accomplish them. By working in 90-minute blocks of completely uninterrupted work (no phones, no emails, no colleagues!) and rewarding yourself with a 15-minute physical break from work you’re more likely to get things done.

A few other points worth noting include:

• Be proactive
• Communicate well with your team
• Look at how you can minimise the number of times a document is ‘touched’
• Have small meetings where everyone is stood up
• Make use of productivity tools
• Delegate, where you can, to those you trust

One user suggests being deliberately inflexible at times. Learning to say no is a big step for a lot of people. Instead of seeing it as a negative, try to explain yourself properly and if you can pick it up later, offer to do so. Don’t fall into the mistake of giving excuses to how busy you are, as this can sometimes be misconstrued as ‘I’m busier than you’ and will cause unnecessary tension.

Do you have a business query you want the community to answer? Send your questions to [email protected] and it could be featured in an upcoming community chest.

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