Who’s got time for time management?

| April 8, 2016

I recently ran a Lunch ‘n Learn presentation for a leading investment firm. The topic was essentially how to manage your time more effectively using technology. Twenty people turned up (out of hundreds in that particular office). Most of the attendees were junior staff and EAs.

The joke around the room was that the people who really needed this were too busy to come. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that one over the years…

Many feel like they can’t afford to take the time to get organised. I believe they can’t afford not to.

In today’s busy workplace, driven by email and meetings, our time is the most precious resource we have at our disposal. While you might pride yourself on your organisational abilities, the truth for many executives, managers and workers is that the workplace has changed, and how we need to organise ourselves has also changed. What might have worked a few years ago no longer makes the cut. So if you are not keeping your productivity skills and tools up to date, you will get left behind. Here are some of the productivity issues that may be killing your productivity:

Email overload

One of the biggest productivity issues of our age is email overload. We receive way too many emails every day, and often have a sizeable backlog in our inbox. This causes stress and a reactive workstyle. Merlin Mann, the person who coined the phrase ‘Inbox Zero’ suggests that it is not really about how many emails are in your inbox, it is about how much of your brain is captured by your inbox. Getting on top of email is the first step to getting your head out of your inbox and into more important and valuable work. Don’t use your inbox as your filing system, and stop using it as an ineffective action list.

Calendar imbalance

Most of us have moved from paper diaries to an electronic calendar to manage our time. The challenge that this brings is that others now have visibility over your schedule, and will happily fill any free space with more meetings. Many executives I work with complain that they are in meetings from 9am to 5pm, and then have to catch up with the rest of their work from 5pm to 9pm. If we don’t protect time in our schedule for priorities outside of meetings, there is a risk that our time will get gobbled up. What would the ideal % split between meetings and other work be for you? What is the reality? What do you need to change?

Task fragmentation

As mentioned, you probably use an electronic calendar for all of your meetings. Yet you also probably use a range of systems and tools to remember what you need to do. Your inbox, your head, a task list, post-it notes. Are your task management and prioritisation processes up to scratch? Or are you just getting by, lurching from one urgent issue to another? Taking some time out to get your priorities organised is a great use of your time. I recommend using the task system alongside your calendar in a tool like MS Outlook or Lotus Notes.

Digital dystopia

No excuses here. You have the technology at your fingertips, but have you learned to leverage it? Do you really know how to get the most out of cutting edge tools like MS Outlook, OneNote or your smartphone? These tools were built to get your organised in the modern workplace, yet most barely scratch the surface when using this technology. Do yourself a favour and get some training — you will unlock hours in your week.

 

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