Mange Your Time More Effectively By Identifying Time Wasters

In order to start managing time effectively it's a good idea to start by identifying your time wasters. Here is a list of the most common time wasters. Print it out then tick the ones that apply to you, then underline the three most problematic.

Common time wasters

Unclear communication (from you or others)
TelephonenMobile
Personal visitors
Meetings
Things you should have delegated
Procrastinatio

Indecision
Not having the facts
Inadequate technical knowledge
Unclear objectives and priorities
Lack of planning
Stress
Fatigue
Inability to say "No"
Desk management/disorganisatio

Below, we examine time management issues in more detail

1. Crisis management - a good manager will be even batter at foreseeing and avoiding crisis than she/he is at managing one

2. Telephone Interruptions -The telephone is an essential business tool and a big time-waster, you need to learn how to control calls rather than letting them control you. You CAN turn off your mobile from time to time.

3. Lack of priorities/objectives. This can be the biggest time waster. You will accomplish the most when you know what you want to accomplish in a day. Spend most of your time on what is most important.

4. Don’t attempt too much. Allow yourself enough time to do things. Half doing things is disheartening and you will never feel that you have accomplished anything.

5. Drop-in visitors. Learning how to deal with interruptions is one of the best time management skills you can learn.

6. Ineffective delegation. Learning how to effectively delegate is essential to both Leaders and Managers. Effective delegation will boost team moral and reduce your workload. Accept that others will not do things exactly as you would – you cannot do everything and will be more effective at what you do if you delegate effectively.

7. Disorganisation. To be effective, keep a clear desk.

8. Procrastination. Do not avoid taking decisions. Use more of your time doing waste less of your time thinking about it. Just do it!

9. The inability to say "no!". Do not say yes when you mean know. Learn some assertiveness techniques and say no when you mean it.

10. Meetings. Keep meetings to the essentials, don’t have a meeting if you don’t need to it doest only waste your time but that of the other employees involved. Only invite essential people to meetings. Have an agenda and stick to it. Revert to the agenda if others drift away.