Time Mastery

If you could reduce your staff’s wasted time by just five minutes every hour, productivity would jump 8.3 percent. Efficiency levels would also rise as staff members began to devote more time to completing critical tasks.

The advantages of efficient time management go beyond squeezing more tasks into the work day. In companies with successful time-management strategies, teams meet project deadlines more often and managers spend more time pursuing opportunities — and less time struggling with paperwork or attending unproductive meetings. These organizations serve more customers without adding staff, equipment, and office space.

Oftentimes people are not aware of how much time is wasted during the day. A couple minutes here and a couple minutes there add up. Time doesn’t just fly when you’re having fun. Some of the common time suckers we encounter at work are: checking emails, spending too much time in meetings on non-agenda items, excessive chatting with co-workers, and handling paperwork multiple times.

Obviously all of these things are important. Emails are critical for getting business completed and spending time with co-workers in a social way helps maintain a healthy environment. Eliminating these things isn’t the answer. The solution is in understanding how and where your time is spent during the day.

One way to do this is by keeping a time log. People who track their time for a week are often amazed by the reality of where their time actually goes. We tend to perceive how we spend our time much differently than what happens in reality. The way to keep a time log is to literally write down everything you do on a spreadsheet in a minimum of half hour increments. This exercise itself can be time-consuming initially but it will help you get a clear picture of where your time goes. The drawback to a time log is that it doesn’t provide an action plan for improving efficiency.

Another option is to evaluate your time using a personal assessment tool such as the Time Mastery Profile available through www.disconlineassessment.com. This tool helps people evaluate their time-management effectiveness in 12 critical areas:

• Attitudes • Planning • Written Communications
• Goals • Scheduling • Delegation
• Priorities • Interruptions • Procrastination
• Analyzing • Meetings • Team Time

Employees get practical tips for improving their time-management skills in those areas that need work. The Time Mastery Profile also provides a detailed framework for personal action planning under each of the 12 categories. The Time Mastery Profile helps individuals and teams develop customized strategies for improving productivity and increasing efficiency.

In today’s streamlined, fast-moving workplace, it’s more important than ever to make the most of every day.