Time Management Skills and Techniques

By increasing your efficiency and effectiveness you take control of your time and your life. Learning time management skills enable you to:

• Overcome procrastination and get things done.
• Be more productive and worry less about deadlines.
• Prioritize your obligations and incoming tasks against your objectives and goals.
• Give you more control through effective planning and delegation.
• Organize your files, your desk and your email - in essence organize your workspace for increased productivity.

Create a list for each day

Whether you are long-range planning through personal goal setting or short term planning through a weekly planner or a daily to do list, planning is probably one of the most important time management skills you can develop.

By creating a to do list, whether it is in your time management planner, or your PDA - allows you to get things out of your head and onto paper.

A prioritized daily list is probably one of the simplest and most effective time management skills.

This reduces stress, the possibility you could miss an appointment or deadline, and allows you to plan your priorities for the day.

Many time management experts suggest that you do "first things first".

In other words you start the day on the most important task and stay with it until you complete it and then move onto the next most important task.

Sometimes this can be unrealistic - depending on your situation. Customers may be lining up and demanding to talk with you - and you just can't do anything about it! Similarly, you may work better in the middle of the day?

So another option may be to schedule your top priorities for a quite time in the day, or when you are most alert.

TIP 1. Once you have scheduled your top priorities ensure that you keep this time free for your top priorities.

TIP 2. As you move through your to do list, tick each task off. Ticking your tasks off gives you a sense of satisfaction as your body releases the feel-good endorphins.

Managing incoming tasks and activities

Email, requests, phone calls - all offer the chance for new tasks to be added to your list.

It is important that you develop a priority system that reduces the pull to "Do it now!" but rather focuses you on your most important tasks.

Effective people know what is important and ensure that most of their focus is on doing these tasks.

While no one priority system rules, I like to use the Pareto principle as a means to validate incoming tasks and obligations.

This Pareto system, first mentioned by an Italian economist, identifies the 20% of tasks that yield 80% of results.

Ask yourself "What 20% of tasks yield 80% of results"?

Overcoming procrastination and getting it done

Do you find yourself putting off tasks, over and over?

Do you spend your time on low priority tasks because you enjoy them more?

Do you sit down to do a high priority task and find that you are distracted easily - perhaps time to get a coffee or have a chat with your co-worker.

Do you think you do your best work when stressed about a deadline?

If so, then procrastination may be affecting your work and robbing you of your potential.

Many of us procrastinate to some extent - but when procrastination increases stress and affects your work then it is time to do something about it.

Often with any type of habit or foible, it can be useful to identify the causes.

There are many causes of procrastination, from putting off unpleasant tasks, to shifting priorities and unclear goals.

Knowing why you procrastinate can help to tailor a solution for overcoming procrastination.

How to delegate - One of the most talked about time management skills

Delegating is one of the most talked about, yet underutilized time management tools.

Many people often talk about the advantages of delegating, but when I ask them "Do you delegate tasks?" or "Do you delegate work?" they often reply with "but, in my case..."

There appears to be resistance to delegate tasks or work. But knowing how to delegate is an important time management skill that does two things.

1. Effective delegation frees up your time for more important tasks. If you can delegate tasks or delegate work that is of a lessor priority then you can remain focused on your top priorities.
2. Delegation develops the skills and potential of the people around you. By learning how to delegate you can use delegation as a training opportunity.

When deciding what to delegate, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are there tasks that others can learn from and perhaps do more efficiently/cost effective?
• Do you dislike the task that you are considering to delegate?
• Is the task important to you and your goals?

If you answered an overwhelming "Yes" to the first two questions and "No" to the last question, then this task could be a likely candidate for delegation.

If you are often working late, yet unable to get things done then these tips on how to delegate provide you with essential steps of delegation.

Related articles on time management skills

How to Set Goals: Set and Achieve Goals

Personal Time Management: Develop Effective Habits for Personal Time Management