Time Management

Time management essentials

25 June 2013

Big Ben
Not everyone is the best timekeeper...

Things are slowing down in Dubai as Ramadan and summer holidays beckon but are you still managing your time wisely at work?

You hear it all the time: “I want to manage my time more effectively.” Or  “If I could only make more time…” Well time management isn’t that difficult, you just need to look at it from a different angle. Yes it’s about putting things in the diary and sticking to it, but it’s also about collaborating with your team and understanding your customers better. Here’s a left field view of time management to help you become less frazzled in the workplace.

Schedule

It is obvious, yet many people shy away from it, that the most effective way to get a handle on managing your time more effectively is to schedule your days – and not just your days, the days of the people around you as well. Don’t just carry on with a vague idea of what needs achieving during any given week, put it down on a schedule and tick off when you’ve met every milestone during the week.

Be realistic

While you’re working on your schedule, don’t be widely optimistic about what can be achieved in a given timeframe. Some business models thrive on overstating when you can make things happen, but you should have a realistic target as well. You may want a new account signed off and delivered within three weeks, but can both you and your team actually make it happen? Although some believe a tight deadline will bring the best out in people, it may not wash with a new client. Getting too pushy to complete may make them question whether they want to work with you.

Care about the customer

You may wonder where the customer comes into great time management. Well you have to put your customer’s needs and desires into the heart of everything you do, which means looking at what your customers are doing and building your scheduling around them.

Hire the right people

Every business works only when the right people are in the team. Your time management is going to be significantly impacted if you have one member of your team who isn’t pulling in the same direction as everyone else.

Understand your goals

Time management is all about goals. You put together a schedule built around what your want to achieve in a certain timeframe. Without fine-tuning your goals expressing them clearly to your team simple won’t be possible. If you’re having trouble identifying your goals, get your team together and work on it as a group.

Make time to follow things up        

Many people will make a note in their diary to attend a networking event, or a conference, or a weekly meeting, but they don’t always make another space in their diary for the follow up. If you are going to become more efficient, and manage your time more wisely, ensure you’ve blocked out some time to get in touch with people you’ve met at a conference, or while networking, or book an hour or so to create the actions needed from that meeting.

 

Start your course today!

We offer a comprehensive curriculum that covers all of the essential topics. Our experienced instructors will provide you with the support and guidance that you need to succeed.

    Get in touch

    Advance your career and achieve your goals

    Enter your details below & we will be in touch to discuss how we can help