At the start of a new year, most people are playing the usual game of catch-up after being out of the office for the holidays. While you’re wading through all the emails you missed, you might be thinking about creating a New Year’s resolution to improve your time management skills.
As human resources professionals, we’re expected to stay on top of productivity, and some may also be tasked with teaching the rest of the organization how to manage their time effectively. Start 2018 off on the right foot and implement some of these time management habits into your daily routine for a more successful work year.
Find your most productive time of day
Are you a night owl or morning person? For some, first thing in the morning is the most productive time of the work day. However, if you operate better in the afternoon, leave your most difficult tasks for the two-hour time span that you’ll be best able to tackle them. To figure out which time of day best suits your productivity, spend a couple days taking note of the hours you get the most done and find a pattern.
Create a priority list
At the start of the work week, to-do lists can look pretty daunting. Spend some time breaking down your tasks into smaller, doable chunks, and figure out what needs to be priority on which day to create a schedule from there. Whether you’re a more traditional paper note taker, or if you prefer digital tactics, having a list of priorities laid out in front of you helps keep you on task. I like to physically check off my tasks with a pen and paper, but there are also tools like Wunderlist or Evernote if those are more your style.
Track your time
Knowing how long it usually takes you to type out an email, check Facebook, or create a meeting agenda will provide insight into how to set realistic expectations and plan future work days. This can also tell you when to stop working on something that is dragging on for longer than you planned. There are tools available like Toggl and RescueTime if you need help keeping track of time, or to take the guesswork out of your to-do list.
Give yourself a time limit
After you have a better idea of how you spend your time, you can better regulate future tasks. If you are a perfectionist, you might get carried away and spend more time than intended on a single project and not leave enough time for the rest of your priorities. Not everything can be perfect, but everything does need to get done. So if you’re spending time on something that’s taking your attention away from something else that needs to be done, set a timer and move on to a different project when it goes off.
Learn to say “no”
Human resources professionals are usually team players and always willing to jump in and help with any office task, but sometimes the best thing you can do for your team is to know when to delegate. By understanding your priorities, you know where you should be focusing your time, and if a task doesn’t fit into that criteria, learn to let it go. It’s possible to say no and still be helpful to your team. Point the employee in the right direction to solve their own problem and save time for both of you in the long run.
Do you want to run your office more efficiently? Find these tips and more on our blog to create your own organized and productive workspace.
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