How to better manage your time at the office
19 February 2009
Read by 2073 persons
Lack of time, feeling constantly overwhelmed, everyone, in their daily life, wants to organize and make the most of their work time. A few tips for better time management at the office.
Between meetings, appointments, sometimes interminable phone calls, emails… we quickly find ourselves overwhelmed and we no longer know how to manage priorities. However, there are some tips, which may seem elementary, to adopt at work and which allow you to manage your time much more appropriately.
First of all, you need to know that time management requires taking a step back and, paradoxically, knowing how to be slow. You need to be able to plan ahead, prioritize and schedule. This is a basic rule: each week, a list of things to do, the famous "to do list", must be drawn up. Then, the tasks must be sorted according to their degree of importance and urgency.
The second thing to do, and regularly, is to organize your workspace. If you have several piles of files on your desk, your mind will "wander" between them. You should start by getting rid of anything you don't need immediately. Then regularly tidy up your desk, your storage lockers, and don't forget your computer.
Furthermore, on the phone, and in order to avoid unwanted phone calls, it is better to call than to be disturbed. The best way is to group phone calls at the beginning of the day, the best time to be sure of reaching people. Another good resolution: you must also put an end to meetings that never end! A meeting is something you prepare for. You must ensure that its agenda is communicated to participants at least one week in advance. It would also be good to establish a timed schedule to follow. The meeting leader must also ensure that interventions are channeled to the agenda.
To manage your time well, you need to manage certain "variables" such as physical workload, stress, relationship risk… These "variables" obviously depend on the individuals and the moment.
Some people, for example, are more energetic in the evening and take advantage of the calm to work on sensitive files. Being a good strategist is knowing how to find the right time, that is to say the right time for oneself, but also for others.
Hajar DEHHANI
Published on May 23, 2006
Posted online on February 18, 2009
aujourdhui.ma
Between meetings, appointments, sometimes interminable phone calls, emails… we quickly find ourselves overwhelmed and we no longer know how to manage priorities. However, there are some tips, which may seem elementary, to adopt at work and which allow you to manage your time much more appropriately.
First of all, you need to know that time management requires taking a step back and, paradoxically, knowing how to be slow. You need to be able to plan ahead, prioritize and schedule. This is a basic rule: each week, a list of things to do, the famous "to do list", must be drawn up. Then, the tasks must be sorted according to their degree of importance and urgency.
The second thing to do, and regularly, is to organize your workspace. If you have several piles of files on your desk, your mind will "wander" between them. You should start by getting rid of anything you don't need immediately. Then regularly tidy up your desk, your storage lockers, and don't forget your computer.
Furthermore, on the phone, and in order to avoid unwanted phone calls, it is better to call than to be disturbed. The best way is to group phone calls at the beginning of the day, the best time to be sure of reaching people. Another good resolution: you must also put an end to meetings that never end! A meeting is something you prepare for. You must ensure that its agenda is communicated to participants at least one week in advance. It would also be good to establish a timed schedule to follow. The meeting leader must also ensure that interventions are channeled to the agenda.
To manage your time well, you need to manage certain "variables" such as physical workload, stress, relationship risk… These "variables" obviously depend on the individuals and the moment.
Some people, for example, are more energetic in the evening and take advantage of the calm to work on sensitive files. Being a good strategist is knowing how to find the right time, that is to say the right time for oneself, but also for others.
Hajar DEHHANI
Published on May 23, 2006
Posted online on February 18, 2009
aujourdhui.ma
