Tweet

Time Management Increases the Team Effort

Written by: James Dicks

Article Overview: James Dicks examines the importance of managing your time effectively for your sake and the sake of others

Time Management Increases the Team Effort

You've probably heard about how to make the most of your time through proper time management your entire professional career. I ran head first into a project the other day that suddenly made me realize that appropriate time management techniques didn't just help me get through my busy day - but it also helped others. If I could effectively answer requests on time or ahead of schedule, those requesting the information would also be able to better handle their time more efficiently.

I know, most of us just think we're much too busy these days and if we had more time in the day we could handle all of our tasks more easily and on time. But you know, we all have the same amount of time; and some are very good at managing our daily 24 hours while others are just pitiful.

It's a common error of many new managers to believe they can accomplish the job more efficiently on their own. I learned a long time ago that it is much more important to train others in the organization in a specific task and then delegate. It will do wonders for your peace of mind and for the successful completion of the task. Plus, training and delegation is important to develop a solid team spirit within the organization.

So, where do you start? I guess the first step is accepting the fact that you could do much better when handling your time. Don't waste a moment during the day. Start by;

Getting back to basics and write up your daily, weekly and monthly "to do" lists. Knowing what you have to do and prioritizing the tasks is half the battle.

Set a deadline for each task

Determine which projects will you delegate and which you will do yourself

Make a list of the individuals who can help you complete each task...who is the right person for the job?

Schedule the work to be done, assign it to the person(s) involved and then move on to the next project.

Remember, corporate management is always looking for the professional employees who can handle the job in the eight hours allotted each day. If your deadlines are constantly being pushed forward to a later date, then how effective are you perceived to be by the corporate elite...also known as your boss. It's understandable that in these volatile times, as we approach 10 percent unemployment, people would want to "look" busy for obvious reasons. But better than being busy is being productive...being creative....being efficient. The proper management of your time (and the time of your subordinates) will help you and your company locate a path to success.

In today's challenging business environment, we are all being asked to accomplish more with less - fewer dollars, and, at times, fewer people. That's why the proper management of your time has never been more important. And remember, just because YOU think you are too busy doesn't necessarily mean you actually are too busy.

You have a choice of how you accomplish your daily schedule but before you even start, prioritize, delegate, schedule and make it happen.

There will be some things that just didn't seem to be important yesterday that will move to the top of the list today. And others will disappear completely or get pushed to the back of the priority list. Today's daily calendar must be fluid and changeable. We all must be prepared to turn 180 degrees at a moment's notice, if the situation calls for it; just keep your eyes and your mind opened to the changing situation and adjust, when necessary.

Take control of your time, starting today. Your personal level of "busy-ness" will affect your professional life and the professional lives of those around you who you are tasked to support. Remember, what you do (or don't do) affects others. Begin taking on a creative approach to getting your job done. Your proper approach to time management has never been more important.

Related Articles
  Involving your Team in Decisions
  Proper Call Centre Management
  Retail Marketing
  Building Your Team and Managing It Successfully
  Team Effort

Article Tags: budget, cash, credit, credit cards, economy, education, forex, james dicks, money, New Year, plastic, premieretrade, recession, resolution, spending, stocks, time management



Related Forum Posts
No B.S. Time Management - A great book I read on Time Management is No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy.
Question: What has been your biggest business challenge? - Regardless of the industry they may be in, it seems all small business owners and entrepreneurs face similar key challenges in growing their business and becoming as profitable as they would like. These can be grouped into the categories of "Time", "Team", "Money", and "Exit Strategy". What has been your most significant challenge, the one that seems to be your biggest hurdle to moving forward and achieving the level of business success (however you define that) that you would like to? If you could have one issue solved in your business, what would that be? Your insights are invaluable and I appreciate your honesty. Regards, Gavin
Re: Anyone Uses Elance.com? Guru.com? Rentacoder.com? - I've had quite a bit of success on oDesk.com. I've never used Elance so I can't compare. I like oDesk.com 'cos I get to sort thru people (e.g. within a certain bid range) with a single click. I find their help response very quick and I like the oDesk Team software that "providers" must install. This gives me the Buyer more insight as to what I am paying for. The Team software takes screenshots of the Providers screen on 10 min increments so I can see that the person is infact doing work for me.
Your Intial Mistakes Business - Hi, When I started my business I had made a lot of mistakes initially. These helped me in learning the art of the trade and today when I look back, I feel that these mistakes were quite silly. I had made my learnings then and those learnings have helped me time and again. Some of the mistakes I made were - i. Wrong Time Management ii. Wasting money on glossy Brochures and Business cards iii. Believing what they taught me at school was 100% correct iv. Giving too much when it was not required...... I would like to find out what have been your faltering moments in Business when you had started and what/how did they help you grow. Regards
Re: UPDATES: New Campaign! New Layout! New Ideas! - We've also expanded the list for Contest and All-Time Leaders. It's great to now see David and Yinka on the All Time list and recognize the contributions they've made to the forums!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Why SEO is important for your online success

The Substance Abusing Employee

Work at home Opportunities for the Disabled

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.