Time management is one of the most critical areas most employees struggle to manage. It has a dramatic impact on professional success and advancement, but it is also plays a pivotal role in well being, mitigating stress and enabling an employee to contribute their best work. One key area in the practice of effective time management is. While there are many techniques and tools important and helpful in improving your time management system, setting and adhering to your top priorities first will allow you to quickly transform your work habits and improve work/life balance.
Set Priorities
Balancing many existing responsibilities and fielding new requests can seem like an insurmountable task. To be efficient and make sure you are not missing anything, it’s important to make a list of all of your tasks. Having to-do list is the simplest way of keeping track of what you have to do. Keeping track of everything is critical to making sure you complete all you need to in the right time schedule.
Do the Most Important Things First
To get the most out of your to-do list, he states, it is important to prioritize your tasks. Focus on no more than the top three items on your list and then work down your list from there. By knocking off the most important tasks of the day, you can be assured you’ve spent your time wisely. Whether you choose to prioritize your tasks and projects with a simple A, B, C priority ranking or by utilizing a more involved technique, setting priorities and focusing on the most important items is critical.
Time Management Matrix Technique
Stephen Covey's Time Management Matrix Technique (TMMT) is a useful construct for prioritizing responsibilities. The TMMT asks the professional to classify each responsibility as 'Important' or 'Non-important' and 'Urgent' or 'Non-urgent.' To be most productive, individuals should increase the amount of time devoted to quadrant 2 activities, the longer-term projects with distant deadlines because these activities are the key to achieving long-term goals and aspirations.
We Can Help
If you find the challenges of managing your priorities or your time management skills are having a serious impact on your work and/or home life, consider taking advantage of your EAP resources, such as phone or face-to-face counseling, coaching or mentoring. You don't have to manage these challenges alone, VITAL WorkLife is here to help anytime, day or night by phone or online. Members can access resources by calling 800.383.1908 or through the VITAL WorkLife App.
Sources:
Top 5 Tips to Improve Your Time Management Skills, Mike Gardner, time management specialist
A Practical Approach to Time Management for Physicians, Craig E Gordon, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Steven C. Borkan, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University
