It doesn’t matter whether you’re an employee or a business owner, being savvy with the way you manage your time at work is key as it allows you to be more productive, get home earlier, and feel more satisfied at the end of the day.  Unfortunately many people tend to do the opposite when things get hectic, and instead of managing their time more effectively they find themselves working longer hours and feeling burnt out by the end of the week.  So how can you actually work smarter instead of harder when the going gets tough?  Here’s how…

Shorter Hours, More Productivity

1.  Re-assess

If you’re working long hours something needs to change otherwise you’ll burn out.  So first and foremost, sit down and look at what isn’t working.   Where are the biggest challenges in your day?  How can you eliminate or reduce them?

Consider the people you work with, the systems (or lack of) that you use, the way you approach your day, and the technology required to get your job done.   Where are the pitfalls or glitches?  Write them down and then consider your alternatives.  It’s critical that you address what isn’t working first if you want to work smarter.

2.  Plan your day

If you want to get out of the office earlier it’s imperative that you have a plan and know EXACTLY what your day needs to look like to get out of that door on time.

Plan your day the night before and schedule time in your diary for the 3 most important tasks that must be completed the following day.  Those tasks should be directly aligned with your key job objectives, and should leave you feeling satisfied by the end of the day when they’re done … if they won’t, pick something else!

3.  Learn to delegate

If you’re trying to do everything yourself have a look around and see who can help you.  By learning to let go and delegate you’ll free up precious time to work on what’s really important.  And if you don’t have anyone to delegate to, look at how you can outsource, or bring on additional help to build your team.

4.  Mix things up

Being stuck in your ways and insisting on a certain process just because it’s the way you’ve always done things won’t help you get more savvy with your time.  Look at the key tasks you do every week and consider how you could do them differently to save time and work smarter.  By embracing change, and being open to new ways of doing things, you’ll open yourself up to new technology, systems and processes that will help you work more effectively and efficiently.

5.  Be Precious

Time is your most precious commodity, so don’t let other people muck around with it.  Interruptions can play havoc with your productivity, soaking up almost 25% of your work day, so make sure you schedule blocks  in your diary for ‘focused’ time where you are free from ringing phones, pinging email, chatterbox colleagues and Facebook updates.  You’ll get the important stuff done much more quickly if you give it the time and attention it deserves, uninterrupted.

By Faiye Hollands- Outshine Consulting.

Spicy miss I sincerely appreciate what you mostly post here on Nairaland.
It kinda great and always a words of thought.
Do continue please......

Wow! Ain't ya the encourager? Thank you sir

hmmn....

This is a good piece!

Thanks, hope you're good.

spicy v: Thanks, hope you're good.

Yes sist, I'm good & I'm sure ure too.

...its been a while

spicy v: Thanks, hope you're good.

i will love to see you revisit this thread: CEOs, Business Owners And Intending Biz Owners; Let's Interact.