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How to Save Time in the Day: Know Your Time Killers
How do you make the most effective use of your time? Do you ever feel like there are just not enough hours in the day to get all that you need done? To be effective you must make use of the time you have. If you establish what are some of the time killers in your day, you can then take steps to eliminate the time killers in your day.
Telephone Calls
Personal calls can take huge chunks of your day. If your child calls you for a five minute call, your spouse for a ten minute call and that personal call to check on the doctors' appointment that keeps you on hold for 15 minutes, you have now killed 30 minutes of your day. Keep your calls to the point and try to avoid socialising. If you have chatty Mattie who wants to ask about a meeting then goes on to how he just bought a new car, then how he has a project that is driving him crazy…tick tock the time killer clock is ticking killed time away. Politely explain you are busy with a project and keep phone calls short.
Chatting Throughout the Day
There are many examples of chatting throughout the day: in the bathroom, in the kitchen getting your tea or coffee, and uninvited visitors that just stop by your desk. Each time someone stops you to talk, even for two or three minutes, the time adds up. Of course I am not saying don’t talk to these people, but if you are time challenged be aware of the time you spend talking to colleagues.
Poor Equipment
Broken or poorly working equipment is a huge time killer. How much time have you spent taking the jam out of the copier only to have it jam two minutes later? How long does it take your PC to turn on in the morning? Does the printer not work properly? Maybe it is taking two pages in or the toner is smudging. Keep your equipment in top condition and call the repair department/support right away when you see a problem. This will save you, and your colleagues, time.
Meetings
Meetings can waste time. Do you need to be at a particular meeting? If there is information of value, the answer is probably yes, but if you are there just as a body you may want to discuss your participation with the meeting leader. Maybe there is one topic of the meeting you do need to participate in. Is it possible to schedule the topics you participate in at the beginning of the meeting or a set time into the meeting where you can join in? Meetings are valuable when they serve their purpose. Evaluate what meeting you go to and work out a solution to maximise your time participating in your meetings, while minimising the time you may waste.
Telephone Calls
Personal calls can take huge chunks of your day. If your child calls you for a five minute call, your spouse for a ten minute call and that personal call to check on the doctors' appointment that keeps you on hold for 15 minutes, you have now killed 30 minutes of your day. Keep your calls to the point and try to avoid socialising. If you have chatty Mattie who wants to ask about a meeting then goes on to how he just bought a new car, then how he has a project that is driving him crazy…tick tock the time killer clock is ticking killed time away. Politely explain you are busy with a project and keep phone calls short.
Chatting Throughout the Day
There are many examples of chatting throughout the day: in the bathroom, in the kitchen getting your tea or coffee, and uninvited visitors that just stop by your desk. Each time someone stops you to talk, even for two or three minutes, the time adds up. Of course I am not saying don’t talk to these people, but if you are time challenged be aware of the time you spend talking to colleagues.
Poor Equipment
Broken or poorly working equipment is a huge time killer. How much time have you spent taking the jam out of the copier only to have it jam two minutes later? How long does it take your PC to turn on in the morning? Does the printer not work properly? Maybe it is taking two pages in or the toner is smudging. Keep your equipment in top condition and call the repair department/support right away when you see a problem. This will save you, and your colleagues, time.
Meetings
Meetings can waste time. Do you need to be at a particular meeting? If there is information of value, the answer is probably yes, but if you are there just as a body you may want to discuss your participation with the meeting leader. Maybe there is one topic of the meeting you do need to participate in. Is it possible to schedule the topics you participate in at the beginning of the meeting or a set time into the meeting where you can join in? Meetings are valuable when they serve their purpose. Evaluate what meeting you go to and work out a solution to maximise your time participating in your meetings, while minimising the time you may waste.
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