Strategies for better time management at work

Make a list of everything you need to do to see things clearly. Divide complex tasks into smaller pieces for increased precision. “Replace computers” becomes “define the company’s IT needs,” “research available equipment,” and “contact a few suppliers.”

“I strongly suggest using a computer rather than a pencil to write this list,” says time management consultant and trainer Lyne Talbot. “It's easier to move, group, or copy items.” In summary, adapt your list to your needs and occasions.

You can prioritise from this master list. “There are two elements to consider when determining whether a task is a priority: its importance and its urgency,” says Option Résultats president and human resources management expert Guy Tassé. Priorities are urgent, role-related tasks that must be accomplished quickly.

However, daily emergencies might overshadow our priorities. It could be revising a daytime letter or replying swiftly to a dissatisfied consumer. When the supervisor orders us to submit a document in the morning, it's hard to stick to a to-do list!

Firefighting should not distract us from our priorities, especially the less critical ones. Archiving records or organising the office's summer vacation at the start of the year.

Since emergencies can't be scheduled, we give ourselves more time to prioritise and handle the unexpected without stress. "We often underestimate the time it will take us to accomplish a task," says Eurêka Coach International president Charles Bernier.

"To improve our estimates and know where our time is going, we write down in a notebook everything we do for a few months."

Delegate some chores to better handle the unexpected. Are we responsible for the company's hot dog lunch forever? Possibly a colleague could lead this year. One of our missions demands research?

If you don't know where to start, ask yourself, "If I had to complete just one thing today, what would it be?" You start immediately.

We schedule time for each priority after determining them. This manner, we have no justification for avoiding the hardest or least urgent duties, which we always put off.

When scheduling, we account for daily energy fluctuations. Include a reflection assignment to think better in the morning. If clients call mostly on Mondays, we reserve that day to handle their requirements.

Schedule meetings, filing deadlines, and networking events (conferences, workshops, etc.) to determine how much time we have. Stay on time if the assignment is not urgent. "Whether or whether we're done, we stop after one hour. “Otherwise, all other tasks of the day will be delayed,” adds Lyne Talbot.

We tell our superior if we can't fit all our priorities into the time we have or if an emergency disturbs the schedule. "Ask him what he wants you to give up," says Michel Couture, Formations & consultations founder.

Last but not least, take 10 to 20 minutes each day to determine which files to work on next day and when. Repeat the week-ahead exercise on Friday. Your efficiency will increase as you plan things ahead.

To be more efficient, we should conduct similar tasks simultaneously. "We can compare this to files: we group together those that are similar in order to find them and process them more quickly.

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