When you want your workforce to be at the top of their productivity game, they need the best time management tools. Many employees waste a great deal of their time at work -- not because they mean to, but because they need help learning how to efficiently manage their time.
The good news is that there are plenty of tools available to help you and your employees do their best work. Continue reading this article to learn about important tools and tricks for a more productive workforce.
Be Clear on Your Goals
The more you know what you want out of your workforce, the easier it is for you to convey to your workforce what you need out of them. It can be frustrating working for a boss that doesn't know what they want out of you.
More than being clear on your overall goals, you should be clear on the goal for each specific piece of work you're doing or that your workforce is doing. The more you can break the goals down, the better it will work.
Make Scheduling Easy
When your employees know what is expected of them, it makes your life and their life easier. Using an efficient employee schedule maker will allow everyone to be on the same page, so things can get done.
If you get a web-based scheduler, your employees will be able to log in and view their schedules at any time which means there is less room for confusion.
Get Rid of Unnecessary Distractions
When you want to max out your productivity, one of the biggest hacks you can do is getting rid of unnecessary distractions. You might think that your phone, email or social media is necessary but it's getting in the way of your productivity.
Even if you only shut it off for an hour, you're going to get a lot more done than if you're going back and forth between your work and answering messages. Turn your phone face down and restrict your ability to access social media sites and email.
There are ways you can block yourself from sites like Facebook temporarily so you don't get caught up watching your friend's adorable kids. If you can't control your need to take a peek, this could be a good option for you.
Make Your To-Do List a Done List
If your to-do list is a mile long, just knowing you have a lot of things to do can hurt your productivity. Instead of looking at your long list, go through the list and categorize it so you can break it down into smaller lists.
Once you get your to-do list broken down into categories, break each task into simple steps. The smaller you make each step, the easier it will be for you to start breaking down this large mountain of chores.
There are apps that make it easy to categorize your tasks as well as check them off, set deadlines and more. One of the popular apps you might find helpful is called 2Do.
Take Breaks on a Regular Basis
If you don't give yourself breaks, your brain is likely to feel a sense of burnout. Try doing short bursts of work that are undistracted, taking a break and then going at it again.
Some people find this way of working makes their work much easier on them. When you feel good while you're working, it is easier for you to get things done. Take care of your brain and your brain will take care of you.
One of the easiest ways to take regular breaks as needed is to set a timer in front of you so you know how much longer you have to work. When the timer goes off, set the timer for your break and take the full break.
Avoid Meetings
If you aren't needed at a meeting -- don't go to the meeting. Meets are major time sucks. When you have too many meetings scheduled, it can take a toll on our energy and our focus.
Before you put a meeting in your calendar, you should make sure it has a clear agenda and specific talk points. You don't want to get into the meeting and be unsure about what you're going to achieve.
Time Tracking Apps
It is easy to feel like we've done a lot of work when we look at the clock but sometimes we haven't spent our time in the most productive way. While we may have been at our desk, we might have been spending time mulling over a challenge or reviewing our email inboxes.
When you have a time tracker like Toggl or another time tracker available, you can review your work at the end of the day and see where you're really spending your time. The first step to improving your productivity to see what's working for you and what isn't working for you.
When you're getting started, you'll notice that you are spending time on things you hadn't thought about. 5 minutes here to go get coffee can turn into 20 minutes and so on.
The Best Time Management Tools & Tricks Are Yours
Now you know more about the best time management tools and tricks and it's time to put them to the test. Before you head off to work on these, why not learn some more? We have more business articles and other things that can help you in your life as a professional.
Browse our website, find your favorite section, drop a bookmark and come back soon for more great reads. And make sure to follow Michael J Schiemer today for more time management tools and tips for increased productivity! It's time to step up your game!