Effective time management
The cliché states that 'time is money' and in a fast-paced working environment, it is particularly important to develop good time management skills.
Use the checklist below to see if yours could be improved.
|Time Management Skills Checklist|
|Management identify the most important issues, and deal with them first|
|Staff 'diary' the important jobs, and turn to them in order of importance|
|The less important jobs are always delegated appropriately|
|Staff are able to deal with the jobs they are given|
|Punctuality is a company policy|
|Meetings are meaningful and impose a clear-cut agenda|
|Distractions such as personal e-mail and calls are kept to a minimum|
|Important tasks are tackled when people are at their most productive|
|Staff are given rewards and incentives to encourage productivity|
|Our current system allows some time for dealing with unexpected issues|
How did you do?
Count the total number of 'yes' answers you have given.
9-10 Well done - now you just have to make sure that you maintain your high standards of efficiency!
6-8 Use the checklist to identify and prioritise areas of weakness, and focus on improving these.
1-5 The first thing you should do with your time is review your time management! As things stand, you are at risk of damaging your bottom line through inefficiency.