“Time is money,” but difficult to manage. But it is easier to cope with a time management system. If you are wasting time, you are at a loss; subsequently, your business is at a loss. Therefore, you must take the time seriously and complete your task within the given time.
Many business deals are taken back due to the delay in project submission. Hence, organizations understand the value of time and the importance of a time management system. Companies train their employees to manage time.
Time management systems will help them to increase their productivity and efficiency. Increased productivity helps in measuring employee performance and the output that the employee is giving. Time management also helps in creating a stress free environment.
Employees complete the tasks before the deadline and thus are free of any last-minute changes. These days, companies invest in different time management tools that help them finish tasks on time.
Also, these time management tools act as employee monitoring software that helps managers keep track of employee productivity. Apart from this, companies also use time management systems.
According to 2024 data, 10 to 12 minutes of time management planning each day can save you two hours. To do so, one should get used to the techniques involved in effective time management. Then, use it per the outcome’s requirement for creating your time management strategies.
Below are some of the best time management systems used by organizations worldwide to manage time and increase productivity :
Table of contents
1. The 1-3-5 Rule
Alex Cavoulacos, Co-founder of the Muse, created this time management system. This encourages you to complete one large task, three medium-sized tasks, and five minor tasks per day.
This role was created to help the employees remain organized. It allows the employee to prioritize tasks and finish them accordingly. And it would be even better if you could analyze the workforce analytics.
2. Seven Minute Life
Allyson Lewis, the inventor of 7 Minute Life, designed this time management system using a single piece of paper to increase her daily productivity. That piece of paper helped her develop the concept of Seven Minute Life.
7 Minute Life encourages you to devote only 1% of your day to planning, seven minutes in the morning and seven minutes in the evening. Using these 14 minutes, you can arrange yourself to enhance your time management skills and increase your productivity.
This time management system is for busy people or businesses that need help knowing where to begin. This system makes it simple to write down anything personal or business-related. The Sheet directs you where to record each detail of your life.
3. Time Blocking
Time blocking helps you complete tasks in a structured manner. This time management technique assigns dedicated work hours to specific tasks. In a way, it is similar to breaking down your to-do list into timed segments.
Time blocking allows you to focus on task management and prevent the temptation to add unnecessary things to your daily to-do list. It is like you know that you have more work coming next week.
Plan your day and week appropriately, and schedule each job in your calendar so that no task takes more time than the other. If the project is highly demanding, divide your work over several days, adding three or more time blocks.
An interesting fact about time blocking is that even Bill Gates and Elon Musk use this time management technique.
4. Autofocus
Productivity specialist Mark Forster introduced this unique time management system. Autofocus helps you to take advantage of your motivations rather than your time management abilities.
It focuses on the tasks you want to do first. The theory works on the idea that when you enjoy a task, you are more likely to finish the task and postpone less.
When bored with the current task, switch to something that interests you. This time management system reduces stress, improves productivity, and encourages you to focus on what is essential.
Below are steps that will help you in understanding how autofocus works:
Step 1:
Make a list of all of your tasks.
Step 2:
Go through the list and select the one that appears to be the most engaging or enjoyable.
Step 3:
Continue working on the assignment for an hour or more and tick it off the list when finished. Keep track of time.
Step 4:
After finishing every task, Go through the list again and select the one that appears to be the most engaging or enjoyable.
Step 5:
Mark the pending tasks at the end of the workday and resume it the next day.
5. Bullet Journal
Bullet Journal is a daily note-taking time management system to remain on track. It includes modules for gathering and organizing specific types of entries to meet your individual requirements. People with analytical brains and a preference for keeping things in order will enjoy Bullet Journal.
This method is highly detail-oriented and organized. Therefore, it is considered ideal for accountants, developers, and other analytical professionals. Here’s how to implement the Bullet Journal system:
Step 1:
You will need a journal with page numbers. Each page should have a title that is relevant to the work.
Step 2:
For each title, include particular tasks (•), events (◦), and notes (-).
Step 3:
Mark the task state as completed (X), migrated (>), postponed (<), or removed (•).
Step 4:
Use signifiers to give your bullets more context. For example, an asterisk (*) indicates a priority, whereas an exclamation point (!) indicates inspiration.
Step 5:
Set up collections to arrange specific categories of entries.
6. Time Tracking
This time management system helps employees and businesses in recording and tracking the time spent at work. This involves maintaining a detailed record of tasks and activities and the time spent on each.
Tracking employee hours is tedious, but time-tracking software is easy and fun. Time-tracking software helps in many ways, such as assisting with the accurate billing for clients, as it allows them to capture the actual employee productivity.
Time tracking also helps in improving operational efficiency and project profitability. Time-tracking software reduces the risk of burnout. Leapmax is one such time-tracking software for employees.
It enables you to track and analyze employees’ daily activities to understand better how they can spend their time during work hours.
7. Eisenhower Matrix
This time management technique, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, allows you to prioritize work based on urgency. Accordingly, it will enable you to sort out less urgent jobs. The system prioritizes urgent tasks first. Unimportant and non-urgent tasks are given attention at the last.
How it works?
Divide your tasks into four quadrants:
Quadrant 1:
Do first. Start working on these tasks on an urgent basis.
Quadrant 2:
Schedule. These are the activities that can be done later. Add them to your calendar.
Quadrant 3:
Delegate. Others can handle these activities.
Quadrant 4:
Don’t Do. These are insignificant and non-urgent tasks and do not require immediate attention.
This time management technique is helpful for employees working in hybrid work schedules as it allows them to prioritize the work based on urgency. Interestingly, as per some studies, the success rate of the Eisenhower Matrix is almost 100% among respondents.
8. Pomodoro Technique:
Pomodoro is a famous time management system that suggests 25 minutes of dedicated concentration on work followed by a 5-minute break. It reduces the risk of burnout by providing intermittent breaks during work hours.
How it works:
Step 1:
Work on a selected task for 25 minutes straight.
Step 2:
When the timer reaches 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break to stretch and relax.
Step 3:
Work with a total focus for another 25 minutes, and again take a 5-minute break. You can reward yourself by increasing the duration of every fourth break by 15-30 minutes.
Conclusion
Above are some of the primary time management techniques. However, The “best” time management system will differ according to an individual’s needs, work style, and unique demands. Time management software such as Leapmax helps managers to increase operational efficiency.
With the help of its workforce analytics, Leapmax can optimize its processes and ensure the timely completion of everyday assignments.
