Time is a valuable resource that a person has. It gets especially great value during the implementation period of large and technically complex projects. Moreover, the majority approaches the use of the time available to him extremely irrationally. Because of this, human efficiency and the effectiveness of the work performed are reduced. As a result, it is crucial to avoid common mistakes in managing your own time.
Lack of a systematic to-do list
Often, an employee is faced with a situation where it seems to him that he forgot to perform an extremely important part of the work. As a result, the success of the entire project is at stake. This is facilitated by one of the most common mistakes - the lack of a systematic to-do list.
An excellent solution to the problem can be the acquisition and installation on the working computer of one of the specialized daily logs, which will not only save the names of specific cases, but also allow you to create a detailed description of them, and can also inform you about the approach date for completing a task.
Lack of goals
Each employee must understand exactly what he wants to achieve in the end. Otherwise, he will not be able to achieve strategic success in the ongoing business. Properly set goals will not only allow you to get a specific result, but also control the progress of the entire project. For this, it is necessary to set ourselves not only the final, but also intermediate tasks.
Lack of task priority
The working day of many consists of a huge number of urgent tasks. As a result, often really important things are ignored that determine the success of not only an individual employee, but also the company as a whole.
In order to avoid this, one should use the so-called task priority matrix. It will allow you to determine which of the problems should be solved in the first place, and which can be postponed until later. This can significantly increase employee productivity. Practice shows that people who immediately rush to solve a new problem, postponing a previously completed business, lose a huge amount of time.
Outside distraction
As studies have shown, employees of modern companies lose up to 2 hours a day due to various distractions. We are talking about phone calls, smartphone applications, helping colleagues to solve their problems, as well as other issues that force to interrupt the execution of tasks.
Distraction has a very harmful feature. Even after a person returns to work, he will have to spend 10-15 minutes to “get involved” in solving the task. Ultimately a huge amount of time is wasted.
In order to avoid this, one should not only limit oneself from the influence of the phone and computer (if the work itself is not connected with this), but also warn colleagues about the inadmissibility of distraction during labor time.
Procrastination
Most often, this mistake is made by those who are afraid of the scale of the tasks assigned to them. As a result, they try to allocate the maximum amount of time to start work on the project. This leads to a permanent delay in solving a large and truly important task.
The correct solution to the problems associated with the implementation of such projects is the fragmentation of tasks into smaller ones, as well as the creation of stages for their solution. As a result, a person will be able to confidently advance in the performance of work.This will positively affect the effectiveness of his work and in achieving specific goals.
Put everything on yourself
Too many employees and, above all, small and middle managers make a serious mistake in the process of their activities. They shoulder too much on their shoulders. At the same time, many of them note that they take on the solution of too many problems due to a lack of confidence in the ability of subordinates to solve the problem in a qualitative manner.
In some cases, it is really better to take responsibility for the implementation of the project, however, the constant charge of all new functions for one person has not brought any success in the long run. In the end, even a very good employee has reduced efficiency. The quality of his work will deteriorate, and there can be no talk of any development.
The correct approach for the leader will not be the burden of work on yourself. He should delegate more tasks to his staff. Moreover, he may well direct them or control the process of performing work. If an employee does not cope with the solution of elementary profile tasks for him, then it is worth thinking about the advisability of his stay in the company.
Too fast pace of work and permanent employment
Some employees receive some moral satisfaction from the realization that they are too much in demand and constantly busy. Moreover, there is a mess on their table, they do not have time to solve all the tasks assigned to them. In addition, they are more often involved in those projects that they consider important, rather than those that are of great importance to the company. As a result, they spend a lot of time on solving insignificant, small, but laborious tasks.
There is no need to talk about the high efficiency of these employees. They definitely need to adjust the work schedule. Some tasks require in-depth analysis and informed decision making. In the end, it’s better to focus on doing important work, giving it as much time as it really requires.
Multitasking
Many are proud of the ability to do several things at once. In practice, it turns out that such employees are ineffective. The fact is that they do not focus all their attention on solving a particular problem. They constantly have to think about several tasks at once. As a result, they poorly solve both problems at once.
Moreover, the implementation of several tasks at once leads to additional time costs in the amount of 20 to 40%.
Waiver of breaks
There are a considerable number of employees who try to work without breaks and even without lunch. Thus, in their opinion, a lot of time is saved that can be spent on the performance of certain labor duties.
In fact, studies show that without interruptions, a person’s ability to work is gradually reduced. As a result, by the middle of the working day, he was not able to solve the tasks assigned to him as effectively as in the morning.
If possible, take short breaks for 5 minutes every hour. You should also allocate a sufficient amount of time for eating. The fact is that during rest the brain works a little differently. As a result, new ideas can be generated to develop the company or successfully solve a serious problem.
Incorrect task scheduling
Each person has his own unique biorhythms. As a result, some people better solve problems in the morning, while others immediately after sunset. The right approach would be to plan the most complex and energy-intensive tasks for the period when performance is at the highest level. Simple things should be left for a time when no serious creative abilities are required.