Implementing simple time management techniques can increase productivity as much as 200%.

• Sales representatives that use time management techniques are significantly more productive. Only 22% of sales representatives utilize any time management strategies.
• Dedicating a daily two-hour time block to outbound sales activities and a one-hour time block to clear email has been shown to increase closed deals by 200% in just two weeks.
• People spend an average of 3.5 hours per day on work emails. Committing to reading and responding to email only during the last hour of the workday provides a time gain of 12.5 hours each week. Slack or another messaging system provides a means to manage time-sensitive, interoffice communications.
• Prioritize, prepare, and make it public. Sharing goals and priorities with the team makes it more likely those challenges will be met.
• Reducing multi-tasking and taking breaks improves productivity. Clear your mind to make room for inspiration. Some of the best ideas can come during a walk through the woods.

“Time is the ultimate equalizer …”¹ We all have the same amount of time, but we don’t all have the same amount of success. Developing a competitive edge begins with an elevated awareness of how time is spent. While most everyone approaches their day with a to-do list, what is achieved varies—sometimes dramatically. The comfort of an established routine, obvious and hidden distractions, and a keep-your-head-down approach to work can delay or prevent attainment of professional objectives and true potential.

Time management strategies prompt an intentional prioritization of projects and organization of the workday. When team members determine and focus on high-value tasks and actively manage their time, they increase their ability to reach short- and long-term goals.

Proven Time Management Strategies

There is a difference between busyness and productivity.² Much of the difference lies in effective planning. Which activities contribute the most to reaching goals? Those tasks merit the greatest focus. Employing simple time management strategies will help make those determinations and maintain steady progress.

Set a Schedule for Success

Time to level up the to-do list. It takes just a few minutes to turn that list into an action plan. Doing the right things at the right times and sticking to the plan improves both efficiency and effectiveness.

Start by prioritizing projects. Think of the 80/20 rule; in this case, 20% of daily tasks will contribute 80% toward reaching goals. Prioritize tasks from highest-to-least impact with consideration to their urgency and importance. The Eisenhower Matrix is a helpful tool for task evaluation and scheduling.

Block your time. Time blocking³ is one of the best methods to ensure focus on high-impact tasks. This technique helps schedule the most challenging (and potentially beneficial) projects⁴ at each person’s peak time during the day and allots a specific amount of time to each task. There are apps for this, but a handwritten list or Excel spreadsheet are effective and keep things simple.

Write it down. Commit the time-blocked, prioritized to-do list to paper or a computer, post it, and cross off tasks as they’re completed. Embrace the idea, “the day is done when the list is done.” This can take time to perfect, as some projects may take more or less time to complete than originally scheduled. Setting a goal time to each task and then tracking the actual time to complete the task helps develop a proficiency in time estimating and blocking.

Check Your List. Frequently review the schedule throughout the day. Watch for “time creep” on projects and fruitless distractions.

Sharpen Your Focus

Distractions are a major drain on productivity—social media, email, texting, listening to music or a podcast, even having a casual conversation with a colleague while working on a project; the list is endless. Identifying distractions and intentionally limiting them makes a difference in the quality and quantity of work produced. For those who pride themselves on being effective multi-taskers, multi-tasking for greater productivity is a myth. In fact, focusing on a single task is more effective.⁵

Reduce Distractions. High-impact tasks deserve everyone’s full attention. Silence phones, click out of email, and close the door. Intentionally reducing distractions and interruptions increases concentration and accuracy in execution.

Reconsider Multi-tasking. Multi-tasking⁶ can result in longer completion times and more errors. Because the brain is wired to focus on one task at a time, there are costs associated with task switching.⁷ Beyond inaccuracies and delays, switching between multiple tasks can result in some tasks left uncompleted. All things considered, multi-tasking reduces rather than enhances performance.

Single-task for the Win. Addressing one task at a time yields better results.

Make Yourself Accountable

Each person’s success is their own, so the person to which you’re most accountable is you. Set a goal, write it down, post it prominently, and say it out loud. Committing to goals and project timelines in visible and public ways heightens motivation.

Manage for success. Managers can encourage greater productivity with status meetings that not only share updates, but also incorporate individual goal setting. While initially this may illicit a group groan, enthusiasm will grow as team members see the result of their efforts. Posting weekly/monthly priorities is another effective way to aid team members in maintaining focus.

Be accountable. Every team member should show up with a to-do list/action plan for the week. In addition to expected tasks, superior performers will set a specific goal for themselves each week and share it with the team.

Make Yourself Accountable

Each person’s success is their own, so the person to which you’re most accountable is you. Set a goal, write it down, post it prominently, and say it out loud. Committing to goals and project timelines in visible and public ways heightens motivation.

Manage for success. Managers can encourage greater productivity with status meetings that not only share updates, but also incorporate individual goal setting. While initially this may illicit a group groan, enthusiasm will grow as team members see the result of their efforts. Posting weekly/monthly priorities is another effective way to aid team members in maintaining focus.

Be accountable. Every team member should show up with a to-do list/action plan for the week. In addition to expected tasks, superior performers will set a specific goal for themselves each week and share it with the team.

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Make Yourself Accountable

Each person’s success is their own, so the person to which you’re most accountable is you. Set a goal, write it down, post it prominently, and say it out loud. Committing to goals and project timelines in visible and public ways heightens motivation.

Manage for success. Managers can encourage greater productivity with status meetings that not only share updates, but also incorporate individual goal setting. While initially this may illicit a group groan, enthusiasm will grow as team members see the result of their efforts. Posting weekly/monthly priorities is another effective way to aid team members in maintaining focus.

Be accountable. Every team member should show up with a to-do list/action plan for the week. In addition to expected tasks, superior performers will set a specific goal for themselves each week and share it with the team.

Give Yourself a Break

Working to increase productivity is work. The goal is not to add stress, but to increase results.

Take Regular Breaks. While taking a break seems paradoxical when talking about time management, it really does help. Get up, walk down the hall or around the block, get lunch … take small breaks throughout the day to clear your head and stimulate creativity. Refocusing the mind increases productivity as well.⁸

Be Flexible. – Understand that good and bad things can happen to change your day’s plan at a moment’s notice.⁹ React with resilience. Adjust your plan and move forward.

Take the next step

Effective time management increases focus, productivity, and performance. Time management training positively impacts team members’ ability to achieve their individual goals and the organization’s goals and provides a path for them to reach their true potential. Begin improving productivity today by implementing the strategies in this article then watch how these small changes yield big results.

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