5 Ways to Conquer the Daily Time Crunch at Work

01/30/12

For all the challenges we face in the workplace, time management may be one of the biggest. From the moment our workday begins, we’re pushed and pulled in a hundred different directions, staring down a to-do list that seems longer than the hours in a day.

Tackling time wasters and staying productive are nothing new. But some of the tools within your arsenal are. By adjusting your approach and adapting a few technological tricks, you can make friends with the clock and get more done!

1) Create a filing system based on easy retrieval. You’d probably be amazed at the amount of time you waste hunting for files, whether paper or electronic. To streamline your search, use broad headings for all your folders, such as “Benefit Updates,” “New Hire Tests,” and “Safety Drills.” (Too specific and you’ll end up checking five folders for that one document.) For anything that doesn’t have to be retained for legal or financial reasons, determine toss-out or delete dates for files. And don’t let paper files pile up! Get in the habit of thinning out your desktop stack several times a week.

2) Set up a wiki for easier document sharing. Whether it’s a PowerPoint presentation or a quarterly report, obtaining and managing feedback from a handful of people can be daunting tasks. Did everyone submit their comments? Which document is the most current? Using wikis, which are basically Web pages, may be the answer. Wikis let you develop and modify documents in real time (without sending attachments back and forth), either through a hosted site on the Internet or your office intranet. As a result, you can share and collaborate with a team much more effectively. Plus, many people prefer the “no nonsense” style of documentation, which eliminates the need for time-consuming page and text formatting.

3) Manage the email onslaught. Don’t let incoming mail be a constant interruption and drain on your time. Consider turning off the email notification or audio alert feature; check email only when you’re ready (and at set times of the day), and manage client and coworker expectations regarding your response (a 24-hour turnaround time is acceptable in most cases.) In more demanding situations, just let the person know you got the message and are working on an answer/response.

With all email correspondence, keep your messages professional and succinct. If you find yourself writing a three-page response or struggling to watch your tone, you probably should pick up the phone or schedule a quick meeting with the person instead.

4) Organize your email inbox. Are you guilty of being an email hoarder, with the items in your inbox well into the thousands? First, you need to take the time (sorry!) to delete all the old, irrelevant emails. Next, you need to differentiate between reference information and action information to keep your inbox from piling up again. Reference information, which you may need later, should be transferred to email folders (labeled broadly, see #1). For action information, when you’re being asked to do something, you have three options: 1) Do the task immediately if it will only take a couple of minutes, 2) Delegate the task to the most qualified person, or 3) Defer the task to a later date, adding it to your to-do list or scheduling time in your calendar to address it.

For all other emails (“It’s Peggy’s birthday; swing by the lunchroom for cake at 3 p.m.”), read and DELETE!

5) Stop surfing the ‘Net. Even though most companies monitor the Internet and restrict its use, many employees are still guilty of personal perusing while at work.  Think you’ll hop on for just a minute to check the latest sports stats or find a recipe for vegetarian lasagna? Whether you’re online for five minutes or 15, that’s time away from your actual work. Add up those blocks of surfing time a week – multiplied by the number of employees in your company – and you can see why businesses should be concerned. Save your surfing for your lunch break (ideally on your smartphone or laptop and not a company computer) or, if it’s just a mental break you need, take a quick lap around the building or grab a fresh cup of coffee or tea.