Truly effective time management and self organisation takes focus and thoughtfulness

Time management and organisation are key to improving individual productivity and firm performance. But, in order to manage our time well, we need first to understand how we are using our time. The ways we spend our time has been described variously as ‘passing time’, ‘activities’, ‘social’, ‘withdrawal’ and ‘rituals’. Sometimes we will be doing something which can fall into two or perhaps three
of these categories simultaneously. Where we spend most of our time will, however, show us whether we are managing our
time well or can make improvements to
our effectiveness.

Time spent doing ‘activities’ is where work is undertaken. However, we cannot sustain a high level of performance if we stay in this category 100 per cent of our time. We need to be able to recharge, so the efficient use of our time is where we can successfully ’withdraw’, be ‘social’, deliver work ‘activities’ and only use time
on ‘rituals’ where they are efficient and
not done purely because they have
become habit.

The category which can be described as using up time least efficiently or purposefully is ‘passing time’. We pass time in a work environment when we are filling segments of our day with activities that bridge one part of the day with another but which are unnecessary and/or unimportant. Examples include:

• waiting for a meeting to start because people are late;

• being kept on hold for a call which could be made again later;

• sending emails to colleagues seated within speaking distance instead of going over to speak with them.

Improving effectiveness

Truly effective time management and self organisation takes focus and thoughtfulness in determining how to utilise one’s time. Even the best L&D teams and trainers cannot make people better at managing their time if the structures and measures which reward or recognise the way people spend their time do not encourage the types of behaviours that result in productive, purposeful and appropriately sociable activities from being undertaken routinely.

Clear communication of performance expectations (including objectives and targets) and resourcing individuals adequately to achieve those targets is a prerequisite to helping people to manage their time effectively. Infrastructure which is reliable and fit for purpose, strict protocols about meetings starting and finishing on time (with clarity agreed around resulting actions) are simple ways of encouraging better use of time during the working day.

Firms that foster a culture where working well together is expected and where individuals are encouraged to adopt a ‘minimal errors’ approach (the manufacturing sector’s approach of ‘get it right first time’) will see better time management by individuals. This is because individuals are actively encouraged to focus their attention on the quality of their work from the outset and not to rely on others to amend or correct their work.

By taking responsibility for accuracy and appropriate levels of detail and relevance of information, not only do individuals begin to generate a better quality of documents or meetings as a matter of routine, but they also reduce the amount of time spent correcting their work or the work of others, which can reduce the number of interruptions they make or experience from others. The interruptions won’t disappear, but will reduce in number once people start to take greater responsibility for their work being ‘right first time’.

Workflows and systems

The right infrastructure and IT systems are necessary aspects of helping employees to be efficient in their use of time. It is essential that employees use the entire functionality of systems that are available to them in their roles and do not become complacent or fall into the habit (ritual) of doing things in ways that suits them but may not actually be the most efficient.

Time would be better spent if individuals used all of the functionality and shortcut keys on software packages such as Microsoft Word or Excel, or perhaps use the firm’s document management system or case management system as expected, rather than circumnavigating sections because they appear to take too much time to complete or appear excessive. These habits have a knock-on effect further down the process line, resulting in others wasting their time on searching for information which should have been added at the appropriate step in the process.

Firms are notoriously lax in enforcing the use of agreed workflows and systems, often because managers and supervisors do not want to have sometimes difficult conversations with strong characters or because they don’t appreciate the wider consequences of deviating from the agreed procedures. So, if you think someone in your team or department needs to go on a time management course, take a step back and ask yourself what the underlying behaviours or causes might be which prompt this apparent development need and have that conversation with your L&D team instead.

Sue Beavil is UK learning and organisational development manager at international law firm Slater & Gordon (www.slatergordon.co.uk)