Team time management

You can’t stop time. But you can learn to manage it. Staff productivity depends on how rationally this resource is used in the company. Corporate time management helps to organize teamwork so as to get the best results with less effort. It is a set of tools and methods for effective distribution of working time.

Importance of time management in company

It is possible to be a true professional, to plan every action, to have excellent self-control and the ability to organize your day. But, at the same time, you suffer from the disorganization of your subordinates, who spend most of their time on extraneous matters. This complicates the fulfillment of tasks and extends their deadlines.

In any company, there are rules. For example, in the area of financial management. They require clear compliance by all employees. Example: after arriving from a business trip, an advance report is prepared in the same form for all employees. It must be filled out and submitted to the accounting department to account for expenses.

Time is money. Therefore, this valuable resource must be handled accordingly. These issues are solved by team time management, the main objectives of which are:

• proper tasking of employees;
• management of work processes in the company;
• calculating the time to complete various tasks.

The implementation of a corporate time management system allows:

• improve the performance of the company’s employees;
• to achieve the optimal economic effect with less resources;
• get your priorities straight;
• Effectively accomplish tasks within designated time frames.

Principles of corporate time management

The corporate time management system is based on the observance of clear rules for the use of working time. They are based on the following principles:

• The concept of purposefulness based on the correctness of task formulation. In order to perform tasks effectively, you need to clearly understand their purpose. Understand what the end result will be.
• Planning. This is one of the main elements of time management. By prioritizing tasks, workers will spend less time on non-essential tasks. This will help them focus on key processes and complete them faster.
• Priority designations. Derived from the previous principle. When drawing up an action plan, it is important to prioritize the most important tasks and distribute them in descending order. At the end of the list should be the most unimportant task that has no direct impact on the result of the work.
• Self-discipline. This is the main quality of an organized and helpful employee. Each team member should strive to accomplish the tasks assigned to him without being distracted by extraneous matters.
• Qualities of rest. Any labor requires rest. Without it, overload is inevitable, leading to a decrease in work efficiency. In order not to work to exhaustion, you need to separate the time of work and rest. Spend free time with comfort and benefit.
• Documenting objectives. This process is necessary to capture the objectives in writing. If the goal is written down, it means it is real.
• Dividing tasks into stages. Extensive projects are broken down into individual tasks, which are carried out in a specific sequence.
• Planning hierarchy. Project activities are forecasted based on the time available. That is, the plan is made for a day, a week, a month, a year, etc.

You can use your working time more efficiently and rationally by eliminating chronophages or “time eaters”. These include all factors that distract from the main work. For example, gadgets used for watching TV shows, socializing with acquaintances or playing games during the working day.

To use your time effectively, you need to focus on the main task at hand. If you spend your energy on several different tasks at the same time, you will have to constantly switch from one task to another. This will lead to absent-mindedness, loss of attention and further prolong their completion.

Basic methods and tools of time management

Various methods of corporate time management are used to improve personnel efficiency. These include the following techniques and technologies:

List of tasks	Issued by the supervisor to subordinates. Completed tasks are crossed off the list and reported to the supervisor.	Helps to rationally distribute working time during the day. All tasks must be completed by the end of the set deadline.
Daily routine	In addition to the to-do list, this includes lunch breaks, rest breaks, personal errands, etc.	Provides rational distribution of work and personal affairs during the day. Helps you highlight important events, schedule meetings or other activities.
Eisenhower matrix	This is a table categorizing cases by importance and urgency.	Allows you to establish the correct sequence of tasks.
SMART technology	The task is drawn up, the time, means and possibilities of its fulfillment are determined.	Handy for specifying goals and understanding their importance.

Corporate time management utilizes other tools to help plan work. These include the following techniques:

• “Elephant”. It implies division of voluminous tasks into separate stages. It is used to organize complex, multi-stage processes.
• “Eat the frog”. It consists in making a to-do list, from which the most difficult to implement and unpleasant tasks are selected. It is with them that the performer starts his working day.
• “Swiss cheese”. It also involves creating a list of tasks, but they are started, on the contrary, with the simplest ones. According to the creator of the method, psychologist James Reason, it allows you to do any work faster.
• “Tomato”. Requires mandatory division of labor and rest time. For example, after working every 25 minutes, the employee must take a five-minute break. After four such approaches – a break for 30 minutes. But, in order to achieve efficiency, it is important that the established time limits are limited.

Various tools are used within the corporate time management system for rational organization of employees’ working time. These include paper organizers and special electronic applications and services for task planning. With their help, it is possible to distribute tasks among subordinates, make a schedule of tasks for the day and control their fulfillment.

Effective corporate time management technologies: LeaderTask app

All work processes can and should be automated. This statement applies to the planning of working time. To plan tasks, important appointments, meetings, and the distribution of tasks for the day, it is convenient to use specialized programs for time management. These include app LeaderTask – an electronic organizer with the functions of a personal secretary and task planner.

Among the pros of the program are:

• calendar for daily, weekly or monthly planning;
• the function of a day planner with a schedule of things to do for the day;
• creating notifications about the status of tasks;
• corporate chat for communication within the framework of a common project;
• data exchange;
• user-friendly interface;
• the possibility of offline use.

The app supports a kanban board function that visually displays current and strategic goals. Works on all types of digital devices.

Application of corporate time management system in personnel working time management allows you to better organize the work of employees, increase their efficiency and productivity. Automation of work processes will help to achieve better success. Positive results can be achieved by introducing corporate standards into the company’s life and training employees to manage their working and personal time competently.