4 effective time management methods applied by managers

A smart time manager will have a flexible work schedule, based on prioritization skills combined with applying scientific methods and advanced technology. Let’s explore the time management methods of successful people through the following 4 ways:

1. Time management with the Eisenhower Matrix

Since it was invented by the 34th President of the United States (1953-1961), Dwight D. Eisenhower, the important-urgent matrix has been considered an extremely effective time management method. As its name suggests, this matrix helps individuals, especially busy leaders, classify tasks based on importance and urgency to determine what to prioritize.

According to this time management method, leaders will divide tasks into 4 categories: important/urgent (1), important/not urgent (2), not important/urgent (3), and not important/not urgent (4).

For the Eisenhower time management matrix to be effective, a leader should not list more than 3 tasks for each category to ensure they have the ability to complete everything they have set out. This method can not only help bosses optimize their work time at the company but can also be flexibly applied to personal tasks (it’s advisable to create two separate lists).

See more: The Effective Time Management Skills to Boost Productivity that every manager needs to know

2. Set recurring times for tasks

Due to the nature of management work, business leaders are often distracted by sudden arising issues; one task isn’t finished before another arrives. To limit this distraction, bosses can set up periodic work check schedules, which can be hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

For example, checking emails can be done every 2 hours, ensuring you are not disturbed while handling other more important and urgent tasks, while still not delaying reading and replying to mail. At the end of each week, business owners can review what they have accomplished in the past week and how it contributed to the business goals they set. And monthly, at the beginning and middle of the month, bosses can evaluate tasks and plans on a larger scale, such as revenue, company cash flow, etc.

>> See more: A simple way to create a work progress tracker in Excel to help managers double their management efficiency

3. The Pomodoro Technique

Research published in 2007 by two scientists, Karen Wilson and James H. Korn from Saint Louis University (USA), proves that: depending on age, people can only concentrate best for a period of 10-20 minutes and need to rest for a few minutes afterward to recover. Beyond this period, if individuals still force themselves to work, they will not be able to achieve high work efficiency while their mind and body feel tired. This is also a time management method in the office that many people apply.

Previously, in the late 1980s, Italian strategist and consultant Francesco Cirillo designed the “Pomodoro Technique” to divide work into repeating intervals, most commonly 25 minutes of focus, followed by a 5-minute break.

The main purpose of this time management method is to limit both subjective and objective impacts affecting concentration and workflow. A leader can set specific time goals for themselves to complete a certain task, such as 55 minutes (25 minutes of work – 5-minute break – another 25 minutes of work) or 115 minutes (4 periods of 25-minute work with 3 periods of 5-minute breaks).

It should be noted that breaks should be limited to simple relaxation activities such as walking, drinking water, stretching, and breathing, and not reading newspapers, using social media, watching movies, etc.

4. Time management with technology

The massive workload makes many business leaders consider hiring a personal secretary to help arrange schedules and support task resolution. In the context of small and medium-sized enterprises that are still facing financial resource difficulties, hiring a personal secretary for the boss is often an investment that is not yet truly necessary.

In return, the advancements of the current 4.0 technology revolution have been providing leaders with effective time management and work tracking tools. 1Office provides a business management platform that allows you to manage all departments and every company project in just one software. With 1Office, you will save costs as optimally as possible, because when using 1Office:

• Each employee saves 15 minutes/day on meetings, reports, and administrative forms.
• Each manager saves 30 minutes/day on processing administrative forms and compiling report data.
• Every 3 days, each employee saves 1 sheet of paper.

Join 1Office to manage time and enhance work efficiency in your business!

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