Master Time Management with These Six Tips

As a busy administrative professional, mastering how you spend your time and energy is mission-critical for productivity and efficiency during the work day. With eight hours in each work day, it can be challenging to manage tasks when meetings go long and issues pop up. 

The good news is learning to manage your time improves job performance, decreases stress, and increases self-confidence. It also opens the door for more opportunities to pursue projects you’re passionate about rather than focusing on mundane tasks that simply must get done.

It’s true — time management can do all of this! Let’s find out how. 

How Time Management Skills Benefit Admin Professionals

For starters, what exactly is time management? 

Time management is how you plan your day to maximize proficiency and productivity in various tasks. Anyone can benefit from exercising their time management skills. It’s one of the most sought-after soft skills in the workplace, right up there with decision-making and collaboration.

Effective time management skills help you prioritize tasks, delegate allotted time to each one, and adjust as you see fit. Moreover, time management skills help you stay organized, proficient at your job, and capable of planning and making future commitments. 

Effective Time Management Strategies

Now that you fully grasp how time management benefits you, your team, and your organization as a whole, it’s time to start creating healthy habits! 

Here are the top six time management strategies you can cultivate to become a more efficient, productive, and valuable employee.

1. Avoid Multitasking

In some scenarios, multitasking is a sign of competence in the workplace. While we don’t entirely disagree, it’s been proven that multitasking can derail productivity and focus when trying to complete two unrelated tasks. Stay focused, check the box, then move on.

2. Remove Distractions

When you’re sitting down to complete a task, remove the typical distractions from your workspace so you can focus. Whether it’s scheduling meetings for the upcoming week, performing data entry, or drafting email copy, distractions and interruptions will derail the time you’ve allotted. 

Put your phone away, let your colleagues know you’re buckling down, and get the job done.

3. Create a Schedule 

Having a schedule with time blocks for work will make it easier to focus and finish tasks. Prioritize the most critical tasks first and give yourself five or 10-minute breaks throughout the day, but stick to your schedule as much as possible.

4. Stay Organized

Keeping your workspace tidy can improve productivity, decrease stress levels, and help you maintain focus. Other tips to stay organized include keeping your email inbox clean and maintained and keeping your personal and professional calendar updated. 

5. Maintain Boundaries

No one knows better than you what your limits are at work. If working late or coming in early is more than you can handle, make your personal boundaries known. 

Saying no to additional work may be uncomfortable. However, if it impacts your core tasks and responsibilities, you have to make it known where your priorities lie. 

6. Deploy Tools to Help

Modern business tools can drastically help with time management; you just need to know how to use them! Project management tools like Trello can boost productivity and collaboration, Slack is great for team communication, and Google Calendar is the best in the business for scheduling meetings.  

Cultivate Your Skills with ASAP 

Good time management is one of the most attractive qualities in any administrative professional. It shows employers that you are focused, efficient, and ready for anything. 

To sharpen the skills your organization values, consider the educational resources ASAP provides. We’re committed to helping admin professionals cultivate the skills and confidence they need to build fulfilling career paths.