These past couple of weeks, some of you may have stayed up late to watch the World Cup tournament. It's OK to enjoy one of the world's greatest sporting events, as long as it does not affect your productivity at work. And to help you manage your time better, we have some tips to share here today.
--Know your responsibilities
First of all, you need to be aware of your responsibilities in the organization. Those who don't know exactly what they need to be doing often spend time on less-important tasks, which usually end up being wasted effort. Knowing what's most important in your work can help you prioritize the tasks assigned to you. So when someone asks you to help them with something, but your most important tasks are still not finished, it's best that you decline the request or postpone your assistance until you've finished your work. Don't forget to explain your reasons.
--Plan ahead
Planning is one of the best "free" tools to help you manage your time and priorities. It is one tool that can surely help reduce backlogs. You can plan your work yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly or even daily. As for myself, I always write down the things that need to be done each day in a notebook to remind myself at a later time. Every morning, think about what you need to do that day and write it down in your notebook so you won't have to waste time try to figure things out later on.
--Learn to delegate work
For those of you who have subordinates, it's important to learn how to distribute that work among them. This not only lessens your workload, but it also gives your subordinate a chance to improve by learning new things. Just make sure that they are ready for the task. To me, this is a win-win situation. You get your work done, and your subordinate gets to improve.
A final word to those who say they don't have time for something: Who took the time away from you? Don't forget that everyone's day lasts 24 hours. Manage your time well, so that every minute and every second counts.
Wannaporn Srivatthanangkoon is marketing communication manager of Manpower, a leading employment services company. She may be contacted at hrrecruitment@manpower.th.com Now you can follow us for available positions from our Twitter @jobinthailand or Facebook Manpower Thailand