In this day and age, individuals have a multitude of responsibilities that must be managed accordingly. Many jobs have a wide scope of responsibilities that may be affected by factors such as schedules, shift changes, and the involvement of other parties. How can an employee account for all of these factors and maximize productivity? There are several time management tips that can be applied to the day-to-day workload and to the management of long-term projects.

Effective time management involves a deep understanding of priorities. When facing a number of tasks, take some time to think about the level of importance of each task. With a clearer understanding of how tasks relate to other responsibilities, you can decide what to focus on.

Below are some other benefits of time management:

• Increase in productivity
• Reduction in stress level
• Extra time
• Being perceived as an effective worker

However, if effective time management skills are not developed, a worker may find that the following negative consequences may occur:

• Missed deadlines
• Decrease in work quality
• “Stop and go” work flow
• Increased stress levels
• Slow career growth

In order to better manage your time, you need to focus on developing the skills used to identify the order of priorities. You can make use of this grid to make your planning easy:

This chart can also be applied beyond the workplace. Effective time management can be used to manage personal responsibilities.

When facing a number of tasks, it is helpful to take a moment to prioritize and decide the order in which you will approach your tasks. There are many benefits to effective time management and no negatives, so take a moment to reference The Priority Matrix and plan your tasks the next time you feel overwhelmed.