Key Takeaways:

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• Effective time management is crucial for productivity, as poor management leads to stress, missed deadlines, and incomplete projects.

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• Signs of subpar time management skills include poor workflow, excessive time wasting, and low-quality deliverables.

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• Using digital tools like Insightful, Todoist, Google Calendar, and Forest can help you with tracking productivity, time monitoring, organizing tasks, scheduling events, and minimizing distractions.

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• Time management techniques, like timeboxing, Pomodoro, Getting Things Done (GTD), the Eisenhower Matrix, and the 4D System offer structured approaches to prioritizing tasks, improving focus, and reducing stress, especially when paired with tools like Insightful.

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Read time: 10 minutes

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It’s easy to get sidetracked while working and start scrolling through your phone instead. The next thing you know, it’s been 4.5 hours and your to-do list is still packed with pending tasks.

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Losing track of time is a major cause of low productivity. However, there’s a way to break the cycle. In this article, I’ll tell you how to improve your time management and inspire your team to do the same. 

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Let’s explore the best time management techniques that will whip you into shape. As a bonus, I’ll provide practical tips on how to track remote employees using digital helpers like online calendars, time-tracking apps, and task management tools!

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What is Time Management?

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Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities. Put simply, it means making the most out of the time you have, especially when it comes to work-related stuff.

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Working on your time management skills can improve both your professional and private life. Always being behind on your to-do list can lead to stress, missed deadlines, and incomplete projects. Learning how to manage your day more effectively will help you and your team reach your full potential.

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Why Does Time Management Matter?

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Effective time management allows you and your team to complete more in less time. This means you’ll be able to take on new tasks, projects, and clients, ultimately increasing profitability.

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We all have the same 24 hours in the day and a typical workday takes up roughly a third of that. There are only so many things you can accomplish in 8 hours, which is why time management is key for enhancing productivity.

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Once you’ve mastered time management, you’ll be quicker on your feet and equipped to make better decisions. Along with agility, time management can grant you better insight into your current workload, making it easier to decide whether your team can take on more.‍

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Furthermore, the pressure that comes from being behind on a project wears off as your time management skills improve. You and your team will feel like you have more control over your work and private lives, bringing down that heart rate in stressful situations.

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As you and your team learn to manage your time, you’ll realize the value of self-discipline. It’s easy to let things run their course and trip under pressure. It’s much harder to motivate your team to keep working and not get swayed by distractions.

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How To Know You Have Poor Time Management Skills

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There are a few clues that your time management skills might need a bit of work. One of them is poor workflow. It means you’re unable to plan your workload properly and follow through. You usually jump from task to task, keeping busy throughout the day, but without real results.

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Another tell-tale sign is ’’wasting time,’’ which includes browsing social media, chatting with coworkers, or anything that’s not task-related while you’re supposed to be handling that assignment. A quick fix for this is using a time tracking software that monitors how much time a person is spending on unproductive activities.

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Poor time management often results in low-quality deliverables. If you’ve been hearing complaints about your work recently, it might be time to change some habits.

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Improving Time Management with Tools

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Digital tools can help you improve your time management skills. Here are some less-known but equally effective apps and platforms you can use to organize. I didn’t include your usual project and time management tools like Trello, Jira, Asana, etc. because I wanted to show you something new and/or underrated.

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Insightful

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No time management tools list can be complete without Insightful! The time tracking software and workforce analytics solution helps you monitor employee attendance, tasks, and projects, pointing out bottlenecks and potential distractions.

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The platform provides in-depth insights into everyone’s productivity and activity levels, serving as an amazing productivity booster for any team. Plus, you get a breakdown of apps, websites, and software usage, so you can decide which ones are keepers and which get the chop.

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Insightful empowers individuals and teams with data-driven feedback and analysis, allowing you to take full control of your time.

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That’s not all! Insightful plays well with other digital helpers that boost your time management. The platform seamlessly connects with various HR tools, adding an extra layer of insight to your time monitoring endeavors.

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Todoist 

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Todoist is a popular task management app designed to help you organize tasks and projects efficiently. It offers features such as creating tasks, setting due dates, assigning priorities, and organizing tasks into projects and subtasks. 

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You can also collaborate with others, set reminders, and access your tasks across multiple devices, making it a versatile tool for personal and professional productivity.

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Todoist can inspire you and your team to improve your time management skills and develop healthier habits. It helps you stay focused and get through your to-do list more efficiently (hence the name).

Google Calendar

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Using a digital calendar is a must for time management. My top pick is Google Calendar since it’s super easy to use. You can access it from your phone while you’re on your commute, or check it from your laptop when you get home. 

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Once you’ve agreed on a certain deadline, meeting, or coffee break, write it in your Google calendar. You can also set up reminders a day or hour before the event.

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When someone asks you to handle a new task or a project, go back to the calendar and check if you have the time. Somewhere along the way, you’ll learn how to say “no” to some tasks, and that’s fine. It’s much better than overworking yourself and your team.

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Forest

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Forest is a mobile app that stops you from using your phone for a certain period. During this time, the app blocks distracting websites and notifications, helping you maintain concentration and avoid procrastination. While you’re focusing on work, virtual trees are growing into a beautiful forest, giving you a sense of accomplishment.

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You get to earn rewards and unlock new features the more you use the app. The gamification motivates you to maintain focus and complete tasks within the allotted time. It also allows you to check your progress and make adjustments as needed.

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There is also a paid version of the software, where you can use coins to plant an actual tree! The Forest app is partnered with Trees for the Future, a non-profit organization that restores landscapes in disenfranchised areas.

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Different Time Management Techniques

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If you’re looking to improve your time management skills, there are tons of time management techniques you can use.  I’ve selected a few I have tried in my workplace, that seem to be quite popular:

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Timeboxing

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Timeboxing is a time management technique and a project management method. The gist is to focus on one thing at a time instead of multitasking.

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Put simply, you create timeboxes in your digital calendar for every task. For example, set aside 30 minutes to respond to emails, and then do it for 30 minutes—not a minute longer. Once the time’s up, take a break and move on to the next task.

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Timeboxing can provide structure to your workday, helping you prioritize tasks effectively and manage your time more efficiently. With this approach, you and your team can minimize distractions and make sure that important tasks are completed within deadlines. 

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You can pair the technique with a time management tool for optimal results. I like to use Insightful to track time while I’m in a timebox, and Forest to limit the use of my phone so I can stay completely focused.

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Pomodoro

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The Pomodoro technique involves breaking work into intervals, usually 25 minutes long, separated by short breaks, to improve focus and productivity.

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Here’s how it works: you get a timer (an app or an actual kitchen timer, whatever works), set it to 25 minutes, and spend that time working on a task. When the timer goes off, you mark the task as completed, and take a 5-minute break. After you’ve completed 4 intervals, you should take a longer break, at least 20 minutes. 

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These structured intervals of focused work followed by short breaks can enhance productivity and prevent burnout. Breaking tasks into manageable segments helps you maintain focus and motivation throughout the workday.

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However, sometimes 25 minutes is too short. Let’s say you’re working on a more creative project, like writing a blog. Imagine having your flow interrupted after 25 minutes by an egg timer! If you can’t break up your projects to fit into this time frame, you might be better off with another technique.

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Getting Things Done (GDT)

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’’Getting things done’’ or GDT is a method introduced by David Allen in 2001. He published a book on it back then and has since released a new edition in 2015.

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The process consists of 5 stages:

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1. Capture: create a list of your tasks
2. Clarify: review the list, define what’s urgent, and focus on that task. 
3. Organize: create categories for actionable items on your list
4. Reflect: update and review the list at least once per week, to plan the next steps
5. Engage: use this system as a way to improve your decision-making

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GTD works well for creatives, who like making their own schedules and priorities. It’s a way to free your mind from thinking about deadlines and focus on productive work instead.

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The technique offers a flexible, yet systematic approach to organizing tasks, reducing mental clutter, and improving overall productivity. Capturing, clarifying, and organizing tasks into actionable items can help you manage the workload and focus on high-priority tasks.

Eisenhower Matrix

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The Eisenhower Matrix productivity method, also known as the ‘Urgent-Important Matrix’ helps you prioritize by handling the most urgent and important tasks first.

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The idea is to separate your tasks into four different quadrants:

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• Do: important and urgent tasks that should be handled right away
• Schedule: important, but not as urgent tasks that can be done later
• Delegate: tasks that are urgent, but not very important, which you can delegate
• Don’t do: tasks that are neither urgent nor important

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The Eisenhower Matrix technique helps you prioritize tasks by categorizing them based on urgency and importance, allowing you to focus on what matters most. Once you learn how to distinguish between urgent and important tasks, you can manage your time and resources more efficiently, leading to increased productivity and less stress. 

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I would recommend you use this method in combination with another tool, rather than a standalone technique. Insightful can help you make more informed decisions and improve your time management with comprehensive data and analysis. You’ll be able to prioritize tasks based on their impact and urgency more easily.

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The 4D System

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The 4D system is a productivity method for categorizing tasks based on urgency and importance. It’s great for those of us who keep jumping from task to task as soon as we get something new to do. 

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The system teaches you to go through your task list and decide whether to delete, delegate, defer, or do.

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How do you apply this to a real project? Well, let’s say you’re planning a marketing campaign. Here’s how to use the 4D system in this scenario:

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• Delete: Eliminate redundant or low-impact tasks like data collection
• Delegate: Assign tasks that require specific skills, like creating content, to team members with the appropriate experience
• Defer: Postpone less urgent activities like social media scheduling to a later stage
• Do: Immediately tackle critical tasks like setting up ad campaigns to meet deadlines

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I found that when paired with Insightful, the 4D system can be quite the turning point for any team. The platform can help you pinpoint tasks that need to be chucked by analyzing historical data and identifying low-priority or redundant activities. 

Become a Time Management Wizz with Insightful

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When it comes to time management, you need to decide what works for you. Don’t be afraid to experiment and combine different tools and techniques!

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If you’re after a more personalized approach, Insightful is right up your alley. The platform has a suite of amazing features that identify hiccups, prioritize tasks, and improve overall efficiency. 

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Plus, the software seamlessly integrates with various tools, like task management apps, digital calendars, and workflow automation platforms. That way, you can create a streamlined workflow and make sure every minute is spent productively. 

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