What are some time management tools that you can use? Knowing how to use different types of tools can move you to the next level.
Calendar
Your calendar can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It all depends on how you use it. Going back to the article, 10 Time Management Tips, I mentioned that a calendar is most useful for specific meetings, appointments, or blocked time for that particular day that needs to be done. Otherwise, you are clogging up your calendar with numerous tasks that may or may not get done!
Let’s break down the basics of using a calendar. For some of you, it may be a paper calendar that you use. This works, too; just be sure to keep it clean of clutter.
Digital Calendar
Steps to include when using a digital calendar:
- Subject
Why is the meeting being held? A meeting needs to have a purpose. Find out if the purpose of the meeting can first be agreed upon by email or between two individuals before calling a meeting.
- Who Attends
Who needs to attend this meeting to accomplish the goal of the meeting? Adding people to a meeting does not add value; it can make it a continuous circle of conversations without completing a thing.
- Where
Where is this meeting to be held? Be specific. If possible, include the address for others to click and use a map simply. If it is in one particular room in the building, be sure it is the correct room, and that is, in fact, available for use.
- When
Be sure to include the correct date and time. I’ve received invites for meetings on the wrong date and at the wrong time. Check your am/pm selections. Also, if you are meeting virtually, be sure to include the correct time zone.
All of these components are necessary! If you are missing one item, you can lose track of time, be in the wrong place or show up on the wrong day! It’s happened, trust me!
Gmail, Outlook, and Apple (for iPhones) all have digital calendars that can link together into one. Linking calendars helps to be sure that you don’t have one meeting or appointment scheduled on one calendar and then have something else at the same time.
Bounce
As an Executive Assistant, my world is all my work and my home. As described by Trisha Miltimore, we “Bounce” from one activity to another, not try and find a balance between work and life. I find it extremely important to use one calendar and put everything on it. Then, I can trust the system I have and know that my time management will be used in the best manner as long as I set up some boundaries and follow them. Looking for more info? Check out the blog: My First EA Virtual Conference.
What do I mean by boundaries? Knowing how long it takes to get from one meeting or appointment to another. Ensuring that you have scheduled yourself enough time to arrive at least 10 minutes ahead, catch a breath, and be professional when you arrive. Overbooking yourself or your Executive can be embarrassing. If you keep a consistent rhythm when scheduling, you can be sure to be solid with calendar and time management.
Are you traveling from one location to another? Check out the Waze App...it gives you real-time updates and has a few fun features!
Let’s talk about some other time management tools.
Why is email part of the time management tools? It can either keep your time management in check or suck the time right out of you!
An email is a great tool as long as you can balance it. Knowing your responsibility with email will allow you to come up with a cadence to follow when checking your email. For some of you, you may be required to monitor your email all day long. For others, you may be able to check it 2-3 times a day. It all depends on what you need to do to keep the balance.
If you are tasked with managing your Executive’s email, it would be a good idea to review the expectations so you aren’t killing yourself whenever an email pings to sort it to the right folder.
I have a few emails to monitor: my CEO, the conference room email, and mine. I know when my CEO checks his email, either before 7 am or after 10 am. Knowing when he checks his email allows me time after I’ve started my day at 8 am to sort and update his email folders. Since I’ve taken care of his emails, I can then transition into mine. Knowing the priority and how long it will take to process emails will help.
Folders for Email
If you have been given the authority, you can set up the following folders:
1. Ready to Send – you prepare a response for your Executive and keep it as a draft email for him to review, edit, and send when he is ready.
2. Please Handle – emails that your Executive needs to respond directly. (Could be personnel, sensitive or out of your area of expertise)
3. For Review – emails that don’t need a response but your Executive needs to read.
4. Dealt With – emails that you have completed for your Executive. This allows them to still see what you’ve done and can move the email to the appropriate folder.
5. FYI – emails that are strictly information only.
6. To be deleted – emails that you believe should be deleted and if your Executive agrees, he/she can proceed.
7. Archive – emails are moved to this folder once they are completed.
These folders are a blend of two that my Executive and I use to manage his email. You may borrow, cut, and add as you see fit.
If you are interested in some great tips on how to manage your Executive’s email, I suggest checking out this great video by the Executive Secretary: How to use your assistant properly to give you back 80% of your working day. Yes, it is directed at the Executive, but it has excellent tips along with how an Assistant can manage their Executive’s email. Or, you can check out this article: Working with an EA?
Lists are another form of time management tool.
Task or To-Do List
Lists can be useful or endless; how you use them is the key! There are so many options for using digital task management systems. For the longest time, I was a Wunderlist user. It was my favorite and my Executives. Why? It was a system that we could apply the GTD Method and keep at it.
How often have you started a task or to-do list, and it slowly fizzles out? 1, 2, or several times. Yes, it isn’t just about finding the tool; it’s about making it a habit.
My best version of a task or to-do list is to use the GTD Method, a place to capture! That is where it all begins!
Lists
You can create the following “lists”:
- Next Action: the to-do that will move you forward on this topic, that takes more than 2 minutes to complete or is part of a project (multi-step).
- Waiting For: items you have delegated to someone and are waiting for a response – don’t forget to follow up.
- Projects: this is a list of projects with Next Actions listed under each project.
- Goals or Objectives: this can be a list of your current goals or objectives that you need to keep moving forward.
The above is just a small list, but it makes decisions easier and doesn’t clutter up your task/to-do list.
Since Wunderlist is out, we had to make a move to another platform. We transferred all our information over to To Do by Microsoft (replaced Wunderlist), but it didn’t have a great way to capture and follow up. We then made the decision to run with Asana.
Some other recommended task/to-do platforms:
Just remember what the purpose is when choosing your platform. This will make it easier to apply your time management plan.
The last I will discuss for time management tools is your filing system.
Filing System
Filing…everyone loves to file! Yeah, right!! I learned some great tips from Julie Perrine at All Things Admin, who wrote Organized Admin.
When we think of filing, it becomes a challenging task, but attempting to look at filing from a different perspective can change yours too! We dread creating the files, figuring out how to name them, and then the time to fill them.
Instead, create a mini-file box! A plastic container with all the inventory you need to create folders can make filing a snap! Why does this change everything? When we have the items we need in our hands, it makes it easier to complete the task at hand!
What to include in your mini-file box (you can view recommended products by clicking on the item below):
- File box
- File container
- Hanging folders
- Manila folders
- Color folders
- Pocket folders
- Sticky notes
- Pencil Pouch
- Pencils
- Pens
- Markers
A simple list, but it makes all the difference! You don’t have to take my word for it! I held an organization lunch & learn and shared these same tips…here are a few testimonies.
OMG the traveling bins are AMAZING!!!
Rebecca, Accounting
My work space is de-cluttered and organized! The organizer box helped a lot!
Maintenance Tech
File Time
Now that you have a way to make filing easier, you can create a plan on how to organize your files. The bins make it possible for you to write a name on a folder and set it aside for a specified “filing” time in your week. You can create labels during some downtime, but labeling them correctly with just a pencil still completes the task.
Identify your projects and responsibilities where you will need to keep files. Remember those items you need to keep on hand for retention. You can refer to this pdf (Business Document Retention) as a guide but check your business and state, as guidelines may differ.
The above time management tools can help you achieve using your time wisely as long as you keep to your habits and plan. Do you have any other tools that you would like to share? Comment below.
This blog is part of the Time Management Series:
Time Management for Administrative Professionals
10 Time Management Tips
Benefits of Time Management
Time Management Quiz
Time Management Tools
Time Management Plan
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