12 Issues of Time Management at Work

Time management refers to planning, organizing, and controlling your activities according to the time you have. You must have heard, “work smarter, not harder” if you plan to do something by setting a time limit, you will achieve your goal without working harder. Time can make you a winner and a loser at the workplace.

Time can be your best friend and worst enemy; it depends on time management. Even nature depends on time, i.e., weather change, sunrise and sunset, birth period, and many more natural phenomena. Now you may have an idea regarding the importance of time management. However, humans face a lot of problems when managing it.

Research studies say that about 82 % of people have yet to learn how to manage time. The mentioned percentage is enormous, but why is it so? This problem is because people need to point out the challenge they face while handling time; instead, they start rat racing, proceeding without an aim.

This article will give you deeper insight into time management issues and how to resolve them.

Read below the problems and solutions for time management 

The points you will encounter while managing time is below:

1.The main culprit behind time wasting is Distraction.

The main thing that leads to time wastage is distraction. Everyone may know that distraction leads to time wastage; however, this article will show you different forms. Distraction can be in several states, i.e., mobile phones, ads on working sites, entertainment sites at workplace computer systems, and people around you.

Read further for details of different distraction forms at offices.

Most companies do not allow the use of cell phones inside offices. But some employees still manage to use mobile phones. Moreover, a single notification can waste an hour. Some people habitually scroll social media apps without reason, even at work. So they become less productive.

The employees who do not use their cell phones at work get distracted by ads and marketing emails on working websites. Sometimes some entertainment links pop up on work websites.

Gossip at the workplace also leads to distraction from work, stopping a person from doing things on time. Additionally, the workplace environment and people around you can be a reason for your distraction. Some people can only sit on a seat for an hour and spend time roaming around the office, distracting others from work.

What can be possible solutions to avoid distractions?

• Refrain mobile use during office hours.
• Restrict entertainment websites on workplace computers.
• Manage emails with the help of employee monitoring software
• Be sincere with your work and try to make a difference at the company where you are employed.
• Set boundaries and say no to gossip and unnecessary talking during work.

2. Stalling and procrastination; A habit

Procrastination is like a disease and the most common cause of time wastage. Stalling important task and putting it for later is included in procrastination. What can cause dragging your work? The stressful and daunting task is what employees pull, and perhaps the job is outside their interests. So, employees avoid and run from this kind of task.

Some employees make procrastination a bad habit, and it will affect their position at the office. But how can you stop procrastinating? Ever thought of that? No? Let me tell you, give employees a task of their interest and see how fast and productive they will be in completion. 

The solution focuses on one time at a time, and when it is about to complete, start another task, do it 50%, and complete the first one. As a result, both your job will be on time.

Always believe in the “first things first” slogan. How do people do unimportant things first? Isn’t it evident that they need to focus on an important task? Most people go for easy and short jobs first, which is the wrong tact and wastes a lot of productive time. 

Start to Prioritize tasks by comparing their deadlines and then decide which job you need to do foremost. Also, sort out what is best for you.

5. Want everything to be perfect

Noting can be flawless, and wanting everything to be perfect is the wrong approach. Perfectionism is tiring for work purposes. For instance, a duty you can finish in a day is dragged to 4 days because you are unsatisfied with your work. It decreases productivity and leads to time wastage.

A person should be flexible and accept imperfection in some things because it is better to complete the whole duty quickly instead of repeatedly doing small work. So, save your time and be imperfectly perfect.

6. Unable to concentrate and focus

Focus is vital to achieving high-quality work. However, you cannot focus on the task because of noisiness in the office or emotional disturbance. 

There are a lot of problems seen in people regarding concentration and focus. For instance, during a lecture, student focus time is 45 minutes, and the class is 90 minutes, so students get exhausted. The same is the case with employees when they get a lot of work and have to complete the job in a day and then lose focus.

Some people can be distracted very quickly, and even if two colleagues are talking to each other, they get involved, and it wastes their time.

There are a few tips for you if you have concentration problems:

• Eliminate the ways that distract you.
• Use headphones when someone is talking.
• Get 8 hours of sleep, so you do not feel dizzy at work, which also causes a lack of concentration.
• Take proper meals that will keep you healthy.
• Take breaks to refresh your mind.

Scheduling is essential to time management, and successful people schedule their routines. However, some people likely make a schedule but need help implementing it in their work life. 

Why is that so? It is depressing for some people to do work according to plan, and they take it negatively, which destroys their time management. Moreover, it also drops their productivity because they feel constantly pressured due to the schedule.

You should prioritize the ultimate goal for the day if you need to follow the schedule. But how can you do that? See below!

• Watch your priority and work according.
• Manage your stress.
• Start the task at right time.
• Take a little break if you get tired. It will help you do a maximum of a day.
• Use time management and scheduling tools.

8. Panicking and stress-taking behavior

Have you ever panicked by the thought that your deadline is tomorrow and you have not even started your duty yet? Do your hands shiver and your legs tremble due to work stress? If yes, you should manage your stress because pressure can waste a lot of your time.

People get panic when they have to finish a big project in a short duration, and their work abilities diminish rather than enhance. So, the best way to manage stress is to divide the project into smaller tasks, and a project manager can do it efficiently. Ask for his help if you have issues.

 Stress can jeopardize your health and leads to mental health problems, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension issues. To avoid severe consequences, you should;

• Do meditation and yoga.
• Drop bad habits like smoking and alcoholism.
• Sleep properly.
• Manage time.
• Eat healthy food.
• Focus on work avoiding distractions.

9. Lack of organizing abilities 

Properly organizing your duties is a thing most people need help to do. Being disorganized is your downfall. Some people leave everything for the last minute and need to organize their plans for accomplishing a task. For instance, if an employee wants to come office on time but he kept doing his home care duties. And do not plan how he will travel to the office. As a result, he will panic when he cannot do anything on time due to organizing skills deficiency.

How can you organize yourself? First, make a daily To-Do list, estimate the time required to complete each work, and manage things necessary for task completion.

10. Low morale of Employees is a reason for low productivity 

You need to feel good to accomplish your goal. So, you drag little work and complete it aimlessly. Resultantly, it will decrease your productivity and waste time. 

Most employees’ low morale is due to micromanagement. When managers do not consider employees’ efforts, it will lower performance.

Staff morale is essential for increasing productivity and performance. Thus managers should take steps to boost employee morale. It affects employee satisfaction and retention. A happy workplace exudes prosperity. Therefore, successful companies secure and emphasize their workers’ pleasure and participation.

11.Burdening the brain leads to low quality work.

Working beyond your brain capacity is harmful to your health. It affects employees’ time management and stress management. You can only focus on five tasks daily, and burdening your brain will yield any fruitful results. 

How can you not burden your mind? You can use task manager apps to manage your task and be realistic about what you can do in a day. Do not stress yourself out, and do whatever you can do easily. That is how you will make a difference and succeed.

12. Avoiding technology usage won’t be advantageous 

Stop being an egomaniac and start using software that can make life easy. It is only possible to do some things manually. Why go for hard work when you have easy ways to do your job? That is unwise of you to be stubborn and try to do everything yourself.

You can make good use of technology. Time tracking apps can estimate the time required for each project. 

There is a wide range of time management software available in the market today. One of the software is the EMS software  (employee monitoring software). It will help you manage time along with project management.

Overview 

Your ability to manage your time will determine whether it is your best friend or worst adversary. Mobile phones, adverts on working sites, leisure sites on office computer systems, and individuals surrounding you can all be sources of distraction. The most common cause of time waste is a distraction. Prioritize projects by comparing their timeframes and deciding which work they must complete first.

Focus is essential for producing high-quality work, yet you may need help to focus due to workplace noise or emotional discomfort. Some people sidetrack easily, and even when two coworkers are conversing, they become interested, wasting their time.

Stress may harm your health, causing mental health concerns, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Stress management and time management go side by side. So, the wise decision is to use time managing software to avoid all the time-related issues.