(This article was co-written with TimeDoctor, SaaS time tracking and productivity software for desktop and mobile.)
Business succeeds only when you get the desired outcomes for all the hard work, time and resources invested. And among all the investments, time is a very precious one. The same applies to personal success. If you work for an organisation, then your success depends on the results that you produce given the resources you invest.
What is your biggest investment at work as an employee? Yes, it’s time! The results you produce for the time you invest at work is what you get praised and paid for. This is termed as personal productivity. Personal productivity and time management are directly related. Time management is easier if one works in the office. But if you’re an in-field technician, managing time is challenging.
Here are some time management tips you can use to get productive and stay balanced at work when working outside the office.
1. Plan your day in advance
It is advisable to plan your day in advance. If you know what you will be working on during the day, you will be well prepared and will not get last minute surprises that may affect your work. It will also help to schedule appointments and plan your visits. If you know how much time you will be working you can be clear about your work hours. You can communicate to your family and friends about your free time and can spend quality time with them.
2. Prioritize tasks
Prioritise your tasks for the day. Complete tasks that are important (like support/repair requests) first thing in the morning. Less important tasks such as administration tasks can be worked on later or can be rescheduled if you are too busy. Keeping customers happy should be your priority so make sure you prioritise tasks relating to customers. Sometimes, completing boring yet important assignments first helps you to reduce the burden later during the day.
3. Focus on your goals and priorities.
You must focus on your target for the day. If you come across anything that disturbs your schedule, find a quick workaround to be on track. This will make you concentrate on your tasks, never miss scheduled appointments and complete work on time. It is possible that during your scheduled demo at a client’s place, a surprise visit of their friends, family members or other service providers affect your work. In such cases, you can request to have the demo in a separate room or in some occasions quickly re-schedule the demo. Other challenges like traffic may not let you complete your assignment on-time and you may have to reschedule it.
4. Take breaks
Working non-stop may result in burnout. Take regular breaks after completing a handful of assignments. Have lunch on time and snacks available if necessary. Note down the completed and pending tasks for the day. This will help you get refreshed and also help you analyse and plan the next tasks.
5. Track your time
Tracking time spent on various tasks helps you better manage your time and helps you work more effectively. You can make use of a cloud-based time tracking software. It accurately tracks time spent on each and every task and presents details in the form of a report. This report can also be made accessible to your customers. It thus not only provides easy tracking but also helps in accurate invoicing and faster payments. Time tracking software reduces the overhead of creating manual invoices and convincing clients about the time required to complete their assignment. Moreover, the GPS tracking feature tracks your location when working. This is advantageous when you are working at different locations during the day.
6. Assess where your time is wasted
The most important tip for better time management is assessing where you waste your time. Once you start assessing your time, you will be surprised to know how much time you spend in travelling to different field locations, finding addresses and contacting customers. And once you know your time wasters, you can plan your field appointments more efficiently.
Being an in-field worker you have to combat everything including communication, travel, service, getting feedback, reporting and much more. Whether you use a stand-alone time tracking app or a more global job management software solution it will allow you to organise your workdays more efficiently while keeping you more motivated! Perfect time management can play a vital role in your business operations!
