Time management is organizing and planning to allocate time between different activities. Do it right, and you all will be more thoughtful, not more complicated, and get things done in less time, even if the time is short.

In poor and prosperous economies, increasing productivity is an important organizational goal. When a company thrives, productivity gains often take the form of time management and other soft skills training offered as professional development opportunities. When business is down, imminent layoffs force employees to learn to "do more with less," so productivity-enhancing training traditionally delivered as "time management training" is still needed.

The research has revealed that working from home increases overall employee productivity. So, giving employees more flexibility when and where they work is a second strategy to increase productivity. Finally, it's been well-documented that vacations boost productivity and morale, with job postings offering "unlimited vacations" increasing by 178% since 2015, according to Indeed.

Time management is a skill that can improve many aspects of your professional life. It can make you more efficient and productive, allowing you to accomplish more tasks in less time. Other benefits of learning and incorporating time management skills into your work life include:

1. Improve productivity
2. Relieve pressure
3. Improve professional reputation
4. Improve your ability to focus longer
5. Improve decision-making ability
6. More free time
7. Higher level of self-discipline
8. More career development and promotion opportunities

Managers can help employees learn effective time management skills in various ways. As an employee, you can train yourself to manage your time to be more productive. Here are some ways to train your employees or yourself on how to manage time in the workplace better.

1. Educate Employees about Prioritizing Technologies: Being able to prioritize tasks is a critical component of effective time management. You can help your employees better understand which tasks they should prioritize by implementing technologies and tools that help them prioritize tasks. For example, you could use a program that allows you to assign tasks to employees and display the priority of each task.

    

2. Train employees who need extra help: Evaluate employee time management and identify those who may need additional assistance. Consider scheduling one-on-one time with these employees for further instructions and answers to questions. You can also build a mentoring program among employees who excel in time management and other necessary skills to help train those who need extra help.
3. Effective Time Management Skills: Your employees often learn best workplace practices by observing their leaders. You set an example of what employees expect by regularly demonstrating effective time management skills. As an employee, you may look to your leadership for ways to improve time management. Find a manager with effective time management and productivity, and try implementing their strategies into your work day.
4. Encourage Time Management Training: Diverse time management training courses like Getting Things Done are available to boost your productivity. As a manager, encourage your employees to take part in a time management training course and offer them a few suggestions for the best course available. As an employee, invest a few hours each week in a time management training course that best fits your needs.

   Being the most productive and effective in this ever-changing, information-rich work environment is not instinct. But this can be learned if outdated concepts like time management are tossed aside in favor of more modern ideas of productivity that combine attention management and help employees regain control.