My March 2010 column was an introduction to the subject of time management. In that article, I offered to send readers a copy of a self appraisal test on time management skills. I had such a huge response, I decided to do a follow-up column.

When I started my own business, I quickly learned that working 80 hours a week and trying to do everything by myself wasn’t going to work. I had to become a good time manager.

Then, as I became fairly good at it, I recognized I needed to help our employees become better time managers, too. I observed a number of folks being really “busy” all day, but at the end of the day, not a whole lot had been accomplished. Real productivity was lacking.

I tried to show people how to analyze their use of time by keeping a time log, analyzing short- and long-term goals, making a daily “to do” list and prioritizing each task.

One thing that helped me was using a “time planner.” This can be a fairly basic, standard daily diary where you write in your “to do” action items. If you want to step up, use a personal organizer such as a Day Timer.

You should do a master list, broken out by year, month and day. Every item on the list should be prioritized (A, B, C, etc.) Having a master list at home and at work will make your life easier and more enjoyable.

Organized Work Spaces

Part of good time management is having a well organized work area. Here are a few helpful hints:

• Keep your desk clear of everything but the current work.
  
• Beware of those “sticky notes.” They are easily lost.
  
• Clean up daily! Never leave a mess to walk into the next day.
  
• Maintain neat, organized desk drawers.
  
• When not in use, place the computer keyboard out of the way to create more working space.
  
• Position a clock in your office or on your desk so that it’s visible to you and your visitors.
  
• Organize your filing system – and purge it every few months.
  
• File only essential documents that will be referred to in the future.

Remember, your work space reflects on you if you meet with clients or reps there. A potential client might well assume that a messy or disorganized office means you will produce messy drawings or be unorganized when ordering.

Unexpected Time Drains

When I owned my business, I was amazed how much time was lost to the “unexpected” things that occur: reps popping in unannounced, new or old clients coming in without an appointment, constant phone calls and e-mails, employees popping their heads in with “just a quick question.” Here are a few things I learned to do to save time: