Workshops on time and workload management help employees develop the skills to assist them in performing well in the workplace. This form of wellness workshop is a support system for employees to help them continuously improve themselves. By participating in time and workload management workshops, employees can better track their tasks, monitor them and make better decisions regarding given responsibilities.
Employees will be able to improve their ability to plan efficiently. By understanding how much time they have and the level of workload for each given task, employees can allocate and plan ahead to achieve optimal outcomes. This workshop allows one to get a better understanding of time and how to control it well.
Time and workload management workshops allow employees to explore different methods and possibilities. Time management can be performed in different methods, ranging from using a smartphone app to having a simple spreadsheet document. Depending on which method suits the employee, the employee can select the best method that they feel comfortable with.
After successfully participating and acquiring all the skills for time and workload management, a staff member will be able to tackle a variety of different projects. Based on the nature of the project, a specific plan can be created to achieve the desired outcome. An employee would have a better understanding of how to define the importance and urgency of a task and prioritise accordingly.
Common Time and Workload Management Challenges
An employee may face numerous challenges in the workplace. One of the challenges is the inability to know what tasks or projects to work on first. This challenge can be experienced when management does not provide much clarification or all the necessary details to the employee. To resolve this issue, an employee could use the Eisenhower Matrix. This matrix is a 2×2 box with the labels; urgent, not urgent, important and not important. All the given tasks and projects could be placed in each box, based on the nature of the task. This will give a better understanding of which tasks to tackle first.
If an employee is overwhelmed with too much information and very little guidance then the company workflow and efficiency would suffer significantly. Therefore the role of such wellness workshops is very important to provide the necessary support to employees.
Another common challenge is the lack of planning tools. Employees need to have the best planning tools that can allow them to better manage their time and workload. These tools can be in terms of smartphone apps, computer software or online website platforms. The workshop would go over all the possible options that are available.
In terms of the role of the employer, they would have to ensure that a balanced workload is unloaded on the employees. The management needs to have a systematic approach to measure the strengths and weaknesses of employees and only allocated roles and responsibilities accordingly. Otherwise, the weak or new employee may not be able to meet the required deadline and may delay the overall work deadlines.
Overcoming Procrastination
An employee may face procrastination in the workplace if they don’t have a good understanding of how to manage time and workload. There are plenty of ways to tackle procrastination that can be learned during the workshop. A physical visual reminder can be used such as a sticky note, which can be placed on a computer monitor. This can continuously remind an employee of the upcoming task.
Motivation will be needed to overcome procrastination. Motivation can be gained by rewarding oneself with a small reward after finishing a small task or a sub-task of a large project. The purpose of the task or project must be clear to an employee which can also be seen as a motivational factor. The stronger the purpose and values are attached to the project the more motivated the employee is likely to be.
An employee may also want to divide a large task into smaller tasks. It is easier to tackle small tasks one by one. This is also a stress management approach where the employee doesn’t have to stress about the big project but only stress on a small scale for the given small task. One by one, taking small steps one at a time.
Taking small breaks, a number of times can also help to avoid procrastination. This gives a small boost to recover one’s mind and continue working on the project. An employee may want to create SMART goals as well that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound to achieve the desired goals.
Time and Workload Management Tools and Resources
A very useful tool for time and workload management is a Gantt chart. A Gantt chart shows all the tasks that need to be accomplished in a predetermined sequence. It also shows which tasks are dependent on each other, making some tasks a priority over others.
Other general tools can include the use of Google Calendar. The biggest advantage of using a Google Calendar is that it is present on all devices, resulting in synchronised data on smartphones, Ipad, laptops and desktop computers. Google Docs and Google Sheets are great tools to track the progress which can be shared with department heads so they are updated with the progress.
Meditation can also be seen as a tool that affects the management of time and workload. By meditating on a daily basis, an employee is able to develop a clear and calm mindset. This can assist the employee in making better decisions on how to manage their time and workload efficiently.