How to Improve your Team’s Time Management

How to Improve Your Team's Time Management

Most teams don’t struggle with time management because they’re lazy. They struggle because they’re drowning in the wrong tasks. Meetings that should’ve been emails. Emails that should’ve been ignored. To-do lists are longer than a CVS receipt—filled with things that don’t move the needle.

If your team is constantly “busy” but not making real progress, it’s not a time problem. It’s a priorities problem.

The good news? You don’t need some fancy productivity hack or another software tool you’ll never use. You need a simple system that forces focus, eliminates waste, and turns work into actual results.

Why it matters.

The most crucial reason will, of course, be productivity. Teams that have good time management practices perform better. Their communication will be good for helping work out timeline issues as well as ensuring a high-quality standard.

Defining Clear Goals and Objectives

Clear goals and objectives give your team a framework for accomplishing what is needed. By defining them sharply, you align individual efforts with broader team ambitions.

The Objective and Key Results (OKR) methodology is one such way to set precise goals, ensuring everyone knows what they are working towards and why. Teams with well-defined OKRs can allocate their time more effectively, focusing on high-impact activities that drive meaningful progress.

They'll also be happier. Oscillating between procrastination and deadline pressure can have a negative impact both on the individual's well-being and on the overall group.

That negative impact will then be associated with the work, which will, in turn, affect job satisfaction. As soon as these symptoms become visible, you'll need to step in and apply correction to the course immediately.

A structure for all needs.

The first thing you'll need to do to correct time management issues is to check how their efforts are measured while on the clock. In every person's mind, there must be a direct correlation between the time spent and the action taken. 

This is usually done through time-tracking platforms; however, the biggest issue is that they may not accurately represent each individual's workflow. Some may prefer multi-tasking, while others require a singular focus at a time. 

Some people want a clear, static work schedule, while others crave variety. And some others will finish tasks sooner than most of their colleagues. Is the current schedule suitable for them, or will it punish them with additional work to finish quickly? 

Utilising Technology Tools

Technology tools can significantly enhance how a team manages its time.

Platforms like Asana, Trello, and Monday.com streamline task management, providing clear visibility into each task's status.

Using these tools allows team members to coordinate more efficiently, reducing the time lost to confusion or miscommunication. Automatic reminders and prioritisation features ensure essential tasks don't slip through the cracks.

Changes must account for the team's needs to give the best output.

Nothing is perfect, though; there will be only so much you can do. That's where good communication comes in.

Representing their tasks visually will help them understand their role and foster accountability.

You can do this with a simple schematic, but we'd recommend using an OKR framework to direct your team's focus for the best results.

Communication.

Often, a breakdown in time management can have a more significant problem at its core.

This can be everything from problems with the task you must correct to issues with a particular individual's knowledge base or available tools. You will only know which one is if you create a proper environment for submitting feedback.

Make it a priority to establish good communication channels. Having meetings and one-to-ones is good, but you'll get the needed information by not being the only one talking. Divide the meeting time in two and limit yourself to just half.

Give the other half to your team members one-on-one, letting them speak about everything and anything they want. In group meetings, make sure everyone has a chance to voice their opinion and try to milk valuable feedback to direct process improvement. 

Encouraging Breaks to Boost Productivity

Regular breaks are essential to sustain productivity and prevent burnout.

Techniques like the Pomodoro Technique advocate for working in focused bursts of 25 minutes, followed by short breaks. This method helps maintain concentration and refreshes the mind, improving overall efficiency.

Implementing such techniques in your workplace could increase work quality and satisfaction.

Be completely transparent with how everyone's role affects the workflow and empower them to suggest changes. This will make them feel valued and listened to and give them ownership of their part of the process.

Prioritisation.

Some team members will need you to step in and give a hand in prioritising their workloads.

After all, if everything is urgent, then nothing is. Keep an eye out for repeat offenders in time management, and instead of chastising, check to see if the root cause isn't lousy prioritisation.

Coach them on improving it and ensuring they do not have other tasks dropped to serve as distractions that conflict with their primary task.

Team members with hybrid roles are especially vulnerable to this. They might have additional responsibilities conflicting with each other or report to multiple people pulling them in different directions. In this case, giving them the agency to decline non-priority tasks can resolve the issue.

Avoiding Multitasking Pitfalls

Multitasking might seem efficient, but it can diminish productivity.

When switching between tasks, mental energy is wasted in getting back up to speed. Encourage team members to focus on completing one task at a time. Research shows that single-tasking improves efficiency and leads to fewer errors, helping to meet deadlines with higher-quality outputs.

Training and development.

You'll often find a need for more training or tools as the main culprit. Outdated knowledge bases or the pressure to cut costs can lead to underequipped staff scrambling to do what they can. Feedback might need to be processed further or create a business case for additional training or system improvement.

As always, there will always be something more that you can do. Pace your efforts and ensure you objectively evaluate how much investment is needed to resolve the matter.

Be the example.

Leading by example is a saying for a reason: it works. Start planning your day on your calendar and share it with your team. Research ways to exercise time-management skills to save time in your daily life.

Create a code for when you have a task that needs uninterrupted work. Then, encourage the whole team to do the same.

Our final thoughts.

A good leader can distinguish between a momentary time management issue and a vicious cycle. Depending on your situation, you might need to alter your approach and see the problem recurring with the same people or processes. 

Following the steps, however, will give you a starting point to build further. Make sure you take the time to evaluate your team's time management regularly, and we're sure you'll be set to help them improve.