Time management for care managers

In a role which requires many tasks and often so little time, it’s important to know how to be strategic with your time management. Unfortunately, there is no magic time machine to turn back time. A phrase many of us know, though often do not do – use your time wisely. Here are some ideas to prioritise and get better at time management.

Time management

Time management is important if we want to get anything done. There are various tips and tricks for managing our time better.

Here are five ways to manage your time:

• Write it down
• To do list
• Prioritise 
• Start and finish times
• Emails

Write it down

Spending that small amount of time to find a pen and notebook to write it down will save ambles of time trying to remember that task you needed to do. Jot it down in your notes page in your calendar, create a note on your phone. Just don’t forget where you stored it. We can all forget things, so the best thing is to be proactive in writing it down. 

To do list

A to list should be visible, bright and most importantly rememberable. If our to do list is on our mind, we should be more conscious of it and be more productive. A to do list should be used to prompt you to complete tasks. You could have a daily, weekly, monthly to do list. Spend a little time organising your to do lists so you can crack on more quickly when you know exactly what tasks need doing.

Prioritise

Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise. There are various ways we can boost our productivity through prioritising. One of those is the Eisenhower matrix. The Eisenhower matrix looks at setting out tasks into the do, defer, delegate and delete. The tasks which are high priority put them into the do pile. Those that are important, but can be done at a later date defer them. Those tasks that you yourself do not need to necessarily do, delegate. Finally, those tasks which no one needs to do, get rid and delete them. It is so important to prioritise so we do not waste time in those menial tasks we shouldn’t be focusing on.

Start and finish times

Getting stuck in an activity can be great for productivity, yet it can also harm it. Set a start and end time to tasks to limit spending too much time on the task. There been many times where people have been so invested in a task, they’ve looked at the time and realised they’ve just used up half a day on a task. 

Emails

Who has an inbox of over 100, 200, 500 emails? Many of us. You could spent hours and hours going through emails alone. Set a time to read and reply to emails such as 8:30am-9am and 4:30pm-5pm. This should stop the countless hours spent going through emails. Add an autoresponder and inform them that these are the times emails are looked through and an alternative way to contact you if urgent. You could also ask them to include a priority mark on important emails, which should focus you to read these first. You could also schedule your emails so when you are happy to spend the next 5 or 10 minutes at 10pm responding, you can schedule them for 9am the next morning.

Another email tip: if you are subscribed to any newsletters which are not relevant anymore, unsubscribe and this should help to tidy up your inbox. Or create a label for saved or referenced emails which you do not need right now, but will in the near future.

In conclusion

The best way to time manage is to put strategies in place. Spend a little bit of time to manage productivity and you’ll be on your way to reducing wasted time on unimportant tasks. Also don’t forget to spend time on yourself, otherwise you’ll run yourself dry.

If you’re looking for more information, here are some resources:

• Indeed – Time Management Skills: Definition and Key Skills – click here
• The Care Training Company – Our blog – click here

Comment below what you do to manage your time? Let us know how you are getting on with your time management if you use any of the above strategies?