Managing tasks and projects properly on a day-to-day basis, considering that there are usually many tasks and many projects that need to be juggled, isn’t always easy. Why not? Well, because often, those projects and tasks are not well thought out. Our job is to make sure that all of our work gets us closer to achieving the objectives set out by the company, and most of the time those goals weren’t even well defined in the first place. Want to learn how to be more productive? Keep reading!
How to do task management in daily work (and do it effectively)
The most common mistake is thinking that what’s important is to do as many tasks a day as possible. Actually, reality shows us that the key is knowing how to choose what to do and what not to do in each moment. It sounds complex, but it really isn’t, deep down. You can start by…
- Converting all of our plans into planned tasks that get you closer to your goal.
- Identifying potentially pointless or less relevant tasks to understand what you really need to do in order to make progress.
- Calculate the necessary and available resources. Keep in mind that time is your primary resource and you need to manage it as best you can.
A well-defined task should contain and action and an expected result
Let’s go one step further in this matter of intelligent task management to become more productive at work. A task must be comprised of an action as well as a result.
- An action. Well-written tasks are defined by a verb. In other words, the task should be phrased as an action. For example, “call and request prices.”
- An expected result. Tasks must have a clear objective. For example, “finding the hardware with this quality that costs less than X euros.” If you don’t clearly indicate the expected result, you run the risk of creating tasks that don’t lead anywhere.
Real effectiveness depends on the qualitative
We’re sure you’ll agree that, when planning and managing tasks in your company, the quantitative aspects are very important. However, the qualitative aspect is even more relevant, and yet it is often neglected. Real effectiveness depends more on the qualitative than anything else, to the point where doing pointless activities constitutes false effectiveness.
Many workers find it difficult to internalize and understand this concept. The thing is, we’ve all been taught that the only thing that counts is productivity, in the sense of the number of things that get done each day. The paradigm of effectiveness tells us that we can’t limit ourselves to the quantitative, but must also incorporate the qualitative.
In your workday, there are more things to do than there is time to do them. That’s why it’s necessary to decide what you will and won’t do in each moment. This decision provides as much if not more value to your daily work than the mere act of doing things. There’s a reason they say that, in a company, doing is the easy part; what’s hard is choosing what to do at each moment to achieve optimum efficiency with the available resources.
Goal-oriented task management
Many times, the quality of our choices is conditioned by the information that we have available. If the purpose, goals and objectives are clear, choosing the right thing to do at a given moment is very easy; otherwise, you’ll have that feeling of not even knowing where to begin or what to do.
So, how do you manage your tasks and the time it takes for each one? At IBMH, we have been working on efficiency for years, which is why at the start of each day, we do this:
- Think
- Optimize
- Plan
- Act
Lastly, keep in mind that a truly effective person is one who dedicates sufficient time and attention to properly defining their work without falling into the urgent trap. The vast majority of these supposed emergencies can wait.
At IBMH, we can help you in managing your furniture and construction hardware imports in China, effectively and efficiently. With our Strategic Sourcing service, you’ll increase the profitability of your business. Don’t wait another second and contact us today, and we’ll give you all the information that you need.
