Time management is something everyone struggles with whether you are a managing a household or a multi million dollar company. There are schedules to juggle, deadlines to meet and commitments to honor. Since almost everything involves one or more additional parties, good communication is the key to good time management.
Some of you may argue that organization, not communication, is the key to good time management. While being organized is a critical element to managing multiple tasks simultaneously, communication is the key to managing the tasks themselves.
There are three steps to ensure effective communication regarding a task, project, or assignment:
1. Check for Understanding
When discussing a potential task or project, getting things right on the front end is essential. To be successful here, you need to think through the project and ask as many questions as possible to make sure all bases are covered. Think through the steps that will be necessary to complete the project and consider how these may relate to each other. End the discussion simply by saying something like…let me make sure I understand what we are being asked to do, and then state the action items as you see them.
2. Set and Communicate Proper Expectations
Setting and communicating expectations on the front end of whatever task will go a long way towards a successful outcome. The most important thing in this step is to make sure everyone is on the same page before starting. This can be as simple as recording what is to be done, who is going to do it, and the timeframe for each assignment in a conference report. This written communication helps to frame the project going forward and provides a reference tool should you need one.
3. Acknowledge Completion
This may sound pretty ridiculous, but closure is an important but often overlooked piece of project management. There are many forms of closure from memos, emails, or invoices, and you should use all of them if appropriate. Many times the number of people involved in a project changes during the course of the work. It is important to communicate the completion of the project to each member of the team regardless of whether they are still involved at the end. Everyone appreciates being kept in the loop.
Of course, there are a many different ways to accomplish what I have laid out in these three basic steps. The most important thing is to find what works for you and communicate religiously.
