How can I tell if my problem is bad time management?

It can be difficult to identify the cause of working long hours. Many employers are reluctant to accept that they may be putting too much work onto their employees or that there is anything wrong with their business organisation, and will point the finger at the individual staff member’s time management. The result may be that employees are sent on endless time-management courses that cost a lot, have negligible effect and leave even less time in which to finish all the necessary work.

On the other hand, many employees will avoid accepting that their way of working is inefficient or badly planned, and will lay the blame firmly on their employer or organisational systems. The result then may be that the individual employer with poor time-management skills appears increasingly ineffective compared to others, doing nothing for job security, job satisfaction or the effectiveness of the organisation.

So before you rush off for a week-long time-management retreat in the Highlands, or start sending stroppy emails to your boss about the amount of work you have on your plate, take a minute to see if you can identify the cause of the problem.

Are your colleagues getting the same amount of work as you? If so, are they taking as long as you to do it or sailing through it much more quickly? Taking a look at your average working day, can you identify any times when you’re doing things that could wait, or that seem unimportant and could perhaps be dispensed with altogether or done by someone else? These are the kind of questions you need to ask yourself to get some sense of how you’re managing your time.