The Best Time Management Techniques for Teams That Want to Win
In any competitive environment, teams that stay productive, focused, and ahead of deadlines are the ones that thrive. Whether you're part of a startup, a large organization, or a remote...
This story originally appeared on Calendar
In any competitive environment, teams that stay productive, focused, and ahead of deadlines are the ones that thrive. Whether you're part of a startup, a large organization, or a remote team, the ability to manage time effectively can make or break your team.
Burnout is a problem. Missing critical deadlines is a problem. To achieve your goals while avoiding these issues, your team should rely on effective time management techniques.
Let's take a look at the eight best time management strategies that top-performing teams use to stay progressive and in-tune.
1. Set Clear, Specific Goals
The first step in effective time management is knowing exactly what you're working toward. If the end goal is ambiguous, then you can't logically distinguish between time well spent and time not well spent.
Teams that excel know how to break down their larger objectives into clear, specific goals. This isn't just about making a to-do list but setting clear expectations that are measurable and time-bound.
Start with the SMART framework to set goals. This means your goals ought to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
A vague goal like 'finish the project' doesn't provide your team with any direction. A more effective goal would be to 'complete the market research for the project by Friday at 3 PM,' which is concrete and actionable (It sounds simple, but you'd be surprised at how many teams still miss the clarity step—don't be that team.).
With tools like Calendar, teams can schedule milestones directly into their calendars. Having clear deadlines helps ensure that every team member knows what to do and when.
2. Prioritize Tasks Using the Eisenhower Matrix
Once your team knows what to accomplish, it's time to prioritize. High-performing teams avoid wasting time on non-essential tasks. Your team can also do the same using the Eisenhower Matrix.
What's the Eisenhower Matrix?
It offers an elegant solution for determining which tasks are most important and urgent.
The matrix is divided into four core areas:
Urgent and important: These tasks should be done immediately.
These tasks should be done immediately. Not urgent, but important: These tasks should be scheduled for later.
These tasks should be scheduled for later. Urgent, but not important: These tasks can be assigned to someone else.
These tasks can be assigned to someone else. Neither urgent nor important: These tasks should be avoided or eliminated.
Using the Eisenhower Matrix, teams focus on what actually drives results and delegate or avoid tasks that don't align with their goals.
3. Use Time Blocking to Eliminate Multitasking
Multitasking may seem efficient, but it slows down productivity. High-performing teams know that focusing on one task at a time is more effective. Time blocking is a technique that supports this idea by dedicating specific blocks of time to specific tasks or activities.
For example, a team member might block off 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM for project planning, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM for client calls, and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM for creative brainstorming. During these blocks, no other tasks should be interrupted, and the team should focus solely on what is scheduled.
Many scheduling tools, like Calendar, help teams visualize their time blocks and stay on track. Time blocking also helps avoid the distractions that come from switching between tasks and provides a more transparent structure to the workday.
4. Conduct Regular Check-ins and Stand-up Meetings
Teams that want to win know the importance of staying aligned. Regular check-ins and stand-up meetings are crucial for maintaining alignment among team members.
A stand-up meeting is a brief, daily, or weekly gathering where team members discuss what they accomplished the previous day, what they plan to do next, and any blockers they may be facing. These meetings should be brief, ideally lasting under 15 minutes, to ensure that time isn't wasted.
These check-ins allow teams to identify potential issues early and adjust priorities as needed. They also provide an opportunity for team members to stay motivated and celebrate successes together. (You know, the type of meetings where everyone's talking and no one is checking their phone. The dream!)
5. Use Task Management Software
To stay organized and ensure no task slips through the cracks, many high-performing teams use task management software. Tools like Asana, ClickUp, Trello, or Monday.com help teams track their projects and collaborate in real-time.
These tools give visibility to team members, so they can see who is working on what, what's du,e and if tasks are on schedule.
Task management software centralizes communication so no one has to spend time searching through emails or messages for the latest updates. When used correctly, these tools streamline communication and make task delegation more manageable.
6. Time Tracking for Accountability
Understanding how time is spent is crucial for high-performing teams. Without proper time tracking, tasks can easily take longer than expected, or team members may get sidetracked.
Time-tracking tools help teams stay accountable by providing insights into where time is being spent. This can help teams identify bottlenecks or areas where they may be spending too much time on non-essential tasks.
Reviewing time logs can help teams allocate their resources more effectively and adjust their strategies to maximize productivity.
If a project manager notices that certain tasks consistently take longer than expected, they can identify potential inefficiencies and implement necessary improvements. Think of it as the digital version of a team-wide whiteboard, but without the markers running out of ink.
7. Automate Routine Tasks
Another key time management technique for high-performing teams is automation. Teams often waste time on repetitive, routine tasks that could easily be automated. From scheduling meetings to sending follow-up emails or organizing files, automating these tasks can free up valuable time for more strategic work.
Tools like Zapier or IFTTT help automate workflows by connecting different apps and services. For instance, teams can automate tasks like syncing calendar events across platforms, automatically generating reports, or setting reminders for important deadlines.
On top of saving a ton of time, automation also shrinks the risk of human error, so that important tasks don't get overlooked.
8. Regularly Review and Reflect on Your Time Management Practices
Time management isn't a set-it-and-forget-it process. High-performing teams regularly review and reflect on their time management practices to ensure they're staying effective and aligned with their goals.
Encourage your team to take time at the end of each week or month to review what worked well and what didn't. This reflection enables teams to refine their strategies, streamline processes, and enhance their productivity for the future.
It's important to celebrate wins and recognize achievements. Acknowledging progress is a double-whammy. It both raises morale and reinforces the value of effective time management.
How Will Your Team Tighten Up Its Time Management?
The best time management techniques for high-performing teams involve a combination of clear goal setting and utilizing the right tools to stay organized. Leveraging strategies like time blocking, regular check-ins, and automation helps teams work smarter and more efficiently.
If you follow these eight approaches, your team will inevitably avoid distractions more easily and have a smoother time moving toward their goals. With a culture of time awareness and balance, teams not only become more productive but also more sustainable in the long run.
Want to learn more about effective productivity and time management techniques? Check out other helpful Calendar articles on how to boost your team's productivity, the best team collaboration tools, and time-saving strategies.
Featured image Credit: Photo by RDNE Stock project; Pexels
The post The Best Time Management Techniques for Teams That Want to Win appeared first on Calendar.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- NBC Sports
NHL is expanding use of Hawk-Eye measuring and tracking. It may eventually solve some on-ice issues
Commissioner Gary Bettman at the NHL general managers meeting this spring had a clear answer for when the league might be able to use tracking technology to determine a variety of things with certainty, from high-sticking to whether a puck fully crossed the goal line. 'When we're certain that it works,' Bettman said at the time. 'We will test it and re-test it, but we haven't hesitated to spend the money or the time on technology to improve the game.' The NHL is taking another step in that innovation with the expansion of the use of Hawk-Eye measuring and tracking technology as part of a new technology partnership with Sony. The same technology that has become omnipresent in tennis to determine whether the ball is in or out has evolved to the point that it could in help hockey officials and the league's situation room make more precise calls for close plays on the ice. 'We're closer — we keep getting closer,' NHL executive VP of business development and innovation David Lehanski said. 'It's going to be a solution that includes multiple inputs and different types of technology. ... Likely it will be a combination of active tracking in the puck, in the players, the jerseys — wherever it might be — optical cameras and maybe some other type of technology that all need to get stitched together.' The league has used Sony's Hawk-Eye technology for the past decade as part of Synchronized Multi-Angle Replay Technology (SMART) services in every team's arena to make replay reviews and coach's challenges faster and more accurate. It also helps organizations keep track of player health and safety. The technology has improved to the point where cameras capture 29 skeletal points on each player and three more on sticks. 'What that enables us to do is to have an incredibly high-fidelity, low-latency view of the athletes' movements in real time,' Hawk-Eye Innovations CEO Rufus Hack said. 'The NHL have a real clear vision around what they're going to do with this, but obviously it's still very much in the early stages of what that could look like for them.' Lehanski said a mix of various tech elements could help on the ice with everything from penalties to positioning on the ice. Off the ice, beyond animated telecasts and visualizations that will continue, the league is hoping Sony cameras can get the home viewing experience closer to in-arena excitement. '(It's about trying to) bring that game experience into everyone's homes,' Sony president of imaging products and solutions in the Americas Theresa Alesso said. 'As the cameras get better and smaller and lighter, get those angles to the game into someone's living room is really important.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
With enough signatures, marijuana amendment will be reviewed by Florida Supreme Court
A ballot initiative to permit recreational use of marijuana for adults in Florida obtained enough signatures this week to trigger a legally-mandated financial and judicial review. Smart and Safe Florida, the group sponsoring the constitutional amendment, gathered more than 377,000 signatures verified by local elections supervisors, according to the state Division of Elections website. This surpasses a threshold of 220,000 signatures for the state-required review. Attorney General James Uthmeier must now transmit the language to be reviewed by the Florida Supreme Court, which must find clear, single-subject language in the proposed ballot text. The initiative allows adults at least 21 years old to possess, purchase or use marijuana for nonmedical purposes. It also prohibits marketing toward children and smoking or vaping in public. This language is slightly different from a marijuana initiative last year that gathered about 56% support from Florida voters, falling short of the state's 60% threshold needed for passage. It initially did not specify any prohibitions for marketing toward children or public use of marijuana. 2024 Elections: Recreational marijuana in Florida snuffed out after amendment falls short of 60% In addition to its multiple hurdles to become a proposed amendment on the 2026 midterm ballot, Smart & Safe Florida is arguing that a new state law on ballot petitions is infringing on First Amendment rights. The organization filed an emergency motion to a federal judge May 30, saying the state's new prohibition on non-resident petition circulators has "injured" the organization's "number of people to carry their message to the public." The law, signed promptly by Gov. Ron DeSantis, increased restrictions and potential penalties to groups seeking to propose a ballot initiative. One such restriction is by limiting each volunteer to only collect 25 petitions, which Smart & Safe Florida argued in their motion already has limited the capability of their volunteer network. In their motion, the organization said that the state law's nonresident provision is "very likely the difference between" the amendment getting on the ballot or not. The marijuana amendment's downfall was a shocking result in the November elections, since many surveys found enough support from Floridians for it to pass and it was also among the most expensive ballot measure campaigns in the country. Yet the campaign against it, spearheaded by DeSantis and other state leaders, included months spent arguing its passage would have deep implications for the state's tourism. DeSantis said at the time that Florida residents would smell a weed stench in the air, and he said the proposal's purpose was mainly to benefit large marijuana companies seeking profits. More recently, the money to defeat the marijuana initiative was called into question by House lawmakers who investigated the foundation behind First Lady Casey DeSantis' signature initiative, Hope Florida. Lawmakers accused the fundraising arm of that program of improperly funneling part of a $67 million Medicaid contractor's settlement to the political committee that targeted the ballot amendment, headed by Uthmeier, the governor's then-chief of staff. Round two: After 2024 failure, backers of Florida recreational marijuana amendment try again for 2026 This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Fla. She can be reached at SMatat@ On X: @stephanymatat. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Recreational marijuana effort in Florida advances toward 2026 ballot
Entrepreneur
2 days ago
- Entrepreneur
The Best Time Management Techniques for Teams That Want to Win
In any competitive environment, teams that stay productive, focused, and ahead of deadlines are the ones that thrive. Whether you're part of a startup, a large organization, or a remote... This story originally appeared on Calendar In any competitive environment, teams that stay productive, focused, and ahead of deadlines are the ones that thrive. Whether you're part of a startup, a large organization, or a remote team, the ability to manage time effectively can make or break your team. Burnout is a problem. Missing critical deadlines is a problem. To achieve your goals while avoiding these issues, your team should rely on effective time management techniques. Let's take a look at the eight best time management strategies that top-performing teams use to stay progressive and in-tune. 1. Set Clear, Specific Goals The first step in effective time management is knowing exactly what you're working toward. If the end goal is ambiguous, then you can't logically distinguish between time well spent and time not well spent. Teams that excel know how to break down their larger objectives into clear, specific goals. This isn't just about making a to-do list but setting clear expectations that are measurable and time-bound. Start with the SMART framework to set goals. This means your goals ought to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. A vague goal like 'finish the project' doesn't provide your team with any direction. A more effective goal would be to 'complete the market research for the project by Friday at 3 PM,' which is concrete and actionable (It sounds simple, but you'd be surprised at how many teams still miss the clarity step—don't be that team.). With tools like Calendar, teams can schedule milestones directly into their calendars. Having clear deadlines helps ensure that every team member knows what to do and when. 2. Prioritize Tasks Using the Eisenhower Matrix Once your team knows what to accomplish, it's time to prioritize. High-performing teams avoid wasting time on non-essential tasks. Your team can also do the same using the Eisenhower Matrix. What's the Eisenhower Matrix? It offers an elegant solution for determining which tasks are most important and urgent. The matrix is divided into four core areas: Urgent and important: These tasks should be done immediately. These tasks should be done immediately. Not urgent, but important: These tasks should be scheduled for later. These tasks should be scheduled for later. Urgent, but not important: These tasks can be assigned to someone else. These tasks can be assigned to someone else. Neither urgent nor important: These tasks should be avoided or eliminated. Using the Eisenhower Matrix, teams focus on what actually drives results and delegate or avoid tasks that don't align with their goals. 3. Use Time Blocking to Eliminate Multitasking Multitasking may seem efficient, but it slows down productivity. High-performing teams know that focusing on one task at a time is more effective. Time blocking is a technique that supports this idea by dedicating specific blocks of time to specific tasks or activities. For example, a team member might block off 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM for project planning, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM for client calls, and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM for creative brainstorming. During these blocks, no other tasks should be interrupted, and the team should focus solely on what is scheduled. Many scheduling tools, like Calendar, help teams visualize their time blocks and stay on track. Time blocking also helps avoid the distractions that come from switching between tasks and provides a more transparent structure to the workday. 4. Conduct Regular Check-ins and Stand-up Meetings Teams that want to win know the importance of staying aligned. Regular check-ins and stand-up meetings are crucial for maintaining alignment among team members. A stand-up meeting is a brief, daily, or weekly gathering where team members discuss what they accomplished the previous day, what they plan to do next, and any blockers they may be facing. These meetings should be brief, ideally lasting under 15 minutes, to ensure that time isn't wasted. These check-ins allow teams to identify potential issues early and adjust priorities as needed. They also provide an opportunity for team members to stay motivated and celebrate successes together. (You know, the type of meetings where everyone's talking and no one is checking their phone. The dream!) 5. Use Task Management Software To stay organized and ensure no task slips through the cracks, many high-performing teams use task management software. Tools like Asana, ClickUp, Trello, or help teams track their projects and collaborate in real-time. These tools give visibility to team members, so they can see who is working on what, what's du,e and if tasks are on schedule. Task management software centralizes communication so no one has to spend time searching through emails or messages for the latest updates. When used correctly, these tools streamline communication and make task delegation more manageable. 6. Time Tracking for Accountability Understanding how time is spent is crucial for high-performing teams. Without proper time tracking, tasks can easily take longer than expected, or team members may get sidetracked. Time-tracking tools help teams stay accountable by providing insights into where time is being spent. This can help teams identify bottlenecks or areas where they may be spending too much time on non-essential tasks. Reviewing time logs can help teams allocate their resources more effectively and adjust their strategies to maximize productivity. If a project manager notices that certain tasks consistently take longer than expected, they can identify potential inefficiencies and implement necessary improvements. Think of it as the digital version of a team-wide whiteboard, but without the markers running out of ink. 7. Automate Routine Tasks Another key time management technique for high-performing teams is automation. Teams often waste time on repetitive, routine tasks that could easily be automated. From scheduling meetings to sending follow-up emails or organizing files, automating these tasks can free up valuable time for more strategic work. Tools like Zapier or IFTTT help automate workflows by connecting different apps and services. For instance, teams can automate tasks like syncing calendar events across platforms, automatically generating reports, or setting reminders for important deadlines. On top of saving a ton of time, automation also shrinks the risk of human error, so that important tasks don't get overlooked. 8. Regularly Review and Reflect on Your Time Management Practices Time management isn't a set-it-and-forget-it process. High-performing teams regularly review and reflect on their time management practices to ensure they're staying effective and aligned with their goals. Encourage your team to take time at the end of each week or month to review what worked well and what didn't. This reflection enables teams to refine their strategies, streamline processes, and enhance their productivity for the future. It's important to celebrate wins and recognize achievements. Acknowledging progress is a double-whammy. It both raises morale and reinforces the value of effective time management. How Will Your Team Tighten Up Its Time Management? The best time management techniques for high-performing teams involve a combination of clear goal setting and utilizing the right tools to stay organized. Leveraging strategies like time blocking, regular check-ins, and automation helps teams work smarter and more efficiently. If you follow these eight approaches, your team will inevitably avoid distractions more easily and have a smoother time moving toward their goals. With a culture of time awareness and balance, teams not only become more productive but also more sustainable in the long run. Want to learn more about effective productivity and time management techniques? Check out other helpful Calendar articles on how to boost your team's productivity, the best team collaboration tools, and time-saving strategies. Featured image Credit: Photo by RDNE Stock project; Pexels The post The Best Time Management Techniques for Teams That Want to Win appeared first on Calendar.
