Time management myths debunked: real strategies for effective productivity

From career coaches to successful business leaders, everyone has a strategy for managing time effectively. Yet, despite the abundance of advice on the topic, I've often found that the myths and misconceptions surrounding time management can actually hinder efforts to be productive and efficient.

I am first to admit that at points in my career and personal life I have struggled with managing time effectively. But over the years, I have come across some tips and tricks which have made a real impact for me personally. Please do not take these as the gospel of John (!) but tools that have successfully carried me through a busy, challenging career over the last 38 years, 26 of them in Shell.

So, what can help ensure you make the most of your day??

Setting your day up for success

Starting at the beginning -- setting up your day appropriately is key.?In my last article, I highlighted the late Peter Bolt, a great leader, and my mentor for many years. When writing his book ‘The Whole Manager: Achieving Success without Selling Your Soul’, Peter explained his 4+1 model to me for setting up your day. Select four work items you will complete that day and one item you will do for yourself.

While this worked on paper, for me, it was missing something. Our family and friends are a huge part of our lives, our mental health, and our sense of accomplishment so I felt it was important that we make time for them. I remain delighted that Peter listened to my feedback, creating what became known as the 4+1+1 method - four work items, one item for yourself and one you will do for your family/friends (this might be as simple as sitting down to dinner with them at an agreed time).

Keep to the key principles

Mark Twain opined that you should “eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day”. Clearing the thing you are dreading most relieves stress, gives a great sense of satisfaction, and allows focus on the rest of the day without that sense of dread bubbling away in the background.

Additionally, not picking up the same piece of paper twice is a good habit to adopt. You should deal with each item the first time you touch it. This could be an email or document rather than a physical piece of paper, but the notion still stands.?

If you start reading a document then put it down and go away, you end up re-reading it, creating inefficiency. I am hyper-disciplined on this. If I open an email 10 minutes before the end of my working day and recognise will take me longer than that – tough luck! I’ve opened it, so I need to deal with it.

Managing your diary

Many people are often controlled by their diary, rather than using it to manage their work. First, make sure that everything is in your diary. Meetings, calls and allocating time for work.

Colour coding my diary is critical to ensuring I always have variety in my work. By doing this, I can quickly make sure my week is planned out with a range of tasks. If my week is predominantly one colour, then I know it will be a difficult week. I then aim to move things around to add variety, maintaining passion and energy for the job in hand.

The law of 2.4

Additionally, when planning out your diary, try and utilise the law of 2.4. When completing my PhD, a brilliant teacher, Professor Peter Pell, taught me to always apply the law of 2.4 when estimating how long something would take.

However long you estimate a task will take, times it by 2.4. Things always take longer than you think. Giving yourself the true time necessary will make you more prepared and relieve deadline stress. And on the plus side if you finish it earlier, well that’s great, you will have under promised and over delivered and you’ll feel good!

Shortcuts are vital

An underutilised tool for time efficiency is keyboard shortcuts. It is no surprise that in my role as Head of Technology for Shell Construction and Road, I use symbols frequently.

If I had to go in and select a special symbol every time, it would slow down every work task. But by knowing the ASCII codes , I can work much more effectively. You do not need to learn all the codes, but for things you use daily, find and remember the shortcuts. Give Alt + 248 a go – it’s one I use all the time!

Overcoming the challenge

Time management is likely to be a challenge for most of us at some stage in our career. But by introducing simple tips, tricks and approaches into your working day, you can increase productivity, reduce stress levels, and most importantly, create time to focus on the things that matter most to you.

So, work out what causes you to lose time, try out some of the above, and let me know how you get on!