Time structuring tactics will maximize your productive time. Time structuring tricks will help keep work confined to its schedule. Time structuring traps are to be avoided.
Traps
• Limit internet usage while working unless it is actually work. For example, working online is work if you are a web page designer or you are looking up information. Do not mistake surfing the web for entertainment as work. You may end up making up the time later in the day and cut into family time.
• Don’t randomly ask for status reports. It is estimated that employees spend 5-15% of their time reporting the status of their work. Plan specific times and dates to receive status reports unless an urgent and important problem arises. This will save everyone time and effort while reducing the need to wander around asking what others are doing.
• Do not assume that increased time on the clock by employees improves their productivity. If you demand an extra five hours a week of overtime, they may simply stretch out their tasks, meetings or breaks to meet the specified time frame.
• Managers should not be afraid to delegate low priority and non-urgent tasks to other staff. If the manager tries to do the work of both management and employees, they burn out over doing two or more jobs at once. The temptation to also demand that employees be there when the manager is there results in unnecessary overtime simply because a manager could not or would not delegate.
• Set up specific criteria of when a manager needs to be involved so that the manager does not become the go to guy or girl for every decision.
• Do not require team building sessions in evenings and weekends. Cutting into the free time of employees will not boost productivity. Instead, they will take liberty with completing personal business on company time since the company demanded personal time.