BANGALORE: Time management can boost your career and even leave you with some time to spare for your own pursuits. Lack of it can increase your workload and stress level.

"Too many mid-level executives and young professionals think having a neat appointment diary is enough to manage time. They don't take into account people who may actually eat into one's time and reduce productivity," former HR head and consultant M.K. Rao says.

Colleagues

The biggest problem is that those who waste your time may be customers, colleagues or business partners.

For some, long phone calls are the only way of doing business. Short conversations are not in their working vocabulary.

"With customers who think long-winded complaints are the only way of getting attention, you can politely but firmly tell them to send it in writing. In fact your customer services section may even have a form that can be filled up and returned.

Let the customer know that his call is getting full attention before hanging up," Mr. Rao suggests.

Workstation

Colleagues who believe in passing time may barge into your room or drag a chair near your workstation and want to discuss everything from the Indian team's prospects in Pakistan to Aamir Khan's wedding... try to cut them short without being rude.

Those 10 minutes can make your working day longer by 30 minutes," management consultant K. Panduranga says.

Phone calls

He also has other tips to manage your time better. Keep an uncluttered desk to face the next day.

There should be a list of things to be done that day and little left in the in-tray. Start logging all phone calls you make and then study to see if some of them could have been avoided.

Use the email instead of typing or dictating letters. Let people know you will not take phone calls at certain times, like between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Store all numbers on your mobile phone.

Keep important numbers handy so that you can access them faster.

Other victims

Once people learn they cannot take up too much of your time, they will stop bothering you and, perhaps, start looking for other "victims."

`Mr. Grumpy'

Customers will start filling complaint forms instead of calling you up every time they just want to blow off steam. Colleagues will name you "grumpy" and avoid you. Altogether, you will save time and perhaps have at least half an hour at the end of the day to be spent on some productive pastime.

Or even do half the work for the next day in advance and feel satisfied.

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