Making a good first impression is easy with these five top tips.

We have all heard the adage, ‘You never get a second chance to make a good first impression’ and the more slightly daunting ‘first impressions last’. While staying in the minds of your colleagues for all the wrong reasons shouldn’t have to remain a blot on your resume forever, there are definite ways to keep your colleagues onside – here are just five tactics to making a favourable first impression at work.

Dressing appropriately

The way you dress at your workplace will depend on the individual workplace culture or industry standards – there are not always hard and fast rules. To gauge what is considered to be appropriate, look at what your colleagues are wearing. You may work in an office where casual clothing is acceptable and you may stick out like a sore thumb if you rock up in a suit but in other companies, more formal attire may be required.

Using proper office etiquette

There are certain modes of behaviour that should be followed when you are in a workplace situation and answering phone calls, answering emails and other correspondence – remain professional at all times even if you are friends with your colleagues.  Remember that in some countries like Australia by law email belongs to the company so keep those funny gags and personal interactions outside of the workplace.

Acting in a professional manner

Whether you are at work, in a client meeting or going to an office function such as the Christmas party, you are still representing your company. Some employees who are new to a workplace are not always aware that office etiquette still applies. An company do might be the first official introduction to most of the employees in your organisation and your chance to make a good first impression with your colleagues.

Pulling your weight

If you have started a job and you are always throwing sickies or AWOL, you have just asked for a month’s annual leave, constantly missing deadlines or busy updating your status on Facebook, you’re not going to be making the best first impression on your colleagues. If news of your behaviour reaches the higher management, it may even get you fired if you’re within your probation period.

But being a hard worker is not enough

Some people fall into the trap of thinking of that being a hard worker is enough to win over the acclaim of your managers and colleagues but sadly in most organisations it isn’t enough. Rightly or wrongly, it’s also important to a lot of companies that you fit into the office culture. Understanding the office politics and cultural dynamics and what attributes outside of hard skills are valued by your company can be critical to your success.

Fitting into the work culture is important but it’s also vital not to lose your identity or change who you are as a person. As you start getting to know your colleagues and settling in, you can start adding little touches to your outfits and work space to show more of your personal style and individuality and make it yours. If you make a good first impression, this can keep you in good stead for your career at the company.

Managing relationships in the workplace can be difficult but you can make them work with these five tips.

Managing relationships in the workplace can be difficult for the supervisory team but they can be successful and even add to a workplace if people know that when they step into a professional work situation, this is where their personal life ends and their professional life begins. When there are no defined rules for workplace relationships, it can be hard for a management team to lead their staff – here are five tips for happy workplace relations.

Ask employees to be discrete

One of the difficulties of managing relationships in the workplace is when partners or friends share confidential information. This can be hard to monitor but in general all staff members should be aware that they should not discuss any work issues outside of their departments or teams and it is a sackable offence. Managers should be equally mindful not to indulge any confidential information to colleagues or team members.

Remain professional at all times

When you are speaking to employees, ask them to confine their discussions to a business nature only even if they know their colleagues in a personal context and keep intimate discussions limited to their breaks or outside of work hours. It is healthy to befriend other colleagues but it is also important to set boundaries for your employees and ensure they understand what is and isn’t appropriate workplace behaviour.

Treat everyone equally

When managing relationships in the workplace, you need to treat everyone equally regardless of your personal affiliation with them. You cannot be seen to show favouritism or alternatively be overly critical to employees who you are friends with outside of the office. If you treat everyone the same regardless of status and your relationship with them, you will encourage an amicable and equal work culture.

Know when to draw the line

There are benefits to having employees who have relationships in the workforce and it can lead to a harmonious and happy workforce but it can also quickly turn nasty. You cannot prevent people from becoming friends or dating but you need to intervene if productivity levels are affected, cliques are being formed and they are counter-productive and/or there is office bullying or gossiping directed at certain individuals.

Know your rights

Don’t attempt to implement a policy of your own where none exists. There may be informal rules that may apply to managing relationships in the workplace but these are rarely formalised. When you speak to colleagues about their behaviour, you must be compliance with the current laws and regulations of your city or country. It’s not an easy line to walk, tread carefully or you may find yourself embroiled in a law suit.

Lead by example, if employees see that their supervisor is having personal chats in corridors, acting unprofessionally in and outside of work or disclosing personal information, they will model that behaviour. It is not always desirable that colleagues develop a relationship but it is inevitable it may happen so managing relationships in the workplace is a communication skill all decision makers should develop.

Five strategies to achieving a work life balance and getting your life back.

Technology can be a double-edged sword – remote access to email, Skype, smart phones and easy access to the Internet via our mobiles has allowed given us the ability to work from home and in theory, achieving work life balance but has this inadvertently increased the hours we work? Here are five work life balance strategies to rein back your work hours, get your personal life back and working to live instead of living to work.

Negotiate working from home

Working from home is an ideal way in achieving a work life balance and adding more flexibility to your day. You can save hours commuting back and forth to work, develop an exercise routine you can stick to and save money on transport and lunches. Working from home though can also be fraught with problems and you can easily develop bad habits such as working longer hours, lacking motivation and discipline.

Read more about how to avoid social isolation, bad work from home habits to avoid and ways to motivate yourself while working from home.

Work smarter not harder

Instead of adding more hours to your workload, try and stay within the realm of your standard working day by working smarter not harder. Sounds easy doesn’t it? Learning to use your time more effectively is an important skill that every person can learn whether they are the receptionist or the CEO. Here are some time management tips to add more balance to your day:
•    creating To Do lists
•    prioritising your workload
•    have regular meetings and catch-ups
•    learning to delegate
•    managing expectations
•    manage your employees and colleagues
•    managing yourself

Learn more about our time management tips and how to improve work satisfaction.

Switch off your phone

Unless you are on call, an easy way to avoid working longer hours is simply switching off your phone or avoiding checking work emails after your work day has ended. Set boundaries with your staff and colleagues – if people know that you are available after work hours, they are more likely to call you. Another alternative is to set aside half an hour each night to check your messages which will help in achieving a work life balance.

Make your health a priority

Your health should always be an important part of your life but it can suffer and affect all areas of your life if you are working long hours, stressing out about work and not getting enough sleep. Make your health a priority by going to sleep at a reasonable hour, choosing healthy options for meals and snacks when you are at work and taking time out to exercise at least three times a week.

Learn more about strategies to minimise stress in the workplace and regain a work life balance.

Get a life

If you have hobbies and interests outside of your normal working day, this will encourage you to leave the office at a reasonable hour and it will also put your colleagues and manager on notice that you will need to leave work at a certain time. This may involve exercising at the gym, doing a course at a community college, joining a club or learning a new skill. Sadly, sometimes people fall into a routine of working extra hours because they simply don’t have other things to do.

Follow these tips and you will be happily on your way to tipping the scales in favour of a work life balance. Finding time for work, life and play is very important. If you discover that it is a constant challenge to find a workable balance between the three, then you may want to even think about changing your work role, finding a job in a different location or even changing your career to help in achieving a work life balance.

You have a lot of perks when you work from home; the flexibility to set your own hours, to wear what you want to the office and take breaks when you feel the need. However, the reality of working from home can be somewhat different. With no direct supervisor, rules and regulations or structure, it can be easy to develop bad working habits. Here are seven work habits you should try and avoid when you work at home.

Working longer hours

When you work in an office, it is easier to turn off the PC and switch off from work for the day. However, when you work from home, it’s tempting to check work emails after your set work hours and do unnecessary overtime. Clients and/or work colleagues may also ring you after hours and on the weekends. It is important to set boundaries for yourself and your clients and only work within the hours that you have set for yourself.

Not taking any breaks

While the majority of office workers think that people working from home are constantly watching TV or videos on YouTube, the opposite is often the case and people are so consumed by work that they forget to take breaks. It’s important to get into a routine and take regularly morning tea breaks, lunch breaks and afternoon tea breaks. Change your work routine once in a while and arrange go out with friends for a well deserved lunch break.

Refusing to take a holiday

When you have your own business or you are a freelancer, it can be difficult to take a holiday when you are not paid annual leave. People who work from home often experience highs and lows and employees who go on holidays are less likely to experience work fatigue and burnout. You are given a lot of freedom and flexibility but it can be very socially isolating. You are more likely to return back refreshed, revitalised and ready to attack work with a renewed spirit and increase your productivity.

Going to work when you feel sick

A common problem with employees or sole traders is that they will still work from home when they are feeling unwell. Although you are not physically commuting to an office, you still need to rest if you are unwell. One of the reasons for this is that people who are freelancers or own their own business are not given annual leave so they may feel forced to ‘go to work’. However, you are running the risk of feeling worse and taking even more days off.

Losing your rhythm

When you first start home employment, it may be hard to get into a routine and develop a rhythm. Working from home gives people a lot of flexibility but you also need to have some discipline, develop regular habits and form a routine. The routine has to be in accordance with your work body clock so if you’re a programmer and you prefer working late nights, then your work day can start from 3pm for example but try and be consistent.

Working in an unproductive work space

While you may not be able to afford to have a separate work space fitted with all the latest mod cons, it is important to try and separate your home life from your work life. Occupational health and safety is just as important in a home office as it is in a large corporation. It is essential you have the correct lighting, an ergonomic chair and an office free from clutter and distractions such as children, the TV or gaming equipment.

Working in your pyjamas

One of the best things about working from home is the flexibility to wear casual clothes. Some people even take it a step further and work in their pyjamas all day. For some people dressing for work can also put them into work mode and make them feel more professional and confident. Choose the work attire you feel comfortable with and make an effort to dress for work. It will do wonders for your professional outlook.
The advantages of work from home are the flexibility and freedom but the lack of routine and consistency can sometimes lead to a lack of work/life balance, work fatigue and social isolation. By following these seven tips, you can put more structure into your day and develop a routine that works for you whether you’re a writer that likes working early in the mornings or a web developer that enjoys working late into the night.

Here are ways to change your outlook not your job description and improve your work satisfaction…

Can’t get no satisfaction at work? Lack of work satisfaction is one of the major causes for workplace stress, a high rate of absenteeism and a high company turnover. But is it you or the workplace that is making you feel this way and holding you back from achieving workplace happiness? Before handing in your notice, read these seven tips on you can increase your job satisfaction.

Identifying triggers for your personal work satisfaction

Psychologists have distinguished there is a link between your attitude to work and work satisfaction. They have identified three basic approaches to work and what motivates people to come to work. This could be a job, a career and a calling and each brings certain motivators and triggers for job satisfaction.

• Job: You do a job for nothing other than the pay cheque at the end of the week. This will have the greatest impact on whether you stay or go and achieve work satisfaction.
• Career: This involves a deeper personal investment in work. You mark your achievements through money, but also through advancement. Each promotion brings you higher prestige and more power, as well as a raise.
• Calling: A calling or vocation, on the other hand, is a passionate commitment to work for its own sake. The work is fulfilling in its own right, without regard for money or advancement.

Identifying the triggers for your job satisfaction, will help you to identify and adjust your expectations at work accordingly and find a job, career or calling that will bring you the most work satisfaction in line with those goals and aspirations.

Nature of the work vs nature of the job

The secret to job satisfaction? It’s not just about the work you do, but the people you do it with, according to a study published on March 2010 in the online Journal of Applied Psychology. The authors expected to find that the nature of the work affected job satisfaction, but they were surprised that social factors were even more important to work satisfaction.

Frequent interaction with others, office friendships and emotional support were strong predictors of job satisfaction. So the next time you want to skip out on office work drinks or miss out on a birthday lunch, take the time to bond with your colleagues and this may increase your workplace happiness and work satisfaction.

Pinpoint the exact problem of your work dissatisfaction

It’s important to find out why you are unsatisfied at work and the cause of your unhappiness. What exactly are you struggling with? This may be one central problem or a combination of problems.

Is it due to difficult co-workers, a long commute to work, poor working conditions, working excessive hours or your job role? Once you work out the exact nature of your unhappiness, you will be able to work out a course of action and tackle the problem head on.

Accept that workplaces are not perfect

It’s inevitable that you will be working with people where there may be a personality clash or you may not have any common ground or interests. The beauty of being human is we all have different communication styles, personality traits, and ways of thinking and doing things.

You don’t have to necessarily want to party with your colleagues on Friday night although that does help but you do have to maintain a level of professional courtesy, accept the inevitable personality differences and be respectful of your different working styles.

Revaluate your work goals

Perhaps your unhappiness at work is due to unfulfilled personal and professional goals. Remember this may only be a stepping stone to your dream job. Find ways to ease the boredom of your role and create new challenges for yourself within the scope of your role. This may include the following:

• taking on a new and exciting project;
• volunteering for new tasks;
• furthering your education and training;
• mentoring a new employee can also improve work satisfaction.

Working with a different team or department, focusing on your career development and improving your skills development may give you a fresh perspective and increase your work satisfaction.

Maintain a work-life balance

Those unhappy in life are unlikely to find satisfaction at work, a new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology in March 2010 says.

Keeping a balance in your lifestyle is important; if it’s all work and no play, you may find your enthusiasm starting to wane. In order to maintain balance in your lifestyle, the first step is to take an overview of your current lifestyle and see which areas are out of balance.

You should make for other important priorities in your life such as family, friends and other hobbies and interests such as the gym. Overtime is a necessary evil but if you find that it is the exception and not the rule, you need to take stock of your work situation and bring your life back into balance.

Think positive

Before a lack of job satisfaction turns you to drinking, take a ‘glass half full’ mentality and look at the positives of your workplace. Walking in with an optimistic attitude and see if changing detrimental and negative talk patterns can help you see your situation more clearly – it may not be as bad as you think.

Assess your current state of mind, and make some changes in yourself so that you see things in a more positive light, and you may just find you’re much happier where you are in life!

There are just a few of the things that may change your outlook and increase your work satisfaction. If you’re hopping from workplace to workplace and you find the same problems cropping up, you may just find the common denominator is you! So find out what motiviates you to come to work, what makes you happy or unhappy and face the real cause of your problems.

If you want to fast track your career and you have an end goal in mind for your career development, you might want to consider spending some time looking into some career development tips…

Checking out career development tips is a useful way to move forward in your chosen career and if you are only in the early stages of your employment, planning will help you to create goals to work towards in the future. Career development opportunities should be grabbed with both hands as there is always someone else waiting around the corner to take your place should you stay too static within your job.

Career Development Plan

A career development plan is an ideal way to give yourself a clearer understanding of the ways in which you can move forward within your profession and here are a few useful things you should know:

• Universities often use a career development plan to assist students in making their future career goals clearer
• They allow a better understanding of a chosen career path
• A plan is a good way to give you something to aim towards throughout all the stages of your career
• Career development tips can be found online and are a useful for creating fresh ideas about how to move forward

Education and career development

If you wish to develop your career, try creating a list of all the jobs you have had starting with the most recent and make a side note of all of the skills and responsibilities that you had whilst there. This will allow you to see clearly exactly what you have achieved to help you to set out what you still want to achieve. Also make a similar list of your educational background to help you to get a clear picture of what education you have gained as this will be useful when you write or re-write a resume.

Setting goals

Break your plan up into set goals to ensure that you know what you should be doing and when.

See the following example:

Goal 1: Gain the education needed for your role

Goal 2: Graduate at the level that is required

Goal 3: Get a job in your chosen field field

Goal 4: Move upwards in your job by undertaking further training and courses

Continuously refer back to your goals and add in new targets if and when they are relevant. Career development tips can be used at any time during a career and allow you to refocus if you lose your way as well as provide you with something to aim for.

The benefits of career development

The benefits of using career development tips are endless and creating a way of self assessing oneself allows you to concentrate on the specific goals that you have outlined for your future. Having something to aim at every six months, every year or every other year allows ambition to kick in and self assessments are also a good way to ensure you are keeping on top of where you want to be and when.

Last but not least – work hard

Career development tips and plans can only work to your advantage if you push yourself to excel. Break down all of the barriers that attempt to halt your progress and deal with personal issues in a way that you do not allow them to affect your career goals. Outside assistance and advice for creating your career development plan is always available. Combating career obstacles is part and parcel of enjoying a successful career.

A lot of forward thinking companies are offering a work-life balance, embracing flexible work arrangements and recognise the benefits of employees working from home. However, before you speak to your manager about flexible work arrangements, find out all the ins and outs of working from home to put you in a stronger negotiating position.

Is flexible work arrangements really for you?

Working from home isn’t for everyone. While some people enjoy the freedom of working in their pyjamas and not having to suffer a long commute to work, others will feel socially isolated and prefer to come to a physical office and enjoy the day-to-day interaction with colleagues.

Before you make the big move, you may want to experiment and test the waters by spending a few days a week working from home to see whether if it is really for you. After the novelty wears out and the boredom or social isolation hits, you may find yourself longing for a traditional work environment.

Have you done your research?

There are many benefits for employees working from home and you need to include these advantages in your proposal to your boss. Some of these benefits include:

• increased motivation and productivity
• improved retention rate, lower absenteeism levels and increased loyalty
• cost savings for the company in terms of office space, stationary and other costs
• lower work-related expenses for the employee
• improved work-life balance and employee morale.

Is your job suited to flexible work arrangements?

Your role may be a client-facing role or require liaison with different team members or departments or working with technology or machinery and thus may not translate well to a work at home environment. Jobs that are ideal for flexible work arrangements have the following characteristics:

• a role that requires little face to face interaction
• a role that can work independently of a team such as a copywriter, designer or accountant
• a role that requires minimal software and equipment
• a role that requires minimal supervision.

Are you suited to working from home?

It’s important to get the runs on the board before trying to negotiate flexible workplace arrangements. While the nature of your role will be a huge factor in the decision making process, other key factors will include your work performance, work habits and personal characteristics. Here are some of the things your manager is likely to consider:

• Are you a person who is self-motivated and disciplined?
• Are you organised and able to manage your time efficiently?
• Are you able to work self-sufficiently and with minimal supervision?
• Do you meet or exceed job expectations?

Employees who constantly hit deadlines, can work with minimal supervision and can work independently of their colleagues are good candidates for working from home.

You may find that in order to achieve a work-life balance, you may enjoy a blend of working from home and working in an office. Flexible work arrangements and working from home bring their own unique challenges and isn’t for the faint-hearted so do your research before you transition into working from home.

Why is online reputation management so essential?

Online searches have become such a standard practice that only 2% of recruiters surveyed did not research their applicants online. Search Engines were the biggest research tool with a huge 78% of recruitment agents googling their applicants, 63% looking at social media sites, 59% looking at photo and video sharing sites and 48% found their way to professional and business working sites.

Some of the reasons why potential candidates were rejected were: concerns about their lifestyle (58%), inappropriate comments and text written by candidates (56%), unsuitable photos, videos and information (55%), inappropriate comments or text written by friends and families (43%) and comments criticising previous employers, co-workers or clients (40%).

What can you do to manage your online reputation?

Only 30 – 35% of respondents (depending on nationality) surveyed felt that their online reputation had little impact or significance when searching for a new job so how do you become part of the savvy majority? To a certain extent, you cannot control what people are saying and posting about you online but there are certain steps you can take to manage your online reputation:

• Ensure your Facebook can only be accessed by your friends online and control what is shown on the search results page. You can also adjust your privacy settings and opt out of public searches altogether.
• Don’t post any discriminating photos or videos online and ask your friends and family not to ‘tag you’ in any photos on Facebook without your authorisation to help manage your online reputation.
• Disable the auto-follow function on Twitter and protect your tweets. Remember when people respond to your tweets, this also appears on your profile. Search engines are also starting to index tweets in their search engine results.
• If you have an online blog, be careful not to write anything that might hurt your future job prospects. Make sure you also monitor comments online as well.
• Exercise caution when writing blog comments, participating in forums or engaging in social media activities. These may be linked back to you or your blog.
• Use a separate email account for work and your online social media activities and keep your public and private life separate.

Online reputation management is made even easier by setting up a Google alert. With this free service, you can search news, blogs, web, video, or groups for mentions of your name and get alerts instantly, once a day, or once a week.

What are the ethical implications of online search?

HR professionals searching online to find out information about applicants brings up some ethical concerns. The dangers of online search are that recruiters can easily and anonymously find out information about you that they would not be permitted to ask in an interview or application form. This may include:

• your marital status and age;
• your religious or cultural background;
• whether you are planning a family;
• medical history and;
• financial background.

Although this is very hard to prove and prosecute, anti-discrimination laws still apply so if you think you have been discriminated against, you should speak to the anti-discrimination body in your region. Of the HR professionals surveyed, 75% said their companies had a formal policy in place to research applicants online and 79% of US recruiters check reputational data.

So how do you exercise damage control?

So what can you do if you have posted a photo, comment or video in cyberspace and the past has come back to haunt you or someone has written something unfairly about you? In the world of job seeking, any publicity is not good publicity, it may just all be bad. And remember, it is very difficult to remove a listing from a search engine once it has been published.

Susan Moskwa, Google Webmaster Trends Analyst says to “reduce its [bad publicity] visibility in the search results by proactively publishing useful, positive information about yourself or your business.”

Ways you can proactively manage your online reputation and publish positive information are:

• The easiest way is to remove the negative comment at the source. Email the owner of the blog or website and ask them to remove the offending post or allow you to post a response in return.
• To counter negative comments about your skills and/or business, ask your clients who are happy with your services to post good reviews.
• Ask your previous managers and/or colleagues to post recommendations for you on business social networking websites like LinkedIn.
• Create your own blog where you can write posts about news and views, tips and tricks and other issues relevant to your industry. If you have an uncommon name, it shouldn’t take much effort at all to appear on page one of the search engine listings.
• As well as creating your own blog, write guest posts, comments on blogs or participate in forums that are relevant your industry and establish yourself as an expert in the field.
• Establish a positive social media presence if you haven’t done so already by creating a Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn account and again, this should rank well in search engines.

The good news is that all this hard work and online reputation management will not go unnoticed with almost half of human resources professionals in the United States surveyed stating that a positive online reputation influences the candidate’s application to a great extent.

In light of all this research, never post anything online that you would not want to talk about in an interview. The reality of today’s competitive job market is that a 140 character tweet that took you two seconds may have more relevance than your two page resume you spent hours updating. So while social media networks are becoming almost essential for interacting with busy friends and family, online reputation management is even more important for job searching and ongoing career development.

Studies show that Australians work longer hours than all other OECD nations and do not use their full annual leave entitlement. Signs of obvious workplace stress include headaches, increased anxiety, high blood pressure, depression, increased drinking and reduced work performance and productivity. Here are some career tips for reducing stress in the workplace and alleviating that sense of dread when you wake up in the morning.

Develop friendships at work

Cultivate friends and allies at work that you can turn to and exchange jokes and funny stories about your weekend. Try and avoid negative or toxic people in the workplace. This will deflect the focus off your workplace problems and give you a safe haven where you feel more relaxed and in control. If you are going to vent about your workplace problems, make sure that your colleagues are trustworthy. Generally, it’s better to discuss any problems with your partner, friends and family outside of your workplace.

Manage your workload

Learning to manage your time at work is a major factor in decreasing your stress levels. Try employing time management tips such as prioritising your workload and managing your employee’s expectations, learning to say no to work tasks and ask for additional help or resources. Give yourself some breathing room and delegate repetitive tasks that don’t take much supervision and focus on tasks that require your individual expertise to manage your stress levels to try and achieve a work-life balance.

Take short breaks

Taking regular short breaks during the day to stretch out your legs or walk around the office to speak to colleagues can help reduce anxiety levels. Even after a short break, you will return back to your desk rejuvenated, refreshed and ready to tackle the problem, project or day that lies ahead of you. Step away from your desk, computer and telephone at lunch time and eat your lunch at the park, go shopping or have a coffee with a work colleague.

Mentor programs

Finding a mentor can be a great way to reduce workplace stress for junior staff or middle management. Mentors can be assigned within the company or can be found externally through industry associations and networking groups. A mentor can help work through work problems and how to negotiate work conflict, help employees build self confidence and develop interpersonal skills.

De-clutter your office

Even doing something as simple as cleaning your office can clear your mind and increase your focus. It can be very draining and overwhelming to face a messy office every single day. This is only a temporary measure so to keep disorganisation at bay; you need to incorporate a proper filing system and system of managing your documents. Adding plants to your office and changing the layout of your desk so your back doesn’t face the door can be good feng shui as well.

Exercise

Exercising at lunch times or before or after work has a host of psychological as well as physical benefits. Aerobic exercise can help you manage stress in the workplace by producing endorphins that uplift your mood and mental well being. It increases your social networks and decreases your social isolation. Exercise also improves your sleep patterns and gives you time to think and focus on other things.

Go on a holiday

Holidays can be a great way to unwind, de-stress and shake off workplace blues. Make sure you that you have organised someone to take over your work, arrange an adequate handover or hiring a temp or casual to do your work while you are gone. You want to be free of worries and stress when you do go away and relax knowing your work is in good hands and you won’t have any face any problems when you arrive back at work.

As a very last resort, you may have to consider changing jobs if you cannot cope with the workload, demanding boss, toxic colleagues or unrealistic deadlines and you have undue stress in the workplace. You spend an average of 40 hours a week with your colleagues so you need to be happy. Your mental health and relationships with your friends and family are far more important.

There is no doubt that stress starts to play a role when our busy schedules get on top of us. Effective time management can help you keep on top of your workload and keep the stress at bay. Here are seven of our top tips for time management…

To Do Lists – Don’t avoid the ugly tasks

Do the work tasks you are trying to avoid when you’re at your peak and keep procrastination at bay. Work around your internal body clock.

If you find that you’re more of a morning person and your concentrate is lost later in the day, do those mind numbing tasks earlier in the day and the tasks you enjoy later in the afternoon when you’re struggling to get motivated.

Get into a habit of writing Your To Do list just before you leave work so you can return the next day and hit the ground running.

Learn to prioritise – Do the most important things first

Effective time management is all about prioritising your tasks and doing the most important things first. The easiest way of managing your workload effectively is prioritising each task. The Motivation Expert suggests prioritising tasks as follows:

A = Top priority jobs – those which must be completed today

B = Jobs that should be completed today

C = Jobs that you’d prefer to complete today but can put off until tomorrow

D = Jobs where the deadline is some way off and you can complete later

If you are having problems prioritising your tasks or there are two tasks that seem as urgent as each other, speak to your manager who will be able to clarify which task is more important or better still, set priority of tasks in your regular meetings.

Be Proactive Not Reactive – Don’t fight fires

Encourage your employees and colleagues to be proactive and not reactive and pre-empt any possible problems with project management, client management or general day to day work tasks.

There is little point having an ‘ostridge in the sand mentality’ because when the problem does reach the surface and become known to your manager, it will more likely take longer to fix and use more resources. Ways to avoid this are:

• set up regular work in progress meetings and catch up sessions
• put reporting mechanisms in place and
• establish benchmarks or key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure workload.

These are a good way to foresee any problems before the proverbial hits the fan in an office.

Learn to Delegate – You are not an island

Delegation plays a defining role in being able to manage your workload. You need to be able to let go and trust your staff and/or colleagues to take on part of your workload. There are many advantages to delegating work:

• The motivation of employees is increased as you trust them with more responsibilities.
• It increases employee’s self confidence and leads to development of decision making skills.
• It encourages an environment where creative ideas and alternative ways of working are expressed.
• It saves time – we can achieve at least twice as more through delegation than we can by doing all the work by ourselves.

It can be quite difficult granting someone else the authority and responsibility and they may make mistakes along the way and not do everything as you may have liked. However, with patience and guidance, it can alleviate the less crucial parts of your workload leaving you to work on more important tasks.

Managing expectations – Learn to say no

Effective time management can sometimes be more about managing expectations from your manager and/or colleagues. While there may be occasions where you work overtime, this should be an exception rather than the rule. If you find that you are continually working more than a standard 8 hour day through no fault of your own, speak to your manager about:

• assigning extra resources;
• delegating your workload to other employees or;
• hiring a temp or casual staff member

This should all help you bring your workload down to a more manageable level and allow you to skip out the door at a reasonable hour.

Manage your employees and colleagues – Don’t Let Them Manage You

Attending to emails or tasks and answering adhoc questions or the telephone can take up valuable time in your day. It may only be a task that only takes five or ten minutes but that can easily add up during the day but this can be avoided by:

• encourage your employees and colleagues to save non urgent questions for meetings where you can discuss the project;
• asking colleagues to email you when rather than come to your desk or call you directly so you can attend to the email when you have time;
• making your priorities known to your colleagues and ask them if you can do their task later after you have finished your more important tasks.

Take control back of your workload and don’t let your colleagues dictate your work patterns. Attend to urgent or more important tasks first and attend to the tasks further down your list later on.

Manage yourself – Time management is a myth

It is also important to manage yourself and make sure that you are hitting your deadlines, not working excessive amounts of overtime and also taking regular breaks throughout the day. It is important to set aside regular breaks in the day for the following reasons:

• decreases levels of procrastination and work avoidance;
• maintains the level of quality and productivity across the day;
• increases your concentrate and motivation levels;
• reduces stress and maintains your health.

Remember you can’t manage time – there are only 24 hours in a day. The only thing you can manage is yourself, your colleagues to a certain extent and your workload so incorporate these time management tips into your workday to create more of a work-life balance that will have you leaving the office at a reasonable hour.