Do you find yourself staying late at the office just to get all your project work done? Many people want a better work/life balance and you can have one too. You simply need to know… How To Get Home Earlier

Great time management is the key to leaving work on time!

Tip #1: Get organized

It sounds simple, but many project managers still manage their work in an unstructured way. Use task lists to keep on top of what needs to be done when and timesheets to track how you are spending your time. Make sure that your project team members are organized too by using resource management tools to assign work to the right person. You can use your calendar or project management software to set up alerts and reminders so that you don’t have to hold all that important information in your head! Find a few ways that work to keep you organized and your project on track, then use them consistently.

Tip #2: Use collaboration software

One of the things that slows project managers down is not being able to get updates and status reports from team members. Use collaboration software to get in touch with your team, host impromptu meetings and quickly check facts.

There are collaboration tools that make it easy to do just that. You can chat with colleagues online, start discussions and check progress, which will help you get your own work done faster.

Tip #3: Work online

Make use of those pockets of time in the day when you normally would not be able to get anything done. Commuting time or time spent in a queue can be turned into productive time if you have online access to your project management tools.

Online access also makes it simple to work from home if you have to. You can get home earlier and then check in later that evening when it is convenient for you, as you’ll be able to access everything you need.

Tip #4: Say no!

You don’t have to take on such a lot of work! Practice saying no when colleagues ask you to take on extra responsibilities or to do their tasks for them. If you feel uncomfortable doing that, respond by saying you can’t do that work right now but you could make a start on it on Tuesday (or whenever you feel you could fit it in). If it is your manager who is asking, talk to them about what you could move down the priority list in order to make time for this new work.

Tip #5: Manage your meetings

There are two ways that you can manage meetings, so try them both and see which one is most successful for you. First, you could try to schedule meetings later in the day so that everyone is keen to get through the agenda quickly and make it out of the office. You may find that the team works more productively during the meeting if there is the incentive of going home afterwards!

Second, you could do the opposite and avoid late meetings which may overrun. Instead, schedule your meetings for earlier in the day. People will be fresher and better able to concentrate and that will also lead to productive sessions.

Test out a couple of techniques to get home earlier and don’t forget to rely on professional project management tools to help you stay on top of everything from task management to resource allocation and status reporting.