Top 9 Facts About Time Management In Business: Brief Guide

Managing your time while running a business can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. When working in business, we don’t always focus on the right things; therefore, we lose a lot of time. Understanding how it comes about can be the key to succeeding in business. In this article, I will discuss some facts about time management for professionals. The following information might be of interest to associates and managers.

Time management information for business

There are plenty of myths about time management in general. When you examine several groups, such as students, the numbers can be worth looking into. 

But for this article, we will focus exclusively on time management in the workplace. If that applies to someone such as yourself, you’ll see how people manage their time on the job.

People spend 30 days a year checking email at the office

According to one study in the UK, workers checked their email for nearly two hours every day. That’s the equivalent of one month a year. When you think about it, that’s a lot of time wasted from doing productive activities. 

It may be one reason why people stay late at the office. Also, it raises the question of whether people experience more moments of boredom. If that’s taking place throughout the day, there’s not much valuable work getting done.

Facts about time management: It’s reported that people check their email up to two hours daily, or 30 hours in one year.

More than 25% of the workforce work outside of normal office hours

Staying late at the office or bringing work home is far too common these days. Even worse, the time spent earlier may be on unproductive tasks, including:

  • Browsing social media
  • Following the news
  • Watching TV/videos online (i.e YouTube)

Doing some of these activities (or if you happen to multitask), adds up to longer days at work. Again, it shows that people aren’t using real work hours to do meaningful, productive work.

80% of employees do not feel engaged while at work

According to one Gallup report, around 80% reported either disengaged or not engaged enough at work. When that happens, that can lead to a drop in productivity levels.

Based on how the last few years have been, more people are working remotely. So it’s easy to feel disconnected when working from home. When you’re in an office setting, there’s a better sense of collaboration and engagement with others.

Facts about time management in business: A lot of workers don’t feel engaged while at work these days.

Employees feel stress nearly every day

There seems to be a strong correlation between stress and time management, which can lead to poor time management. In the same Gallup report, 43% of respondents said they experienced stress almost every day.

When stress is an issue, it can take a toll on someone’s health. Working hours are reduced in order to deal with health issues. In other words, if health isn’t prioritized early on, it will cost you time later.

Companies spend 16 days a year looking around for paperwork

According to DocuSign, companies spent 16 days a year (a little over two weeks) finding paperwork.  Even with better technology and more options to convert paperwork electronically, companies still do things the “old-fashioned” way.

What we mean by old fashion is storing physical paperwork in drawers (or other areas of the office). But these days, it can be easier to scan some documents into a cloud-like system. Some companies have chosen that option, but it does make finding paperwork easier.

Facts about time management: Companies may spend up to 16 days a year looking for paperwork.

Senior managers spent 23 hours in meetings every week

A significant chunk of time goes toward unnecessary meetings. Meetings consume more than 20 hours, which indicates poor utilization of time at work.

Meetings can be useless and a waste of time, especially when it comes to getting more things done. If they’re not planned out properly, a lot of time can be thrown out the window.

Best Tip: Write out an agenda of what needs to be discussed

Before having meetings, it helps to have some type of agenda written out. Make sure to go over what’s absolutely necessary to make a meeting worth holding.

Also, meetings should be kept short if possible. Meetings tend to drag on and last longer than an hour, which poses a challenge in the workplace. It would be better if they were between 30-60 minutes.

Executives (CEOS) spent almost 80% of doing business on the weekends

Working in an upper-management position comes with its perks and rewards, but it also means more responsibilities. So executives may spend more time working outside of traditional work hours, even if it’s on the weekends.

Based on one report (insert link), that appeared to be the case. Some information includes the following:

  • Executives worked 9.7 hours (on average) on a normal workday
  • CEOS attend around 37 meetings a week

Again, it shows that meetings appear to be a big chunk of an executive’s time at work. Some of them may be necessary to attend, but for other meetings- they may not be needed at all.

Facts about time management: Executives spend a big chunk of their time in meetings every week.

The best leaders are willing to say “No”

The best leaders in business know-how to set boundaries. It is their nature to keep their distance from work and things that do not move the needle.

With that, saying “No” is necessary sometimes. It shows that leaders understand when to prioritize their most important tasks.

Leaders look ahead by planning early on

When projects need to get done at some point, it’s important to plan ahead to meet deadlines. Some of the best leaders in business set some time to plan out their priorities. 

Planning helps prepare for the unexpected, along with possible setbacks on projects. It can happen, so it’s imperative to work around those obstacles.

Also, there may be some projects that take longer than expected. Therefore, if you set aside extra time to work on projects, it can help you achieve the best results.

Final Words

There are a lot of things to know about time management in the workplace. These nine facts show some interesting things about how people utilize their time at work. 

It may appear that it may be a negative thing; however, it’s important to understand these issues so that better solutions can be found. In business, time management is all about prioritizing tasks.

Setting boundaries and prioritizing your work will help you manage your time much better. That applies not just to business, but to all areas of life.

Your Turn: Which of the facts stand out to you the most?

I would like to get some of your thoughts on these facts. Which of the facts did you find the most interesting? 

Were you surprised at some of the things that happen in the workplace? Can you relate to your own situation, and is there anything you can improve?

Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I look forward to reading your responses, and I’ll gladly respond promptly.

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Eric is the owner and chief editor of notimekillers.com. 

He takes great pride in helping people manage their time and grow their businesses. 

Eric is a firm believer in financial and time freedom, as he believes in financial independence and taking ownership of your time. 

“Time is your most important asset. It can be your best friend or worst enemy. How you use your time can shape the future you desire to have.” 

In his leisure time, Eric loves to write and read whenever possible. He enjoys going for long walks outdoors while doing in-home workout videos every week. 

You can also connect with Eric via LinkedIn.

Self Photo 2019: Here's a picture at a building in downtown Chicago.

2 thoughts on “Top 9 Facts About Time Management In Business: Brief Guide”

  1. Hi Eric, Thanks for sharing these eye-opening statistics about how time is spent in the office. Having worked on an hourly basis in the past, I definitely noticed that far too much time was spent reading, writing, and searching for emails. 

    I found that adding Grammarly to my business toolkit helped to cut down on proofreading time. I find it to be a very helpful timesaving tool that your readers may appreciate as well.

    Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Hi Aly,

      The time we spent in a professional work setting can be surprising for some people. But based on what happens, those facts do not lie.

      It’s amazing to think of all the activities are spent doing anything but productive tasks. So we understand why it’s not the best way to utilize our time.

      I’m glad you’re using Grammarly to assist with proofreading your writing. I agree that it’s helpful with making your writing more concise.

      I wrote a thorough review on Grammarly not too long ago- for those who are interested in learning more, here is my Grammarly review.

      Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts- they’re very much appreciated.

      Reply

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