Many of us save our loose change in some receptacle or other, often one of those oversized whisky bottles. When this receptacle has been filled to what looks like a decent level we take the contents of our change bank to the supermarket machine for weighing in and we are usually pleasantly surprised at just how much that bottle full of copper was worth. This is a good demonstration of the way in which many small individual parts make up a large whole.

And the same goes for time management in the workplace. If you look after the minutes, then the hours will look after themselves. Using your time wisely can add small chunks of productivity to your working day - and over time these add up.

The old adage that procrastination is the thief of time certainly rings true and to get into the habit of trying to utilise all of those small 'dead' moments can result in increased productivity.

Keep Going
There are times when circumstances prevent us from getting on. Waiting for a large email to download, for example, can put the brakes on your productivity. However, don't sit there watching the progress bar, find something else to do. Not only will this make your day more productive, that email will have downloaded before you know it too.

Organise That Work Space
A tidy work area is a productive one. Keeping it free from clutter and knowing where everything is stored will minimise the time spent looking for files

Use That 'To-Do' List Effectively
Your to-do list is your daily timetable of tasks and it should be consulted regularly. When you finish one task, therefore, you can glide seamlessly into the next one because you know exactly what that next task is.


Always Have a Plan B
It is a hazard of the modern age that when you phone up to pay that bill or buy that ticket the operator sometimes utters the words "I'm sorry our computers are down this morning". As great a boon as they are to the modern workplace, computers are not infallible, so what happens if yours crashes while you are right in the middle of something? You should get straight on with other tasks that are not dependent upon the Internet.

Stay With One Task
Switching from one task to another eats away valuable time. Try to stick with one task until you have completed it before moving on to the next one.

Ask For Help
If you are unable to proceed because you are unsure of what to do, don't stare at the screen as though that in itself will be enough to solve the problem (it won't), and don't try to solve it yourself if you are out of your depth, as putting right what you do wrong could waste even more time. As soon as you know you are flummoxed, get help from someone who can put matters right and set you back on track with minimum time-loss.

Shun Your Friends
As much as you'd like to hear about that wonder goal at the game last night, when you are up to your neck in work is not the time to have your concentration broken. Save such reports for break times.

All of the above are really just common sense measures, but by adhering to them, and the multitude of others that are there if you look for them, you can shave minutes off the day. Come the end of the month, your bonus could be worth a heck of a lot more than what was in that copper bottle.