In football or basketball, a few seconds can make a difference between winning or losing. Players learn to watch the clock to avoid wasting precious seconds in a time crunch. Similar time management principles can be applied in the career world, enabling student-athletes to secure victory in more than the sports arena.
Time management is an important component of building success in the workplace. Employees must master consistently meeting deadlines. Athletes accustomed to making plays when time is running out can learn how to translate that ability into their profession.
Here a few plays you can incorporate into your time management playbook:
Delegation: Never make the mistake of trying to do everything by yourself. Sports teams function best when everyone accepts a role and and plays to the best of their ability within that role. Do your part and share tasks with your team that match their unique skill set. It can help you meet deadlines and produce quality results at the same time.
Focus: Players can cost their team points when they commit fouls because they lost focus or made a sloppy play. Avoiding fouls is also necessary in the work place. Stay on top of assigned tasks. Meet the goals set forth for each project by paying attention to important details. Do the job right the first time, so you don’t set the rest of your team back.
Communication: Coaches are not afraid to call timeout to set up the right play. The same principle applies in the workplace. Never feel afraid to ask for help at critical junctures. Maybe a supervisor or a teammate has an idea that can help you complete a project. Maybe you can get a fresh perspective when it feels like you are not heading in the right direction. Communicating helps you call the right play at the right time.
Timing: Timing plays an important role in the implementation of the plays above. A good leader knows when to delegate, when to focus, and when to apply other strategies. Just as a coach uses his or her judgment to know the appropriate time to make a call, a leader should do the same to avoid making costly mistakes.
Time management is not limited to a game, match or meet for student-athletes. It is also a skill that helps them become better employees and managers in the workplace after college.