8 Must-have calendar management skills to save time and money

Managing a business and ensuring the best decisions are made is extremely busy work; this means that time is a very precious resource and lack of planning can be detrimental for business operations. To this end, managing your calendar efficiently is pivotal to running a successful business, and you can save time and money with the right skills and tools.

Surprisingly, only 18% of people have a dedicated system for managing their time, but highly successful people are known for being able to maximize their productivity and, in return, they enjoy increased profits. 

In this article, we share some must-have skills for effective calendar management that will help you be very organized and increase your bottom line.

What is calendar management?

Calendar management is the process of creating and maintaining a schedule. An effective calendar manager must prioritize tasks, juggle multiple deadlines, and keep track of important details.

Calendar management skills are essential in any work environment, from busy offices to hectic hospitals. As a decision-maker or senior professional, you are required to be organized, efficient, and capable of multitasking.

With the ability to manage your time wisely, you can help to keep your workplace running smoothly. If you master calendar management, you can create an efficient working environment in which everyone can perform their tasks on time.

8 must-have calendar management skills to save time and money

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but how you use this time can really make the difference between success and failure. These eight must-have calendar management skills will help you boost efficiency, productivity and profitability.

1. Choose a flexible yet powerful calendar scheduling app

Embrace digital transformation and employ calendar management tools to stay organized and on top of your schedule. A flexible calendar scheduling app enables your clients and prospects to easily schedule a meeting with you, while reducing the back and forth of emails and helping you save valuable time. 

A booking and scheduling tool also automates email confirmations and reminders, which helps you reduce no-shows and allow you to offer a better customer experience. 

Companies that embrace digital transformation and adopt a scheduling app reduce no-shows by 67% and experience a 35% increase in operational efficiency.

2. Start batching your tasks

You can boost your team’s productivity with task batching. Task batching is the process of grouping similar tasks together to save time and energy. By focusing on one task for a set period, you can minimize distractions, increase your focus, and better utilize your skillset.

To provide a concrete example, you could batch your tasks effectively by doing the following:

• Return emails
• Make/return phone calls 

When looking at it like this, it’s easy to see how this approach helps you focus on similar tasks simultaneously, thus saving you time while boosting productivity. This in turn allows you to spend your time on other important tasks such as establishing and monitoring your customer engagement benchmark.

3. Manage your time with time boxing and blocking

There are two techniques that allow you to better use your time and get more done: timeboxing and blocking.

Time boxing refers to allocating a specific amount of time to complete a task. For example, if you have an hour to work on a project, break that hour into smaller sections dedicated to the different elements of said project. This technique can help you stay focused and on track.

Blocking is similar to timeboxing but involves grouping similar tasks together so that you can work on them back-to-back. For example, if you need to write three reports, you would block off a period to work on nothing but those reports.

This technique helps boost your productivity by preventing multitasking. Both timeboxing and blocking are great ways to manage your time more effectively.

4. Assign a special day to important tasks

Monday mornings are often seen as the most productive time of the week. This is because people are fresh from the weekend and ready to take on whatever the week has in store for them.

However, this doesn’t mean that every Monday morning needs to be spent in meetings or working on significant projects. Monday mornings can be a great time to focus on less demanding tasks, such as administrative work or setting weekly goals. In the same way, you can work on something special immediately after a vacation.

5. Optimize and organize your calendar

Analyze your time and be more productive by changing a few habits. Make a to-do list every morning, including all the tasks you need to complete that day. This will help you keep track of your goals and remind you of what needs to be done.

Optimize your calendar by being realistic about how much time each task will take and scheduling accordingly. You can also use your calendar to block time for relaxation or fun activities. This will help reduce stress and increase productivity.

6. Control your schedule and fix deadlines

One of the best calendar management skills is controlling your schedule and fixing deadlines. Of course, a calendar or planner lets you keep track of your commitments and see at a glance what needs to be done and when.

Always allow yourself some flexibility in your schedule. Things come up, and unexpected delays happen. You can avoid getting behind and feeling overwhelmed by building in some buffer time. And as mentioned earlier, be realistic about how much time you need to complete your tasks.

Ethical culture in business can also help you set realistic expectations and meet deadlines. For instance, you can ensure that everyone understands the importance of completing tasks on time.

7. Avoid distractions

Distractions are everywhere. Whether it’s the never-ending notifications on our phones or the lure of social media, staying focused on a task is challenging. However, there are a few things we can do to combat distractions and increase our productivity.

One solution is to limit the number of open tabs on our browsers. This can prevent us from getting overwhelmed and increase our focus on the task.

Another solution is to use tools to block social media websites and pop-up notifications to avoid distractions. 

Using VoIP phone services instead of relying on cell phones is another solution to reduce distraction. This can help you avoid any interruptions from work-related calls or texts, and keep your focus on the task at hand. 

Canadian VoIP phones with Dialpad can be a good choice. This service focuses on business communications and includes features like team messaging, video conferencing, voicemail transcription, and more.  That is how top executives increase their productivity and get more done in less time.

8. Automate repetitive tasks

If you spend a lot of time doing mundane and repetitive tasks, it’s time to look into automation. Automation helps streamline your workflow management and make tedious tasks easier and faster to complete. You can spend more time on the important stuff and less on the repetitive stuff.

Furthermore, automating certain processes can also reduce errors and save you time in the long run. By taking advantage of automation tools, you can manage your daily tasks more efficiently and free up more time for yourself.

Final thoughts

Calendar management skills are essential for anyone who wants to save time and money. You can optimize your calendar and create a productive working environment by taking the proper steps.

Start by setting realistic deadlines and allowing for buffer time. Limit distractions, automate repetitive tasks, and don’t forget to prioritize your tasks in your to-do list. Implement these tips and in no time, you’ll meet the productivity levels of top executives in the world.

About the author

Grace Lau

Grace Lau is the Director of Growth Content at Dialpad, an AI-powered cloud communication platform for better and easier team collaboration using Dialpad’s international calling. She has over 10 years of experience in content writing and strategy. Currently, she is responsible for leading branded and editorial content strategies, partnering with SEO and Ops teams to build and nurture content. Here’s her LinkedIn.