Workplace Basics: Time Management

January 19, 2025

Here are some resources for time management and organization when you're at work

As a Production Manager, one of the questions I get most from my artists is how they can stay on track and manage their workload effectively.

Over the years, I've built up a little arsenal of time management resources and things to try when you find you're getting distracted or otherwise are struggling to meet deadlines. I have posted all these resources in the written transcript for this video.

For me personally, I manage my time at work in a few key ways all of which are listed on screen and the first of which is preparation.

Andrew Hill and the late, legendary basketball coach John Wooden write in Be Quick - But Don’t Hurry: Finding success in the teachings of a lifetime,

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail [...] in businesses that rely on creativity for their success, the truly talented people are often the ones most inclined to shirk preparation and try to rely on their improvisational skills in the workplace [...] Many talented individuals have gotten by without preparing simply because they were smarter, faster, or more articulate, or taller. In each case, the manager’s or coach’s job is to insist on adequate preparation regardless of talent level. Sometimes untalented teams can overcome much more talented opponents as a result of outstanding preparation and execution.”
- from Be Quick - But Don’t Hurry: Finding Success in the Teachings of a Lifetime by Andrew Hill with John Wooden

Preparing for my Work Day

At the start of every day, I look at the meetings and reminders on my calendar, which tells me when I will be able to have focus time/desk time

Preparation is everything!

Twyla Tharp, choreographer and author of The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life says, “It’s vital to establish some rituals- automatic but decisive patterns of behaviour - at the beginning of creative process, when you are most at peril of turning back, chickening out, giving up, or going the wrong way”

As such, when starting your day (or, before you log off at night and are setting up for the next day, if you work better in the evenings), make sure you have an awareness of when you can carve out some time for your tasks in a day

Check if you can shorten any meetings up front
Get your playlist links ready
Get email drafts for recurring emails ready to go in your Drafts folder

Another tool that is critical to my success on the job is my work calendar, which I use to help focus my efforts. I very often book reminders visible only to myself into my work calendar until I get into the rhythm of a new workflow. For days when I’m really struggling with focus or motivation, I always find using the pomodoro or tomato timer is effective. It’s a free online resource that is a 25 minute timer of focused work, then a 5-minute break

Calendar Management + Focus

Try using the Pomodoro Method or Tomato Timer (just google it) to help with focus
I very often book reminders, focus time/desk time into my own calendar with reminders of what I need to do in a given time slot

Sometimes these reminders are just 5 minutes or 15 minutes!
You can book this on your own calendar, set event details to private, and queue up reminders (ex, 1 hour before, 5 minutes before, etc)

For focus, put your phone in another room (as if it were a landline phone) or leave it in your bag
If permissible by your Production, try and do your work in times that work best for your energy, ex, if you’re a night owl or a morning person, when you really need to get work done, try doing it before or after hours

Sometimes, part of time management is assessing your overall workload and where your existing processes can be streamlined or otherwise made more efficient. It is okay when you are particularly pressed for time to ask for help! If it seems like someone on your team has the bandwidth to help you with a task, ask or delegate!

Production and Animation generally are a team effort. If you have time to spare, offer your assistance to a colleague who may be drowning in work. Helping someone is also a great way for you to learn and grow in your own role - when helping someone else, you inevitably learn of a new way to do things, about a new department or different team, and it's a great way to build rapport with your teammates.

Managing Priorities at Work

If your regular workload is beyond the scope of a sustainable workday, work with your coordinator, PM, etc to see how you can better balance things or reorganize
Remember, too, to check with your superior if you are unsure of what your priorities for the day should be.

For example, you may have a lengthy task at the top of your list that you’ve been putting off that may in fact be lower prio compared to something else!

If you see a more efficient way to do a task or meeting on your list, ask your coordinator or PM if you may share an idea for how to streamline said process

To recap this video on time management, here are the key takeaways:

Take the time to prepare and get organized for your day
Use your calendar to remind yourself of recurring tasks and to carve out focus time
If you’re unsure of your priorities at work, talk to your coordinator or manager