Everyone has the same amount of time in the day. It is the one thing that cannot change. Once it has gone it has gone.

Therefore we should treat it with respect and plan wisely. This does not mean that every minute should be blocked and accounted for but it does mean that you should respect the time you have allotted for the task.

If you have to attend a meeting make sure you are punctual. I attended a workshop recently and there had been a lot of hype about it in the previous weeks. The first presentation was due to start at 9.00am the doors to the hall did not open until 9.15am and the presentation started at 9.30am. No explanation was given and this bad time keeping continue throughout the weekend.

Every time a starting time was announced delegates added sarcastic comments and the timekeeping seemed to be the main thing that everyone remembered from the workshop. This was a shame because the presentations were excellent but they were certainly overshadowed by the bad timekeeping.

Make sure you have read the appropriate documents. If you have not read them you will not be able to participate fully in the meeting. It also shows that you do not value other people’s time as they have to wait for you to bring yourself up to speed.

Time has been spent preparing documents to read. If you think the documents have no use then say so but do not think you have the right to catch up with your reading in the meeting or even worse not read the documents at all.

If you feel the documents have not been well prepared, and it is in your power to do something about it, then do so, but not in the public arena. By all means discuss the content and its merit but do but attack the author.

If you are in meeting make sure you are in the meeting and not focussing on other matters on other matters on your mind. Give your full attention to the task in hand and be in the moment.

Listen to other peoples’ opinions and make notes on what they are saying. Give them time to finish their point then ask questions. Do not make the mistake of waiting for them to finish so you can have your say no matter what they have said.

Listening is an active process. If done properly you react to what they have said and make comments that are connected to the previous speaker.

If you are chairing a meeting make sure participants know the start and finish time. That way they can plan the rest of the day – remember their time is valuable too. Send out the appropriate documents so people have time to digest and comment on the information given. Make sure the room is at the correct temperature and has all the correct equipment.

If it is a long meeting make sure drinks are available and also light refreshments so thirst and a drop in blood sugar do not interfere with progress. This can be as simple as providing sweets to suck.

Arrange for someone to take minutes of the meeting and distribute to the attendees as soon as possible after the meeting.

Have an agenda for the meeting. Having a format for recording e.g. topics to be discussed, outcomes, and actions to be taken and by whom ensures that time is not wasted, either in the meeting or after.

Always start the meeting on time. If people are late they will have to catch up. It is not fair, or productive, to allow one person to hold up many. Once people know that you will start the meeting on time they will make sure they arrive on time and not get into the habit of being late.

Having a proper finishing time is also important. It brings rigor to meetings and stops people deviating from the point. If other items do come up then schedule their discussion for another time, unless it is pertinent to the purpose of the meeting, but make sure it is recorded.

Make sure you introduce participants in the meeting if there is someone there others will not know. If there is only a few people who do not know each other it is still vital that introductions are made. This is not only good manners but avoids concerns of who the person is and what should, or should not, be said in front of them.

By showing you value your time, and that of others, they will respect time too. If you really need time to work on a particular project develop devise some way of letting others know you do not want to be disturbed.

If you have your own room having the door shut completely is an obvious sign that you do not wish to be disturbed. Alternatively you could be blatant and put a “Do not disturb” notice on the door and expect people to take notice of this unless it is of vital importance.

In open offices it is slightly more difficult but have a corporate policy about a sign on the desk solves the problem. It could be an obvious sign or a more decorative one, if the public have access to your work space. It all depends on how much the general public have access and the image the company wishes to portray. Which ever method is used make sure that you follow it and you respect others’ right to privacy.

Another way of using time wisely is to plan activities so they do not last longer that an hour. Mix intense activities in with lighter ones to avoid being mentally drained. Decide what you need to get done in that time. Write it down along with how long it will take you.

If a task is too big break it down into smaller chunks. Not only will it seem less onerous but you will go into the next step with a better attitude has you have achieved success with the previous steps.

Block phone calls together and stick to the point when making them. If you need to be more sociable then schedule another time for that in your call. E.g. “We will have to catch up together. Are you free for coffee on Thursday at 4.00pm?”

This way you acknowledge the need for more time to be spent with someone but it does not encroach on your work time.

Have a set time to view and respond to emails to avoid being constantly distracted from the task in hand. Set up folders for regular customers and clients so they go straight to that rather than getting lost in the everyday emails.

Have a spam folder and delete any items in there without looking at there. This will require willpower but it is worth it. Looking at jokes and entertaining stories is great at home but at work keep emails strictly for business.

Do everything in your power to make yourself efficient and use your time as profitably as you can for your company. This way you will be seen as a valuable asset to your present company and a potential goldmine of integrity to future employees.