One of the most effective skills you possess is efficient time and resource management. When you know how to manage your time and resources well, you know you will excel in your tasks.

Here are 10 tips to keep your tasks, time and resources under control:

1.    Setting Goals:

When you set goals, there is both a right way and a wrong way to do so. If done correctly, you will achieve your goals easily but if not, then you will lack having the proper target that can affect your performance and get you off track.

2.    Use a Good Time Management System:

One of the most important tips for you to manage your time is to find yourself the right system. Use a good time management system such as quadrant-time management system. It splits your tasks into four quadrants according to their importance and urgency.

3.    Time Audit:

Do a time audit for yourself for seven days a week. Assess how you spend the time you have on your hands. Record it in a journal or even your phone. Split your time into portions of half hour or an hour. See what you get done in that certain time block. Were you able to achieve something or did you just waste time? Tally all of it at the end of the week and see on which tasks did you spent most of your time? This way you will know how much time you are using on what tasks and whether you should increase it or reduce it to focus on other tasks.

4.    Determine the Scope of your Project:

Before we go on to discuss tips regarding allocation and managing your resources, you should know the scope of your project. Is it big or small? Short term or long term? Once you have determined the scope of your project, you can make a better decision with the knowledge of which of the resources you will need to complete the project. The clearer you are, the better is your resource allocation and management.

5.    Identify & Know your Resources:

Once you know the scope of your project, its goals, and the tasks that need to be completed to get the work done and that too, on time and within budget, get your resources. See which equipment you need to need or purchase, the place you need to complete the project etc. Before the allocation of resources, it is important that you HAVE them. Make a list of the resources you need which fit within the budget of your project.

Without the right knowledge, you cannot manage efficiently. Know your resources along with their skills and experience and then choose according to your project. Create a profile for them and the more you know about them, the better you will be able to allocate them.

6.    Holistic Approach:

Sometimes, you are so focused on your process that you neglect to see what is going around you. And it is more than checking the estimated progress against the actual progress of the project. Although it is extremely important to measure performance as well.

You should have the real-time and truth about the state of your resources such as their schedule, are all present, is anyone or leave? If yes, do you have a backup? What is more? Always contingency plans in place. You have to look at the whole project not at just pieces or parts of the projects.

Problems come along the way and both the variable and conditions change while you are doing a project. The best thing is to be prepared and have backup plans for some issues. Adapt to the changes accordingly and proactively that is only possible with having a contingency plan.

7.    Use a Project Management Software:

Using a project management software is a great way to manage your resources. And if you have an online tool, you can also get your project data updated instantly. With a project management software, you can manage your resources more productively.

You can use a color-coded calendar to see where and how your resources are allocated. Also, you can set up notifications as well so that you can know if you are lagging behind a certain task so that way you have a solution at hand. You can automate your email notifications so that your resources are on schedule, do their tasks timely and you do not have to micromanage them.

8.    Avoid Over-allocation:

Sometimes, managers lack the right planning skills and over-allocate their resources. There is a risk of team burnout with over-allocation and both the time and budget of the project suffers because of this. Stay vigilant and when you allocate your resources, it should be done after a proper and thorough consideration of your resources. Re-examine your resource plan and then make use of it to allocate the right people for the job.

9.    Realistic Timelines:

Another important thing for the effective time and task management is set the goals within a realistic timeline. You would surely want great results and want to aim for the high goals but, have a realistic and achievable timeline for winning or reaching those goals. This way, your team has enough time to brainstorm, get pumped up for the project and come up with great ideas. Break down the project into smaller and manageable task each having a due date of its own so that they seem doable and not too overwhelming. This leads to your team being more productive and doing the project according to the schedule.

10. Understand Schedules & Deadlines:

You can spend hours and hours planning the perfect project schedule and plan but if there is no input from your team members, it can get off-track or disastrous even. It is important that you involve your team members and make sure that they understand both the schedules and deadlines of the project.  When your team will see themselves being a core part of the project, it boosts their self-esteem making them more productive and accountable to the set project schedule.

With these tips in mind, you are good to ace your project!