What you need to know about time management and the Pomodoro technique
You may be wondering what the Pomodoro technique is. Let’s get a clear definition of this popular technique and look at its importance in time management for business efficiency.
What is the Pomodoro technique?
The Pomodoro technique was invented by Francesco Cirillo. It is a time management method that emerged in the late 1980s, and its name comes from the tomato-shaped timer used by its founder. The tool aims at effective time management and, when applied well, it allows its user to get a lot done in a short period of time. The method involves short bursts of extreme focus combined with breaks of a few minutes. As the technique leads to deep focus for short periods of time, it allows you to maintain concentration on a task. The regular small breaks give essential relief to the user and are essential to avoid mental fatigue.
The importance of time management within your teams
Days tend to be packed with multiple tasks, and one might not know where to start. We can sometimes be very busy but not achieving much. This section explores the reasons why time management is essential to effective work, and how the Pomodoro technique can help.
Reach your goals quicker
The main benefit of time management is that it gets you to achieve more in a shorter time frame. As such it makes managers and their employees more effective. By focusing on a specific task and allocating it a set duration, distractions and multitasking are avoided.
Apply effective work prioritisation
To-do lists can be long and overwhelming. Prioritising is essential for overall job effectiveness. Important topics should be delivered first. This will ensure that essential tasks get the immediate attention that they need.
Increase wellbeing and reduce stress
Being able to take a step back and look at the elements in the to-do list in isolation will help employees feel less overwhelmed by the work ahead of them. It will redirect their focus on one achievable task rather than on a long list of tasks. To put it simply, it is a step-by-step approach. This practice reduces stress and thus increases employee wellbeing. It also brings a sense of satisfaction and achievement. Check out our content for more on employee satisfaction, and employee stress, with:
Avoid procrastination at all costs
Procrastination can easily creep into your workday. To avoid it, set a specific duration for each task and remove any potential disturbances. People tend to procrastinate when they do not know where to start with the task assigned to them. Breaking the task into smaller chunks will help remove the psychological barrier and make it more achievable.
Boost employee morale and sense of achievement
Getting things done and reaching your goals on time brings a natural sense of achievement. Ultimately, it boosts confidence and gets you in a virtuous circle of accomplishments. Moreover, when employees deliver their work effectively and on-time, their value in the business increases, thus boosting their value to the organisation.
Check our Team-Building Tips and Activities to Boost Employee Morale and Engagement for more.
Get a lot done in a compressed amount of time
Each task should have a set amount of time allocated to it. Sticking to the deadline you have set for yourself will allow you to achieve more and apply the appropriate level of importance to the task as well. Leaders can guide their teams on the amount of time that a task should take. This will increase focus and result in more work being done.
Time management is essential for positive business results. By using the Pomodoro technique and promoting it with their teams, leaders can increase efficiency while boosting employee confidence and sense of achievement.
The benefits of the method
The Pomodoro technique is simple but effective. In fact, it is from that simplicity that its strength comes. Here is how it works:
- create your to-do list
- time your first task for 25 minutes
- when this session ends, it is one Pomodoro competed
- take a five-minute break
- start again with another Pomodoro
- once you have completed a small chunk of Pomodoro, take a longer break to recover
There are multiple benefits to this technique. Let’s have a look at a few of them below:
Avoid distractions
The relatively short time allocated to each Pomodoro means that there is no space for procrastination and distraction. As a result, the focus is stronger, and the task is achieved faster.
A healthy work-life balance for employees
Breaking tasks down into small chunks makes them more achievable. Doing so eases the pressure employees might put on themselves during their working day. Using the Pomodoro technique reduces the amount of time that a task will take and therefore has a direct impact on work-life balance .
Reduces employee burnout
Focusing for long periods of time absorbs a lot of energy. With the Pomodoro technique, small breaks allow for the brain to recharge. Short bursts of focus become less overwhelming, and risks of burnout are reduced.
There are many more benefits to the Pomodoro technique. The list above is not exhaustive but gives good insight into the value of the method for businesses.
Tips on how to implement the Pomodoro technique within your teams
Knowing what the Pomodoro technique is and grasping the importance of time management is the first step in boosting effectiveness at work. What comes next is implementing tools and techniques that will promote the method and prompt employees to apply it. Below are some tips on how to implement the Pomodoro technique in your work practices.
1. Introduce your team members to the technique
Once managers are familiar with this tool, they should share it with their teams and provide them with tips on how to best apply it. The Pomodoro technique can be the focus of a team meeting or form a training session on time management. During the training the core principles of the technique should be explained, as well as the benefits it offers.
2. Bring the method into collaboration practices
When team members work together on a project, leaders can encourage them to apply the technique. This can be done for brainstorming sessions or any other collaboration exercise. Applying the technique to teamwork will minimise distractions and interruptions and will increase efficiency. At the same time, it will foster a sense of having a collective goal and collective achievement and help build a great team.
3. Create a workspace that facilitates and encourages the use of the method
To encourage the use of this time management practice, leaders should create a Pomodoro-friendly workspace. Ideally, the workplace should have spaces where employees can isolate and focus on a task. These spaces should be free of distractions.
4. Remain flexible throughout the process
The Pomodoro technique follows some strict principles that can be counterproductive. To avoid this pitfall, make sure that you apply the appropriate flexibility. For example, the 25-minute time allocation to the Pomodoro may turn to 30 minutes if that is the time required to finish the task. Be flexible while sticking with the core principles of the method.
5. Monitor the result and make adjustments as needed
Once your team is making full use of the technique, get their feedback and try to assess their effectiveness before and after the implementation of the tool. Doing so will allow leaders to understand their teams’ experience and readjust their task allocation if necessary.
The Pomodoro technique provides a lot of benefits to its users. The method has proven results and should be known by leaders, who can use it to increase their team’s performance while maintaining healthy levels of work-life balance . Promoting and embracing the Pomodoro technique in your business will lead to greater efficiency and ensure your business stays ahead in a fast-paced environment.
