As leaders look for ways to increase productivity, they’re turning to different time management strategies. Among the most popular are timeboxing and time blocking. Apart from having very similar names, they have a lot more in common. This may make you wonder what differentiates them.
In this article, we’ll explore both strategies and cover their core concepts. We’ll also take a look at how you can use them to enhance the productivity of your team.
What is timeboxing?
Let’s start with timeboxing. To use this strategy, you need to divide a period of time by how many tasks you have. You need to assign each a start and end time, creating time boxes. These periods will allow you to organize your schedule. Because of this, you will know what you will work on ahead of time. Timeboxing usually involves periods of days or weeks, but you could also plan a month or more ahead.
Who is timeboxing best suited to?
Timeboxing is perfect if your team has to complete smaller tasks. If your employees frequently work on large projects, you will need to plan further ahead. The strategy is also best if your team doesn’t have to work on unplanned tasks frequently. This is especially true for tasks that are both spontaneous and urgent. Because of this, timeboxing is not suitable for teams with unpredictable schedules. If you don’t know what tasks your employees will be working on in advance, you won’t be able to organize them. Timeboxing is also unsuitable for teams that use flexible working hours. After all, knowing the exact working hours of your employees is critical for the strategy.
What is time blocking?
Time blocking involves dividing your day into blocks of time. You will then need to assign a group of tasks to each. You can make these groups in many ways. One popular option is to combine similar tasks. Another one involves grouping tasks by project. Larger tasks can even be used by themselves. This makes time blocking similar to day theming. Instead of theming entire days, you will need to theme time blocks. This will give you the freedom to choose how long to work on each group of tasks. You can use this to help your team avoid periods of repetitive work.
Who should use time blocking?
Due to its rigid nature, time blocking is best suited to teams with predictable schedules. This means a traditional set of working hours with no large deviations. Having small tasks is also vital if you want to use the strategy. As time blocking typically divides days, you will need to split larger assignments. If your team has an unpredictable schedule, time blocking may not be the best for you. In this sense, it is very similar to timeboxing. Let’s now explore the differences between the two strategies.
What are the differences between timeboxing and time blocking?
The main differences between timeboxing and time blocking are minor. But, they impact the strategies measurably.
Division type
The first major difference between the two strategies is how they divide your time. Timeboxing typically uses your tasks, while time blocking can involve task groups.
Time scale
Time blocking typically divides days into smaller chunks. On the other hand, timeboxing can be used to plan longer periods of time. Because of this, timeboxing is often used to manage entire projects instead of only time.
The types of time blocking and timeboxing: hard and soft
Some divide these two strategies into two main types: hard and soft. These relate to the start and end times assigned to each working period. As the name implies, the hard variety will need you to switch between tasks when they’re due. If you don’t complete a task during its set time, you will have to reschedule it. On the other hand, the soft variety will allow for a bit of variance. Soft time blocks or boxes can be used as suggestions to finalize what you’re working on and switch to another task. This way, your schedule won’t be as rigidly planned. If you complete all of your tasks on time, this will then allow you to complete extra tasks.
How to use time management strategies as a team lead?
Do you want to use timeboxing or time blocking for your team? You will need to pay attention to a few things to succeed.
Set goals
The first step in using time management strategies is setting your goals. This is important if you want to integrate any strategy to boost productivity. You will also need to prioritize your chosen tasks correctly. This will not only save you time but also help your team avoid stress.
Use calendar apps
Time blocking and timeboxing are both calendar-based strategies. Because of this, a quality calendar app is vital for success. Make sure to use an app that can display all of your team’s tasks in a way that’s easy to read. This will help your employees avoid confusion and reduce wasted time.
Verify with time-tracking software
After implementing a time-management strategy, it is important to ensure its performance. You can do this by using a time-tracking application. These apps can help you improve your company’s productivity with many other features as well. An example of a time tracker with such features is WebWork.
You can even use WebWork to assign time-blocked or timeboxed tasks to your team. Using its task management feature, you can organize your goals by when they need to be completed. Your employees will then be able to see what they will need to complete throughout the day.
Review and revise
Reviewing new strategies periodically is important to ensure their impact is positive. If you notice a negative change, you need to revise your implementation to better suit your team.
Closing thoughts
Timeboxing and time blocking are popular time management strategies. They have a lot in common. Both can help you organize your days and boost the productivity of your team. They are simple to integrate, making them a no-brainer if you’re looking to grow your business.
