Building Relationships Through Time Management

Time management is a skill that may seem arduous to master, but breaking it down, it really could not be more simple.

At the Restore Hope Annual Conference, assistant coordinator for Pulaski County Taylor Thomas led the discussion "More Than Minutes: Building Relationships and Results Through Intentional Time Management."

Thomas knows that a lot of people wonder where their time truly goes, and how they can become more intentional with time management. A lot of people put most of their time into driving, documentation, action plans, meetings, etc. She knows all of this can be overwhelming.

"We cannot give one hundred percent to everything at the same time. It's impossible," Thomas said. "We're not robots. We're not AI, unfortunately, so we can't do everything."

Thomas acknowledged that a lot of times, people deal with random walk-in crises, which ultimately can rearrange the order of their day.

Being able to determine which tasks are immediate needs and long-term goals will allow someone to not get lost within the distractions. Thomas introduced attendees to her framework for categorizing four different types of time: participant time, case management time, crisis time, and protected time.

These four types of time management will allow case managers to establish clear boundaries with their clients, which is something that is often misunderstood.

"We want to make sure that we have boundaries, and we can recognize that boundaries does not equal rejection," Thomas said. "When we protect our time, we want to be intentional about not pushing our clients away."

Thomas led the attendees in a group activity regarding time management, which allowed people to discuss the way they organize their schedules and how they can improve upon them.

Following the activity, Thomas discussed the importance of structure in the typical workday. Acknowledging that each individual's day is built different than one another, she encouraged everyone to block time to avoid distractions and really hone in on their work.

Thomas also emphasized her "pause before you promise" rule, which will help protect your time and empower others. She knows that in this busy line of work, setting boundaries benefits everyone and leads to greater independence.

Thomas concluded the session with some tips and tricks to feel balanced at the end of a busy work week, including her "Friday reset" practice, which is a set of questions you can ask yourself before the following week.

"Right before you end your day or even before you start your Friday, go through a checklist," Thomas said. "What is still outstanding? What needs immediate attention today? What needs immediate attention next week? What can be closed out? Who needs a follow-up? And who do I need to communicate with before Monday?"

Thomas said this method can help you flow into your next week and adequately build your schedule around serving your participants.

In all lines of work, time management is key to success. Take it from Thomas; she knows that time management turns minutes into meaningful relationships and fruitful results.