Time Management Activities For Groups And Professional Teams

At times, it could seem like the day ends too quickly, and you might believe you lack the time needed to complete specific tasks. Time management refers to the effective use and productivity of time. As a synonym for efficiency, time management makes it possible for you to make the most out of each minute, which may give you the illusion that you have "more time" in your day. 

One way to improve your time management skills is through pre-planned activities. Several activities and solutions have been developed to help people build skills that lead to efficiency. Looking through these activities may help you find one that works for you. 

It can be a challenge to manage your time effectively

Learn time management skills with therapy

Fun icebreaker time management activities for groups

Icebreaker activities may be helpful when beginning a group meeting or forming a team at work. They're quick activities that require people to work together, so they can be effective when you want people to get acquainted faster.

Tiny tasks

In the tiny tasks icebreaker time management activity, you start by making up a list of minor management activities for the participants to complete. The list can include 15 to 20 items like running around the room, making art for the leader, finding out five cool facts about each other, or throwing away trash. Beside each item, give a point value for completing that item.

Divide the large group into smaller groups and give each group a copy of the list. Tell them their job is to make as many points as possible within 10 minutes. Start the timer and let the fun begin. Afterward, talk about how the group made decisions, how multiple tasks could be performed together, and how the individuals functioned as a group.

Time perception task

Ask the group participants to close their eyes. Then, instruct them to open their eyes after what they believe is 30 seconds. After everyone has opened their eyes, note how not everyone opened them simultaneously. Explain that time perception isn't uniform for all people in all situations.

Finding commonalities 

Give each group participant a pencil and paper for the finding commonalities activity. Ask each person to talk to as many people as possible and to write down one aspect of their personality or interests they have in common with that person. The person with the most other people on their list wins a prize. Explain that efficient communication often increases productivity.

Lessons about scheduling

Time management can be used to teach lessons about the value of time. They can show how time management may help you set priorities and improve your life. Life lesson activities may be demonstrations or individual or group activities. Below are a few to try. 

Mayo jar

The mayo jar activity is often used as a demonstration but can be used as a participatory activity. Get a large jar, rocks, gravel, and sand. Ask the participants to fill the jar with as much material as possible. When finished, ask what order they put the items into the jar.

Show what happens when you fill the jar in the order of large rocks, gravel, and then sand. When you fill it this way, you get more oversized items in the jar. Explain that when you prioritize the "big" items first, you have what's most important but still have room for the smaller ones in your life. 

Spend it or lose it

Spend it or lose it is a paper and pencil activity. Give the participants an imaginary $86,400 to spend however they choose. Their job is to write down their choices about what to buy with the money. They can't choose to set aside money in savings, and they lose whatever they don't mark for spending.

Tell the participants that 86,400 is the number of seconds in each day. That time may be wasted if they don't use those 86,400 seconds doing something productive.

Big picture

Give each group participant a jigsaw puzzle, but don't let them see what the finished puzzle will look like. Tell the groups to put their puzzle together as quickly as possible. Then, stop the exercise and give them a photo of the finished puzzle. 

Groups may assemble the puzzle much faster once they see the end goal. Afterward, talk about how the group functioned after they saw the photo. Remind them that looking at the big picture first can improve their overall efficiency in other tasks. 

Planning projects

Some time management activities may help people plan how to spend their time. These activities are instructive and have a practical application.

Hour power

Give participants a piece of paper marked off in 24 numbered squares. Tell them to write their daily routine management activities into the square for that hour. Then, give them another page marked off in 24 squares and ask them to fill the squares with the non-productive activities they do at work. Then, give them a third sheet and ask them to combine the information from the first two pages.

When they're finished, they may have some empty squares. Tell them that these empty squares represent their productive time. Finally, ask them to look for time wasters that they can eliminate to give themselves more productive time.

Putting a value on time

Have people write down what they did the day before, then have them place a monetary value on those tasks, according to how much it was worth to them to do it. Finally, suggest that they focus on the activities that yield the most significant rewards.

How long does it take?

This activity may help individuals learn to allot time for different tasks. Give each person a timer before you all begin a busy day. Have people clock in after each task they complete, keeping track of the activity and time spent on it.

At the end of the day, talk about how specific tasks take more time than others. In addition, discuss how having realistic expectations of how long something might take can be valuable in planning to make the best use of their time.

Skills training

Teaching time management skills can help individuals at work, school, or home open their schedules. Certain management activities focus on teaching the skills that will help people plan and work efficiently, including the following. 

Desert island

Divide up the group if it's large, or have all the participants work together. Tell them to imagine they're taking a trip to a desert island. Their job is to write down what they need and want to take with them. Tell the group they have two minutes to write down as many items as possible. Explain that they get points for each helpful item, but no points will be given for non-helpful items.

When they finish, explain that they can use the same brainstorming technique to plan for tasks they need or want to do each day.

Paper boat factory

Organize teams of five participants each. Select a leader for each team. Take the leaders into a separate room and show them how to make a paper boat. Ensure they understand the process. Then, tell them you want 40 boats of the same size and appearance. They have 15 minutes to use their team to accomplish the task.

When the game is over, reward any groups that fulfilled your order with the right quality and quantity of boats. Ask the winning group leader or leaders to explain how they communicated the order details to their group. Discuss how miscommunication by the leader can thwart the group's ability to complete the order correctly and on time.

Picking up blocks

Time management can teach people the skill of prioritizing. In the picking up blocks activity, place a large set of colored blocks haphazardly on the floor or a table. Tell participants they are to pick up as many blocks as possible, but they must pick them up one at a time and with their non-dominant hands. When a minute has passed, tell them their time is up. Add up the blocks they picked up, giving one point for each block.

Next, tell the group you will start the exercise again, but this time, there's a point system involved. Each block will be worth different points based on color, such as one point for yellow, two for blue, or three for red, etc. At the end of a minute, reward the team or individual that got the most points. This activity may help them develop the skill of prioritizing quickly and efficiently.

Why are time management activities important?

Activities for time management are commonly used in businesses or other organizations. Yet, learning time management skills can also help you improve your everyday life. If you are wasting time and not accomplishing your goals, you may benefit from developing those skills independently. 

A counselor can help you understand the nature of time. They may help you learn how to set priorities to work more efficiently toward improving your life. If you have thoughts of hopelessness about setting your goals, it may be a sign you're living with an underlying challenge, such as depression. Studies show that time management skills can reduce anxiety and depression, so working with a provider can guide you toward your goals. 

Support options 

If you are pressed for time, speaking to a therapist face-to-face may be difficult. In these cases, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp may be more convenient. 

Research shows that online therapy efficiently manages stress or anxiety associated with time management difficulties. In a study published by Cambridge University Press, researchers found that guided internet-based therapy was effective in helping people cope with anxiety symptoms. The study analyzed details from several trials on the effectiveness of therapist-guided treatment plans compared to face-to-face therapy. 

Online treatment platforms are a widely accepted way of providing people living with anxiety and other mental health challenges with guided therapy and self-management resources. Online therapy is particularly effective because of its flexibility, allowing therapists to supplement sessions with guided exercises, lessons, and other resources that can be reached from almost anywhere. In addition, some platforms allow clients to schedule sessions outside of standard business hours, which may be helpful for those who have a busy work schedule during the day.