Timeboxing – not an option anymore

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Written by Andy

Timeboxing is a time management strategy that helps you stay focused and maximise your time. It’s a great way to make the desired growth and progress. Before going further, think of your regular approach to completing your to-do list. Just like most people, you’ll tick the tasks off the list one at a time. All you do is focus on a single task until you get it done before moving on to the next. It pretty much seems like the straight-forward way of doing things, but is it an effective strategy?

By sticking to the regular approach, you may find it difficult to accomplish all the tasks on your list. You could end up spending too much time on each task or may even fail to be motivated enough to complete the whole list.

Timeboxing is a way to make the desired progress. It eliminates the pressure of getting everything on the list done. A “timebox” refers to a set period of time during which a person or team works to accomplish a task. When the period elapses, the task is stopped; whether it had been completed or not. The team then evaluates the work that has been done.

Timeboxes are usually used at different scales. It is possible to have a timebox ranging from 7 – 25 minutes or more. It all depends on the purpose of the time box. The main applications of timebox include;

Meetings

A timebox would help meetings stay on track. This way, it’s easier to accomplish all the agenda when you do, making sure the goals are attained and the meeting itself dynamic. It’s an effective strategy for holding a successful session and it can be applied to different types of meetings.

Presentations and Public Speaking

Presentation and public speaking demand a lot of talking. When talking, it’s quite easy to lose track of time. Using a timebox will help you keep your speech duration in check. It may require some practice and going to be of great benefit. 

Workshops and Trainings

Timeboxes will help to improve the efficiency of your events making sure all workshop and training activities are finished on time.  Timeqube is bright and large enough, so training participants can see it from distance, without looking directly at the cube. 

Here are 3 tips for timeboxing any meeting:

1. Don’t rely on clocks and watches.

The use of clocks and watches may be ok, but these are usually either stressful or awkward. Timeqube is neither. Make use of a Timeqube timer to set up your timebox.

2. Place a timer on the meeting table seeking approval

You can’t spend all your effort watching time when there are important meeting agendas to be accomplished. In the past, an explicit buy-in would have been needed from meeting participants to use a regular egg-timer. With Timeqube, you don’t need to ask permission. Place it on the table, preferably somewhere on the side. We know from our customers, their teams love to use Timeqube as it’s not distracting anyone’s attention during the meeting.

3. Evaluate the timebox when you’re done.

Now, when you’re done with your task, don’t just go ahead and ask each participant about the effectiveness of the timebox. This will help to provide insight on any lapses you need to correct. Perhaps less time is needed in the future, perhaps more.

Your timebox can only be as effective as your timer that’s why we recommend the Timeqube Timer, it does not distract attention and does not create any form of disturbance during your meetings. It is timer reinvented to suit every purpose conveniently.

You can order your Timeqube Timer and make your enquiries on our site at : https://timeqube.com/