Pomodoro – time management technique
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In order to work more efficiently and not burn out emotionally, you need to properly organize your time and resources. We share with you how to increase productivity using the Pomodoro technique.
Why a tomato?
The technique was invented by the Italian student Francesco Cirillo back in the 80s of the last century. The young man spent too much time studying subjects and decided to fix it: he set a timer made in the shape of a tomato and tested how much he could concentrate on one thing. This experiment became the basis for the Pomodoro technique.
The essence of the Pomodoro method is to work on time – 25 minutes of full focus on the task and 5 minutes of a break. During the rest, it is important to completely change the activity: warm up or look out the window. So repeat 4 times and then take a long break up to 20 minutes.
How to plan your daily routine using the Pomodoro technique?
We propose to analyze the Pomodoro method using the example of an IT project manager. Its functionality is divided into urgent and diverse tasks – to control the work of developers, compile reports, interact with customers and coordinate finished projects. In other words, do everything at once. How to build competent processes in this case using this technique:
Prioritize tasks
It’s worth starting the working day with burning tasks, not large and complex ones. An IT manager needs to evaluate the entire scope of work and select the highest priority tasks. For example, check project statuses.
Concentrate on one task
Multitasking is inefficient. One time period is equal to one completed task. In 25 minutes, an IT manager will be able to fill out a report, if he does not have time, he will continue immediately after a break.
No distractions
At work, calls, email notifications, talkative colleagues can be distracting – this greatly reduces efficiency. In the process of one time period, it is important to deal with one task. An IT manager pays attention not only to his own affairs, but also helps employees throughout the working day. He will definitely answer all the questions of the employees, but after the timer rings.
Don’t chase quantity
Concentrating on a task for 25 minutes does not mean that you must complete one task in this period, you just need to fully focus on your work. Otherwise, quality may suffer. An IT project manager will sensibly estimate how much time it will take him to distribute tasks among employees and will not jump above his head.
Alone regulate time
You don’t have to stick to exactly 25 minutes. If you feel that you can do more, adjust the time for yourself, for example, 30 minutes and 5 minutes. If an IT project manager has organized a meeting, then he will not leave it exactly after 25 minutes, but will continue to discuss problems with employees.
The tomato technique is quite versatile and can be easily applied both in creative and technical activities. Don’t be afraid to adapt the rules to your needs in order to achieve the best result. Learn more about task scheduling and time wasters in the free online course Time Management. Try to incorporate other time management tools into your schedule.
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