What are some effective ways to coach designers on time management?

Understand the purpose of the facilities to be constructed or developed. Understand the Business strategy and investment model of the facilities. Then identify design procedure to be adopted and then with all stakeholders views finalise Design Basis. Finally Run the design program to get the final design and required drawings. Those process definitely optimise the resources and will ensure effective utilisation of associated resources. This will help consultants to deliver product with much cost effectively and within optimum time duration. Regards, Santanu

I encourage mind mapping at the start of every project. Take any and all ideas you have and write them down individually on Post-Its. Stick them on a wall and step back and look at all your ideas. Then start clusters of your ideas that have relationships and make pods. Then discard those ideas that don’t make sense or don’t fit your project. Try to see if your pods create a narrative. Decide if this is the story you want to tell. If they don’t fit, iterate.

The most effective ways to help designers improve their time management skills and deliver high-quality work on time as per me would be setting clear goals and priorities for projects. Break down projects into smaller tasks for better organization. Foster collaboration and effective communication and reflection on past experiences to learn and improve.

Coaching designers on time management is essential for a productive and balanced workflow. One thing I've found helpful is to stress the importance of setting realistic expectations and boundaries. Designers frequently confront tight deadlines and various client demands. Guiding them to set realistic expectations and communicate boundaries with clients or team members can significantly reduce unnecessary stress and enhance their overall time management. It allows for a more manageable workload and better allocation of time and resources, resulting in improved productivity and job satisfaction.

- Prioritization -Setting realistic schedules and timelines -Tracking time with intelligent software that shows where you are at each step of the project -Creating a daily,weekly, monthly and annual to do list

If you're trying to improve time management, set benchmarks. Projects have multiple stages. Just break those down and work backward from the deadline to set due dates for each benchmark. For those people who believe "I work better under pressure" create a series of pressure points. With a series of deadlines throughout the process, you're always under the gun to deliver different stages of the project.

In my experience, as a designer regardless of role - consultant, industrial, product or graphic, a key first step in setting smaRt (note the R!) goals is to fully decipher the clients intended end result, which is frequently unclear even to them at the beginning of a project. Due to the creative element of many projects, design briefs may not be explicit in the deliverables, or may be too wide, too loose or even too technical - make sure this is addressed early through conversations with internal stakeholders or clients. Frequently what they think they are asking for may not be what they actually really are - and this is certainly not helpful as a basis for effective later management of the project. Agree a shared project vision early!

In collaboration with my mentees, we establish clear, realistic time management objectives. For instance, if a designer is often missing project deadlines, we may set a goal to consistently deliver work a day before the deadline. This specific goal allows for measurable progress and success. Tip: Ensure your goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). This makes them more actionable. Example: Instead of setting a vague goal like "improve time management," set a SMART goal like "reduce time spent on email communication by 20% in the next month."

In my experience, successful design team management truly hinges on providing clear and precise project briefs from the outset. Minimizing major foundational changes along the way not only saves time but also ensures that the team's efforts are focused and that the final product aligns with the initial vision. Design teams often express a lack of precise goals from their clients, and requests that are too broad (ie. "we need a logo that looks joyful and professional!"). Effective time management starts with a well-defined path.

Yes I agree feedback cannot be vague and needs to be specific with actionable steps. One of the things that helps give clarity is to be clear at the outset with the mentee about what is a definite wrong way to go about doing the task. Specific steps or methods to be avoided at all costs. At times knowing what not to do really helps Prioritise and organise the mentees approach to the design assignment and a manage the same effectively. Breaking up the assignment into must fly zones and no fly zones really helps.

Effective time management in design hinges on collective planning and servant leadership. As a coach, facilitate a project timeline built on team consensus, and guide designers in breaking down tasks and eliminating non-essential work. Emphasize clarity by setting a detailed schedule with measurable milestones, allowing the design team to track progress efficiently and deliver quality work within deadlines

I equip designers with practical tools and resources. For instance, if a designer is facing challenges with project tracking, I might recommend project management software like Trello or Asana. Offering these tailored resources ensures they have the means to manage their time effectively. Tip: Research and test time management tools and techniques to find what works best for your individual needs. Example: If you struggle with distractions, experiment with focus apps like "Focus@Will" or techniques like the Pomodoro Technique to enhance your concentration.

Effective time management has to start at the top. This includes establishing a transparent process, setting clear timelines and expectations, and maintaining open lines of communication, as echoed by others in this shared post. When it comes to overcoming a slump, I've found the Pomodoro method to work wonders both for me and my teams. This approach ingeniously induces a state of flow by convincing you that a task will merely require 25 minutes of your time ✨ It works like magic every time!

Equipping designers with time management tools and resources is invaluable. Introduce them to proven methods and software like the Eisenhower matrix and project management apps. These resources empower designers to structure their work efficiently, fostering productivity and effective time management.

One of the most common underlying factors in designers struggling with time management in my experience (other than being swamped in workload they are struggling to manage!) is the lack of ability to know when they have “done enough”, optimised or got to the end of the creative process. This is a challenge as there is no hard line to cross and clearly it varies by project - but in most cases continuing to refine ideas or working only attempting to generate new ones begins to become counter productive after a point. Learning to recognise this point comes with experience but a useful tool in mitigating this is time boxing. This can be applied to projects, phases of projects or even per concept - whatever works for your workflow.

Regular check-ins are crucial to track progress and provide support. For example, if a designer's goal is to reduce time spent on revisions, our periodic meetings allow us to review project timelines and identify areas for improvement. This constant feedback loop ensures they stay on the right track. Tip: Schedule regular check-ins with a mentor or coach, or use productivity apps to track your progress. Example: Set a weekly meeting with a colleague or coach to review your time management progress and discuss any roadblocks you're facing.

Teach designers how to prioritize tasks based on project importance and deadlines. Encourage them to create a to-do list or use task management tools to prioritize their work effectively.

In the daily work of design agencies, there are figures like account managers who, together with the designer, take care of workflows and time management. This can be done through some process software or project management tools. This coordination between the design team and accounts is beneficial and usually allows the design team more creative space.

Good rapport is crucial for continuous mentoring and coaching. Work on your own approach as much as responding to your client’s needs.

Yes I agree one has to work on cultivating a relationship with the mentee to ensure that they feel safe to reveal themselves to you since they see you as someone who is guiding them towards unlocking potentials and talents within them.

I emphasize self-awareness and accountability through reflection and data tracking. For instance, I might encourage a designer to keep a time log for a week, noting how they spend each hour. Analyzing this data helps them become more aware of time-wasting habits and motivates them to take ownership of their time management choices. Tip: Regularly self-reflect on your time management practices. What went well? What could have been done differently? Example: After a week of tracking your time, analyze your data to identify areas where you can make improvements. Take responsibility for addressing these challenges.

I would argue adding self-motivation to this. As a coach or mentor, empowering your mentees with self awareness and accountability is massively important not only in allowing them to take ownership of their work but also if in a wider team environment, coupled with devolved authority becomes very powerful - unlocking Agility in the design process and underpinning motivation in the team. Mistakes will (and arguably in a creative process, must) happen and given the right conditions through a self aware, accountable environment, encourage innovation in a commercially stable and controlled environment. A designer that is self aware and self motivated and with appropriate tools will find time management an easier skill to put into practice.

Encouraging self-awareness and accountability is a potent coaching approach. Open-ended questions foster introspection and help designers recognize their strengths and weaknesses in time management. This self-awareness empowers them to take charge of their improvement, ultimately enhancing productivity and project outcomes.

I do this by giving the mentee an overview of the project cycle. This helps them understand their role and contribution better. They realise that processes run in both linear and cyclical manners and that there is a lot of interdependence involved in working as a team to deliver as promised or expected within fixed timelines. I also try and explain cost implications and they understand that effective time management is crucial to us running a profitable business. This helps making the mentee more accountable and self motivated to manage their time well in order to be an effective team member.

By asking open-ended, thoughtful questions, such as those mentioned above, you are inviting the design team to look inward and reflect on time management skills. For a deeper understanding of work style and make informed decisions on how to address areas that need improvement.

Time management is not usually about using the time effectively but instead understanding what’s going on underneath the reasons why it’s become an issue in the first place. Overthinking and ruminating can cause a huge waste of time and without understanding what is causing this, no amount of strategy or methods will help in the long term. I work with clients to understand the root cause of the overthinking; the subconscious patterns running our mind. I give them simple science backed tools to interrupt these patterns so that they can use their time effectively.

Full transparency, I struggled with this. Here are 3 steps I took to change that and set myself up for success: 1. Set SMART goals: Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. 2. Break down goals into steps: Assign deadlines and milestones to each step. 3. Plan ahead: Decide what you're going to do, when you're going to do it, and how long you're going to give yourself to complete it.

Coaching designers on time management is essential for project success. Encourage setting clear priorities, breaking tasks into manageable chunks, and establishing realistic deadlines. Promote effective communication, collaboration, and tools that streamline workflows. Time management is a skill that empowers designers to deliver exceptional work efficiently.

Adhere to the principles of plain language, which involves using simple and straightforward language that is easy to read and understand. Avoid using technical terms, acronyms, or industry-specific jargon that may alienate or confuse your audience.

In Vietnamese design companies we often had no choice but to learn good time management. With short deadlines, small teams, and sudden changes, most of us were carrying out work of three people in one. One time I was selecting all of the FF&E and technical details for one villa while directing the rendering process to a 3D designer. We suddenly had two more villas to design within one week. In order to save time we had to make the design more minimalistic in style and replicate areas, which helped in the resort’s unification. A very strong creative and contextual narrative at a project’s start also can help for the time management, from which all elements of design should be able to flow, intuitively inspired.