Are you in search of some time management team building activities?
Time is a finite resource, especially in the workplace. As a leader, it is important to help your employees develop effective time management skills. This will increase productivity, reduce stress, and improve overall results.
In this article, let’s see 10 effective time management activities for your workplace. They can streamline productivity and foster collaboration in a team setting.
10 Time Management Team Building Activities
Here are some effective time management exercises that you can incorporate into your workplace.
If you want some productivity activities, you can read this article: 10 Productivity Team Building Activities (With Debrief)
So, let’s go!
#1. The Priority Matrix Game
This game can challenge employees to categorize tasks and prioritize them.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Sticky notes, pens, and a large whiteboard
Participants: Pairs
- Instruct the participants to list 10 daily workplace tasks on sticky notes.
- Draw a large matrix on the whiteboard labeled with ‘Urgent/Not Urgent’ on one axis and ‘Important/Not Important’ on the other.
- Have each pair place their tasks in the appropriate quadrant, discussing and negotiating the placement.
- Encourage pairs to reflect on how the matrix can guide their daily prioritization.
Debrief
Identify the tasks that can be delegated or scheduled for later, ultimately streamlining the workload. Discuss the potential impact of prioritizing tasks and how it can improve time management.
#2. The Multitasking Challenge
This activity aims to show the negative effects of multitasking on productivity. It is one of the amazing time management games.
Time: 5-10 minutes
Materials: Timer (phone or stopwatch)
Participants: 2-6 people in a group
Instructions
- Set a timer for 2 minutes and ask the participants to write down all the letters of the alphabet without stopping.
- Then, set a timer for another 2 minutes and ask them to write down the numbers 1-26 in numerical order.
- Finally, set a timer for 3 minutes and ask them to write down the letters of the alphabet again, alternating between one letter and one number.
Debrief
Discuss how multitasking can lead to errors, slower completion, and decreased productivity. Encourage employees to focus on one task at a time for better results.
#3. The ‘No Interruptions’ Zone
In this activity, employees are encouraged to create a designated ‘no interruptions’ zone for focused work.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Materials: ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs, and timers
Participants: 2-6 members per group
Instructions
- Start by having each group establish a ‘No Interruptions’ zone where they commit to working uninterrupted for a specified period.
- Provide ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs to place at their workstation to signal to others that they are in deep focus mode.
- Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and ask each group to work on a task without any disruptions. For instance, the task could be completing a report or brainstorming ideas for a project.
Debrief
Discuss how having designated periods for focused work can increase productivity. Encourage employees to establish their own ‘No Interruptions’ zones in their daily routine.
#4. The Calendar Sync-Up Sprint
This quick activity is designed to streamline team scheduling and reduce time-related conflicts.
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: Digital calendars, and meeting space
Participants: Any number of people in a group
Instructions
- Instruct the group members to review their digital calendars. Emphasize the importance of keeping their calendars up-to-date to ensure accuracy in scheduling.
- Have each member share their upcoming week’s schedule with the group to identify potential overlaps and gaps.
- Encourage participants to synchronize their calendars, setting clear availability for meetings and collaborative work while also blocking time for individual tasks.
Debrief
Highlight the effectiveness of shared calendars in enhancing team coordination and avoiding scheduling conflicts. Stress the value of respecting each other’s time by honoring the blocks set for focused tasks.
#5. The 86,400 Challenge
This is a popular activity that highlights the value of time management, effective resource allocation, and decision-making. Here the total seconds of a day is represented as $86,400, encouraging employees to use it wisely.
Time: You decide
Materials: Paper and pen (Optional)
Participants: Groups of any size
Instructions
- Instruct each group to assume they have $86,400 to spend in one day. However, the condition here is that the money cannot be saved for the next day and must be spent within the same day.
- Ask the groups to come up with a list of activities or tasks they would spend their money on. It could be anything from buying items, paying off debt, or even donating to charity.
- Now, you can reveal that there are 86,400 seconds in a day, and each dollar the group had is equivalent to a second.
- Then, encourage the groups to reflect on how they currently spend their time and if it aligns with their priorities.
Debrief
Discuss the shift in perspective when time is viewed as a finite resource, similar to money, and how this realization can influence daily decision-making. Encourage the employees to set practical goals for productivity improvements and hold each other accountable.
#6. The Meeting Minimizer
This activity can challenge teams to reduce meeting durations by half while still achieving objectives. It is one of the best time management team building activities that can urge concise communication and focused agendas.
Time: 15 minutes
Materials: Meeting agenda, and timer
Participants: Any number of individuals involved in regular meetings
Instructions
- Begin by reviewing the agenda for your next meeting. Challenge the team to distill the agenda to its most essential points.
- Assign a strict deadline to each agenda item and appoint a timekeeper to ensure the meeting stays on track.
- Implement strategies such as limiting discussion to key decision-makers or using a round-robin approach to keep contributions to the point.
Debrief
Encourage a discussion about the changes in efficiency and engagement. Acknowledge the team’s efforts in effectively communicating and problem-solving within a constrained timeframe.
#7. The Delegation Relay Race
This exercise sharpens delegation skills by promoting efficient task transfer and accountability among team members.
Time: You decide
Materials: Task cards, and timers
Participants: Groups of 3-6 individuals
Instructions
- Divide the participants into groups.
- Give each group a set of task cards representing different responsibilities. The task can be anything from organizing a meeting to creating a presentation.
- Set a timer for each round, and have the teams delegate the task among themselves in that period.
- After each round, they can discuss any challenges or successes that arose during the delegation process.
Debrief
Invite the participants to reflect on the delegation experience, identifying key takeaways about communication, responsibility, and collective effort. Encourage them to consider how they can apply these delegation principles to streamline workflows and enhance team collaboration.
#8. The Time-Block Party
This is an interactive strategy game that teaches effective allocation and prioritization skills in a collaborative environment.
Time: You decide
Materials: Schedule templates, colored pens, and sticky notes
Participants: Groups of 4-8 individuals
Instructions
- Provide each team with a schedule template divided into time blocks. For example, a typical workday from 9 AM to 5 PM.
- Ask the teams to discuss and allocate these blocks for different types of tasks or activities such as meetings, emails, project work, breaks, etc. Encourage them to use colored pens and sticky notes to make their schedule visually appealing and organized.
- Finally, have each team present their schedule to the other groups.
Debrief
Invite the participants to reflect on their experience with this activity and how it helped them prioritize tasks effectively. Focus on the importance of balancing high-concentration tasks with appropriate breaks to sustain productivity.
#9. SMART Goals
This activity is designed to help employees articulate and plan for their group objectives while effectively managing their time.
Time: You decide
Materials: Paper and pen
Participants: Groups of 3-10 individuals
Instructions
- Begin with an introduction to the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) criteria for setting goals.
- Ask each group to write down one goal they want to achieve in the next 7 days.
- Then, have them discuss and refine their goal to fit the SMART criteria. Encourage them to be specific and realistic in their goal-setting process.
- Once each group has a SMART goal, ask them to create an action plan with specific steps they will take to achieve their goal.
Debrief
Encourage teams to share their SMART goals and discuss any challenges in creating an actionable plan. Emphasize the critical nature of setting clear objectives to anchor time management efforts and propel progress.
#10. The Best Technique
In this activity, individuals will reflect on the popular time management techniques and identify the most effective one for them.
Time: You decide
Materials: Paper and pen
Participants: Any number of people in a group
Instructions
- List out some of the time management techniques that are popular.
For example,
Pomodoro Technique: Here individuals work for 25 minutes at a stretch and then take a short break of 5 minutes.
Eisenhower Matrix: It involves categorizing tasks into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance, and prioritizing accordingly.
The 80/20 Rule: Also known as the Pareto principle, this technique suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts, and individuals should focus on the most important tasks to achieve maximum productivity.
- Give the groups a few minutes to research and read about each technique if they are not familiar with it.
- Have each group share their top choice and discuss why they find it the most effective.
Debrief
Facilitate a group discussion on how different techniques may suit varied personal and professional contexts. Encourage the groups to implement their chosen technique consistently over the next month and share insights on its impact during future sessions.
Want Some Unique Team Building Activities?
If you want some unique activities for your employees (both in-person and virtual), you can get my new e-book:
Or Want Some Unique Leadership Development Activities?
If you want some unique activities to equip your employees with leadership skills, qualities, and mindset, you can get my new e-book:
Final Words
Remember that the key to mastering your time lies in finding a technique that resonates with one’s personal rhythm and work style. By engaging your employees in various team building exercises, you are empowering them to take ownership and boost overall productivity. Keep experimenting, keep learning, and most importantly, keep reflecting on your journey towards effective time management!