Study: LinkedIn Survey Reveals How Professionals Manage To-do Lists

In a recent study, LinkedIn surveyed more than 6,500 professionals globally. The study indicated the likelihood of a professional to complete their to-do list varies by industry.

1. Sixty-three percent of all professionals frequently create to-do lists.
2. Seventy-one percent of women say they frequently keep to-do lists.
3. Only 60 percent of men say they frequently keep to-do lists.

Globally, 50 percent of those who jot down to-do lists do so by hand, while 45 percent create them electronically. The remaining five percent reported storing their lists in alternative places, like “In my mind only,” “Piles of files,” or other locations like whiteboards or chalkboards.

When it comes to checking the boxes on their to-do lists, only 11 percent of professionals globally reported accomplishing all of the tasks they plan to do in a given workday. Survey respondents pointed to unplanned tasks (such as unscheduled phone calls, emails and meetings) as primary cause for not completing all items on their to-do lists.

“No matter what industry you’re in, you can’t avoid surprise phone calls, meetings or other unplanned tasks that can get between you and your to-do list, but you can amplify efficiency throughout your day to get it all done,” said LinkedIn’s connection director, Nicole Williams. “Summon the collective intelligence on LinkedIn to work smarter and solve challenges quickly. Save time by arming yourself with insights before meetings.”

Follow these “to-dos” to save time in your workday and cross more tasks off the list:

1. Make meetings more efficient

Check out meeting participants’ LinkedIn Profiles ahead of time to get a sense for what they bring to the table. Past experience and specific skills of your meeting cohorts could come in handy to creatively solve a problem — thereby keeping your meeting time to a minimum.

2. Crowd source your challenge

Use LinkedIn Answers and LinkedIn Groups to tap into the wisdom of your LinkedIn network or the rest of the 161 million LinkedIn members. By posing questions and starting discussions you’ll be able to assemble solutions in record time.

3. Get up to speed in an instant

Get your daily news fix in one place via LinkedIn Today. Customize LinkedIn Today so you get news that’s relevant to you and your clients. Access LinkedIn Today from your desk, iPad or phone by downloading LinkedIn Mobile.