6 Easy tips for a better time management

One of the most common challenges for any manager regardless of their tenure is time management.

When you start your management career or a new management job your excitement takes you down the path of overload. You start working endless hours, you are always available and always on top of your game.

While surely everyone will be delighted to count on your efforts, you do have to find a long-term solution to be able to fit your work during realistic hours that allow you to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

Working a lot doesn’t necessarily mean working well, therefore it is now on your to-do’s to figure out a better way to work smart rather than hard.

I would like to share with you some very basic and simple tips I have started implementing recently to ensure my load is manageable and that allows me to be my better self at work but also at home. So here it goes:

1.      Establish ‘’No Meeting spaces’’ throughout your day.

Sounds easier than it is, and it is crucial. It is fairly worrying how quickly some people are willing to jump on a 30/60 min call sometimes and as soon as they spot a free space in your agenda. Some meetings are important, but others could also wait.

There are several ‘’No Meeting slots’’ you must block to be more effective at work.

a.      No meetings before 10:00 am.

Yes. We start at 9:00. That is precisely why having a meeting as soon as you face your screen is now a big NO-NO.

When you start your day you need to get up to speed with the latest that happened while you were offline. E-mails, getting up to speed with the day’s schedule to determine any last dry runs or action items you need to get sorted before engaging with someone during the day.

b.      No meetings afterhours.

Globalization has added a world of opportunities as well as inconveniences. Your personal life is not to pay the price for that.

Educate your audience. Customers, internal stakeholders…etc. that you are not available on demand. You do have a schedule for both your professional AND personal life. Trust me, there are hours in the day where time zones can co-exist. Spot those and share with any audience that you need to partner with which is based elsewhere.

c.      Block 30 minutes (meeting free space) every 2 hours.

You take notes and agree on action items after each call. Ensuring you act on everything that was agreed upon and following up with others in the right timelines is crucial, therefore you must stop meetings every 2 hours to collect your notes and take as many actions as you can. If you wait till the end of the day to act on everything when you have been in 8-9 calls that day… a lot will slip off your radar.

d.      Stop for a lunch break.

There is a reason why its mandated by law to stop for a break.

Go for a run, eat, walk the dog, stretch… whatever. But make sure you take your brain elsewhere while you are halfway through. Change the settings of your trail of thoughts for a while. By the time you sit down in front of your screen again, your batteries will be charged.

Also, lunch is the second most important meal of the day. You have been on top of your game and your brain needs proper nutrition to keep going. Eat healthy and drink loads of water!

2.      Focus on the task at hand - Do not multitask in your calls.

Besides it being extremely disrespectful to be doing different things while someone is taking the time to engage with you, not keeping your focus where it needs to be can cause important gaps in your performance. Keep your focus where it needs to be. This will allow you to manage your load better.

3.      Exercise delegation.

If the company feels heavy on your shoulders… then you are carrying burdens that are not for you to carry.

I get the anxiety of wanting to remain on top of things. I can confess I am a bit of a control freak myself… however you reach a point where you simply cannot cover everything, so applying the concept of ‘’divide and conquer’’ will not only allow you the time you need to focus on what is truly important, but will also enable those working to support you, to do their job, learn and grow with you.

4.      Learn a new magic word - NO.

It may sound simple, but when you are dedicated to your work, everything can seem important and urgent. Learn to set expectations with your audience. You are not always available, and neither are they.

If its not for you to complete, say it and advise who should be owning it.

If its too tight in deadlines, then it will have to wait so you can complete it right. If it was that urgent, someone should have managed their times better to ask for it in a timely manner.

5.      Always ask for the agenda of a meeting.

Do not accept a meeting without a clear agenda and topics of discussion. If the purpose and goal of the call is not set up front, it will most likely not be as productive as it should. A meeting without a predefined agenda is often a not efficient one.

You may come across as blunt, but it is important for everyone to understand that you cannot afford meetnapping.

6.      Prioritize important vs urgent.

Always remember urgent doesn’t necessarily mean important. And urgency is subject to interpretation.

I know it sounds simpler than it looks so here I share with you two tips that can help you:

a.      Score your tasks from 1 to 5 against the impact on a final goal. Scoring them will give you a good sense of what should come first.

b.      Use color coding in your diary. Highlight the type of urgency with multiple colors, that way when you look at your agenda you can quickly spot those meetings that require more prep and action item follow up.

As you can see, there is a lot you can do to get more productive without doing more than you are already doing and its nothing impossible!