Managers work far longer hours than their staff, but still don’t seem to accomplish everything on their plate.
This causes inefficiency, and is one of the reasons why the UK is lagging behind other companies in the G7 when it comes to productivity.
To become more productive, leaders must learn to manage their time in the following four ways:
Be More Organised
When you are running between business calls and meetings, you undoubtedly throw your folders and other papers around your office to deal with later.
However, when you are on an important call and need to pull up an employee file, it can take twice as long to find it, costing you time instead of saving it.
Extremely organised people are more productive because they have the necessary materials at hand when they need them.
To manage your time better, dedicate a block in your schedule to first organise, and then upkeep the order in your office.
Start with your desk, and move on to your filing cabinet and surrounding areas, not forgetting digital files, including emails.
Delegate
Although as a manager you have more responsibilities than the regular employee, you also have more help at your side.
Even with the task above (organising), you can assign your secretary or assistant to accomplish it for you.
However, don’t stop there— assess responsibilities that you currently take on and evaluate what you can pass down to other employees.
Freeing up your schedule will help you manage your time better while empowering your staff members with additional responsibilities.
Plan Ahead
There is a big difference between being reactive and proactive when it comes to managing your time.
If you come into the office and deal with things as they come at you, you have no ability to dedicate more time to more pressing matters, and always seem to run out of time before you cross things off of your to do list.
Being proactive and making an agenda for the week every Sunday night can help you dedicate time to the most important matters, leaving everything else to either be delegated or handled at a later time.
Time Interactions with Others
When it comes to meetings and phone calls, it can be easy to get sidetracked with pleasantries and side conversations.
While you may need to open a meeting with an important client with small talk, when it comes to your colleagues, it is important to stay on track and on time.
To be productive, set a certain amount of time for the meeting or phone call, and make sure to cut it off when you need to move to something else.
Thanks again
Mark Williams
Senior Management Trainer and Consultant
Updated on: 19 July, 2018
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