4 TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR MANAGERS
Every manager knows that the workload is overwhelming. Not only are you managing your own workload, but you also need to stay on top of supporting your employees.
You spend hours in meetings which pushes your other important tasks behind, but where do you get the time? And how do you stay present with your employees whilst getting your work done?
Time management is usually a skill expected for entry-level employees and after that, it’s expected for people to be capable of it. As a manager though, you probably need to work on your time management skills more than most.
USE YOUR CALENDAR
Being a manager means you have back-to-back meetings so when you have any free time, it can be hard to know what to focus on.
Using your calendar diligently leaves less room for procrastination and confusion about what task to tackle next. It also means that if employees would like to book meetings with you, you can be more intentional about booking times with them that suit your schedule, rather than booking them on a whim and realising it clashes with a time you were going to focus on an important project.
You could even go so far as doing ‘meeting mornings’ and ‘non-meeting mornings’ if you prefer getting meetings all out the way in one sitting, rather than having them blotted around, which allows less time for in-depth focus.
LEARN TO SAY NO AND SET EXPECTATIONS
No one likes saying no, especially a manager whose prime role is to support their team members.
But it’s the way you say no that will make an impact and help you to translate it effectively. For instance, if you’ve been invited to a 30-minute meeting where you don’t necessarily need to be there for all of it, but you could do with a brief afterwards or someone to summarise the main points in an email – say that.
This could save you hours and also encourage employees to not have meetings for meeting’s sake – but also think about how they can better manage their time
Along with saying no, set expectations. Been asked to provide information to support an employee with a project but do you have your own that needs to be done sooner? Rather than jumping straight to sorting the task for the employee, let them know what you currently have on and once you’ve finished, not only will you be able to provide the information, but you can put a lot more effort and support into it… a win, win for all.
IDENTIFY YOUR PEAK PRODUCTIVITY TIME
Let’s face it, no one is 100% productive from 9 am to 5 pm, but there are periods in the day when you know you’re more focused, energised and creative. For most, this might be mid-morning. You’ve spent the first hour or two getting through emails and attending meetings, now you’re more awake and you can focus on the most complicated tasks – before the afternoon slump.
As you go through your day, take note of the rough timings where you feel the most capable of tackling certain tasks because the reality is, that no one is going to want to tackle them when they feel tired. And rather than pretending that you don’t go through tired spells, admit it and work around it.
DELEGATE WORKLOAD
Many managers fall into the trap of trying to handle everything themselves to ensure tasks are completed to their particular standards. While this might seem like a proactive approach, it can lead to missed deadlines and important responsibilities being pushed aside. It’s time to delegate.
Delegating can:
Lighten workload
Allow you to focus on higher-value projects
Help you to build rapport with your employees as you entrust them with your tasks
- Written by Oliver Howson
NEED SOME FRIENDLY ADVICE OR MORE TIPS?
If you are looking for more advice or help finding your next job, we can help, please give us a call on: 0117 301 8495 or take a look at our jobs page. Alternatively, if you’re an employer in the UK looking to recruit and need someone with real recruiting expertise then we can help – let’s chat.