Hello Friends!
An out of control schedule is the enemy of accomplishment. The higher you go in business, the more demands there are on your time, and the more important it is to manage it thoughtfully.
Do you devote even one-quarter as much time to managing your schedule as you do your budget, your projects or your people? Probably not. Yet your time is one of your most foundational assets – and efficient allocation of it lets you focus where you need to.
Naturally I’m not saying don’t do the important stuff – simply that it makes good sense to trim relentlessly at the margins. In that spirit, for those of you who could use more hours in the day to do what the job requires (probably about 97% of the management population), here are four suggestions:
Reduce your meeting attendance – Meeting mania is clearly among “America’s Most Wanted” when it comes to stealing time. But there are many reasonable ways to minimize this loss. That’s one of the prerogatives of management: If a meeting is marginally important, delegate it. Or have a quick phone call with the organizer instead. Or ask for presentation slides and meeting notes afterward. Of course if it’s important, you go… but if it’s not, there are multiple responsible alternatives.
Cut back on business trips – Nothing obliterates a potentially productive week more thoroughly than a good long business trip to a remote locale. Sure, some business trips are crucial and unavoidable, no argument there. But some are discretionary. Case in point:
There was an industry trade association conference at which I represented my company at for a number of years. It was enjoyable, pleasant networking, and I did occasionally gain useful competitive and industry knowledge. But it also gobbled up two or three days in a single bite several times a year. I began delegating it to a very capable younger colleague and it proved a fine development opportunity – while at the same time markedly increasing my ability to actually get work done.
Block out half a day on your calendar each week – No meetings, no conference calls… this can be just your time to catch up with things and focus wherever you choose. So many managers’ initial reaction to this is to say, great idea but I could never do it. I’m here to tell you: You can. I did it for years and it was often the most productive four hours of my week. I could focus on projects, presentations, spend time with my people… whatever it was I wasn’t getting to that I felt most needed to be done. You’re thinking… sounds tempting, but I can’t possibly do this. My question: Why not?
Liberate the email hostage – Saving the best for last. Depending on the size of your organization, the amount of email you receive can be daunting, demoralizing, downright depressing. To liberate yourself? No simple answers, but a few suggestions.
Block out half a day on your calendar each week – No meetings, no conference calls… this can be just your time to catch up with things and focus wherever you choose. So many managers’ initial reaction to this is to say, great idea but I could never do it. I’m here to tell you: You can. I did it for years and it was often the most productive four hours of my week. I could focus on projects, presentations, spend time with my people… whatever it was I wasn’t getting to that I felt most needed to be done. You’re thinking… sounds tempting, but I can’t possibly do this. My question: Why not?
Liberate the email hostage – Saving the best for last. Depending on the size of your organization, the amount of email you receive can be daunting, demoralizing, downright depressing. To liberate yourself? No simple answers, but a few suggestions.
If you have a trusted assistant who really knows you and your business, have him or her go through your email regularly and separate the wheat from the chaff. Or tell your staff to cut back on email to you, and flag a message in an agreed-upon way if it’s genuinely important. Or set aside a certain amount of time each day (e.g. 20 minutes) to attack email, slash-and-burn your way through it. Again, no panaceas here, but what’s most important is to not let this drag you down, but to develop an efficient routine that works for you to keep the electronic hounds at bay. Nothing spoils an upbeat energized morning more quickly than 1,038 unread messages in your in-box...
Ever notice that the most effective executives seem to have, almost magically, clean desks and time to spare?
Dollars to doughnuts they spend a good deal of time thoughtfully managing time.
It’s time well spent.
Ever notice that the most effective executives seem to have, almost magically, clean desks and time to spare?
Dollars to doughnuts they spend a good deal of time thoughtfully managing time.
It’s time well spent.
Culled from Forbes...
xoxo
Simply Cheska...
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