As a manager, you’re likely too familiar with being absolutely swamped all day with urgent matters that pop up and need immediate attention…but still ending the day realizing you didn’t work on anything of significant value. The key to productivity and getting results for all your effort is taking firm control of your time – check out these time management tips for busy managers:
Delegate to Your Team
Rather than figuring out how to get more done, try to have less to do. Reflect on your workload and delegate more to your team. Communicate your expectations clearly and allow yourself to trust your employees to get the necessary results, while you focus on higher-level work.
Proactively Plan Your Day
Review your To-Do list before you begin working (or ideally at the end of the previous day) and determine your most important tasks. Then, prioritize your effort on making progress toward those tasks only – even if you don’t get the immediate satisfaction of checking them off the list as done, you’ll have more results to show for it than getting distracted by easily doable, but ultimately inconsequential busy work.
Embrace Your Calendar
If you want to get your top priority tasks done, treat them like any other meeting or standing appointment and get them on your schedule. Decide when you want to work on specific items, and then give them a time slot on your calendar. Otherwise, those “I’ll get to it later” tasks end up at risk of getting put off indefinitely.
Focus Strategically
Multitasking is so tempting because it really feels like you’re being productive; however, it tends to leave you with a bunch of unfinished tasks that aren’t of the quality you’d like. Instead, focus strategically – devote your entire attention to one important task at a time and give it your all to get more accomplished in less time.
Perform Tasks in Blocks
Different tasks require different areas of your brain, so grouping like tasks together allows you to be more efficient because avoiding constant switching back-and-forth can preserve your mental capacity. So instead of answering an email, then going back to a report, and then answering another email, try to perform similar tasks in blocks – i.e., a block of email time, then a time for analytical tasks, and then a block for creative thinking.
Work Around Your Natural Tendencies
Consider the periods of the day when you typically feel your most alert and when you start to struggle to stay motivated. Work around your natural tendencies as you schedule your workload. For example, if you are a morning person, do the tasks that require the most concentration early on, and then save the more tedious but less challenging tasks for when you lose energy.
Take Intentional Breaks
Working more hours can backfire and make you less productive – as you try to push through mental fatigue, you’re more likely to make mistakes. Throughout the day, take intentional breaks to get away from your desk, get your blood flowing, and recharge mentally. You’ll return more energized and able to focus on your work.
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