Effective Time Management

Ahh, time management. Two words that are so scary to some people, and unachievable to many. Most people in our profession have way too many things to do and never enough time. Sound familiar? If so, your first move is to slow down. You have to slow down to speed up!

It sounds a little crazy, I know. I have worked with countless managers who run around like beheaded chickens. They’re sweating up their nice shirts and ties, seemingly working very hard, but never seem to accomplish all of their tasks in a given day.

Not me, however. I never break a sweat. How is this possible? Effective time management. Sure, I know things get overwhelming. You have a plan to start your day, and you’ve got it all figured out. Then things start to go awry. The projects you delegated take longer than usual. Your associates run into problems with their projects and come to you for advice. Half your crew calls out sick. Your plan is falling apart.

How do we solve this dilemma? First of all, you have to stay calm under all circumstances. No matter what happens, you are the leader and set the example. If there is a bomb threat and you start running around screaming and flailing your arms around, what do you think everyone else is going to do?

Instill an environment of calm into your work environment. Calm minds think rationally, excited minds think irrationally. Let your people know that you will not be deterred from your ultimate goals. Get them in the mindset that problems present exciting challenges to be overcome.

Make a list of priorities. Tackle the most important things first. Delegate everything you can, because you need to be free to help solve problems when they arise. Plan ahead and think of any problems you might face in every task. Communicate these potential problems with your associates before they happen, and have a plan in case they do happen.

Set aside time for your planning stages. No matter what is going on, you must be proactive. Reactive managers fail miserably. You can’s spend all of your time putting out fires. This is where good managers go down with the ship.

Stay organized. Ever seen the desk of a disorganized person? What if you need a certain document out of that pile of mess? You’ve just wasted time that you could have saved if you were organized. I keep a 52 week file, and that’s it. Everything I need is in one file cabinet. Don’t be a pack rat, only keep what is essential. Sort your emails by folder for easy reference.

Until you get organized and get yourself in the right frame of mind, you will not succeed. If you are running around all day, you won’t see the ever important details of what is going on. Good managers have time to stay informed, so they have all the answers. That’s what being a leader is all about.

Communicate, both with those above you and below you. You are the catalyst. It is imperative that everyone in your organization knows what your goals are. You must all be working for the same reason. Taking the time to communicate effectively eliminates a lot of potential problems down the road.

I have the same reaction every time someone asks me how I get so much done by doing so little. You have to slow down to speed up. It’s not a new philosophy, it’s an ancient one. Look at the greatest minds of the greatest leaders. From war generals to sports coaches, it’s all about the planning. Planning overcomes raw talent. And effective time management is the key to success.