Author: Mark Firth/Tuesday, February 25, 2020/Categories: Blogs

“You can only do so much. There are five more projects you want to do, but you pick the three that are really going to matter, and you try to do those really well, and you don’t even try to do the others.” — Sheryl Sandberg

Leaders have umpteen demands on their limited time. As the career progresses, there is often a need for more meetings, more calls, more one-to-ones, and more areas across the business to stay on top of and drive! The list is endless. But the only thing that doesn’t change is the time on our hands. After all, there is no way to add more hours to the day, isn’t it? So how do you make work?

As an effective leader you need to put your time management skills into play to ensure that you maximize your time and accomplish your goals. If you are a good time manager then not only would you be able to accomplish more in less time personally but also would be able to set an example for your team on how they should spend their time and implement a few time-saving methods that will win them the most results!

The key to successful time management is to be proactive and purposeful about your day, every day! Here’s how you can manage your time like a pro every day.

Plan realistically and prioritize

Priorities help you set your day in motion. Plan in advance on what work you would tackle first, and what can wait. Remember, it’s not about how many hours you have, it’s how you use them!

Delegate

While you might have the skills to do anything, you need to understand that you may not be able to do everything due to paucity of time. As a leader, you must know which tasks can be delegated to other team members so that you can give your full attention to high priority tasks and the things only you can do. Sounds easy, right?

Make to-do lists

Adopt the habit of writing things down and scheduling out your workflow. It would not only allow you to see how much you’re actually trying to accomplish but also give you an insight into if you are under or overdoing it! Making a to-do list would also help you to check how many times do you get derailed by an unexpected meeting or an email that requires immediate action.

Decline unproductive meetings

Ask yourself if you really need to be in all those meetings? If the answer is no then declined them? Go through your schedule and look at what you need to do your best quality work with the time you have on hand.

The key is to balance out what you can do effectively and what you need to delegate. Remember, great leaders don’t just happen; they take the time to be great!

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