Time management for managers

But keep in mind that not only new projects are to be started with planning. It is needed to look through your schedule every day. Some people prefer doing it in the morning, when the day just begins, some find it more suitable to create plan for following day in the evening after all work in office is finished. While creating your time management plan, don’t forget about the following points:

First of all determine whether the task you are going to do belongs to your responsibilities or not. Figure out if there are people whom you can delegate these tasks as their job description is more accurate to it. Acting in this way you will have more free time for completing tasks which are really important and lie within your responsibilities. In some cases work load can be divided into two parts for instance in order one part to be delegated. It means that interaction between workers and managers becomes highly important; sometimes the results of negotiations depend on communicational skills to great extent. But don’t forget that the highest attention should be paid to your own responsibilities.

Secondly, when you determine, how much work will you take to have it done, ask yourself is it really possible for you to handle this entire work load. One has to work hard, but there is a certain limit, after which each additional project you take is of lower and lower quality. But the aim is not to complete as many tasks as possible; the aim is to provide service of high quality, to be highly effective. And one has no right to sacrifice quality of products and services, to sacrifice reputation just to have one more task done. If you feel that you have reached your limit, that you have no physical or mental ability to maintain the demanded level of your work quality, you have to inform your supervisor about the situation. Determining your work load is an important part of time management process, more over one needs to act to improve the situation, when this work load is out of limits. Being able to see the problem and ask for help definitely shows your strength, not weakness.

Thirdly, think carefully before you will define the precise time you need for one or another task. This time should be based on reality; this is the only way to be effective in planning. The reason is that underestimating or overestimating your time may lead to really negative results not only in your personal work, but it may influence the efficiency of whole company. For instance, if you underestimate the required time, you will not probably be ready in time, so it breaks the schedule of other people, whose work depends on your results. The same way, in case of overestimating, you will have your task ready earlier, than it was supposed to be. It may seem as if you are highly efficient, but actually this situation will make you sit around and will just steal your time. So, good plan has to be based on realistic time estimates.

Lastly, don’t forget to include time for breaks, lunch into your plan. It has been already proven, that if somebody works hard, without any break under strong pressure of time and stress, his productivity is falling down rapidly. So, you are the one to plan you time the way, which will give you an ability not to be burnt out in work. Breaks will help you to refresh yourself, to get new forces, maybe even new ideas, which will after all result into high working capacity. That’s why one shouldn’t minimize the importance of spare time during working day.

How To Define The Work Load Properly

Remind yourself the list of tasks you have now and choose one current objective you have there. Keep it in mind and answer questions below:

  • 1. What is your current activity which will in future help you to achieve the objective you have chosen?
  • 2. When should this task (project/activity) be completed? Is there a deadline determined?
  • 3. Define what time exactly you will need to have the project completed. Count only working hours, then count hours you need including possible interruptions.
  • 4. Create a list of people you may need to interact with to have your project/activity successfully done.
  • 5. ill this work demand from you completing certain tasks on weekly or daily basis? Determine these intermediate tasks and duties.

To be continued…
Previous parts:

  • Effective Time Management For Managers. Part 2