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8 Great Tips For Managers - To Manage Your Time Effectively

Guest post by: Martin Haworth

Article Overview: 'Time, the final frontier', as a manager Captain Kirk might have said! We have as much time as we might need at any point, but the truth is we sometimes have to look at how we use it in a different way. Here are 8 ideas that might work for you...

8 Great Tips For Managers - To Manage Your Time Effectively

Time management is much better described as 'self-management', and there are hundreds of ways to implement strategies that will work best for you. We all have our favorites and yet sometimes, we need to ensure that we take that step away and look from a different angle as well as the one we are used to.

Here are 8 tips that are amongst the best for making much more of the finite time you have:-

1. Check e-mails just twice a day

Set a time in the morning and one in the afternoon and leave it alone apart from that.

Note, tell other people who send e-mails to you that this is how you work (setting up an e-mail signature works well for this).

2. Put all your phone call time together

By having one set time to make your phone calls, you are focused and efficient in the use of this time.

Not only this, but it's off your mind and you know it's done, which helps you concentrate on the other work you have to do.

3. Leave messages for others to call you back

If the person you are calling isn't there, then have them call you back. It saves you time and costs as well.

If it's important enough to them, they will, if it's more vital to you, then it can slot into your list for the next day.

If you think it's that important to break with this routine, just ask yourself if that is really true!

4. Handle paperwork once - now/delegate, later, file/bin

Three easy options that will enable you to remain focused on a clear and organized office and desk.

Make a special period of time each day that all the ‘Laters' are dealt with. By the way, delegation is vital when used constructively!

5. Have a open door/closed door policy

If you ever get bothered by people bursting in on you and causing interruptions, then this one is for you.

It's great to have an office door where people can pop in and chat - it's all part of relationship building - and if it gets out of hand you need to set a boundary.

If your office door is open, it's OK for people to pop in and be accessible.

If it's closed, it isn't OK. Simple as that!

6. Do tricky activities first

Each of us have parts of our managerial work that they find the biggest challenge.

Make time at the start of the day after you've said 'Good Morning' to everyone (which you always do, right..?), to deal with pieces of work that you don't really relish.

Discipline; paperwork; meetings; planning; even dismissing someone are all possibilities that spring to my mind.

7. Choose carefully what you do and don't do

There are a lot of people in the world who take on much more than they really ought to. It could be they are intimidated into it; it might be they are nice people and like to help out.

Whatever the reason, we all need to focus on where a line is drawn so that we are able to deliver quality performance in what we decided to do.

So, watch for things getting pushed on you for the wrong reasons and then, politely, decline.

8. Stop doing things that are not productive

We all get into habits that make our day go by. Most times these are good, value-creating activities that are very worthwhile. It's a great action step to challenge this in yourself from time to time.

Set time aside every so often (every 6 months maybe), to check what your day contains and what is of little value.

Tip - also check on the tasks that others do on your orders and see if they are worthwhile.

Small changes in the ways that you do things can make huge impacts on what you are able to achieve.

Be brave; ask yourself 'why' sometimes and above all, be gentle with yourself whilst you demand the very best too!

Related Articles
  Work At Home Tips: Scheduling Your Time Effectively
  Managing Change - Keep Focus on the Day Job
  MANAGERS MANAGE
  Management Priorities - Where Clear Focus Is The Vital Challenge
  Managing Projects Through People

Article Tags: effective use of time, management development, time management, using time effectively



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