Executive Time Management
Articles about leadership time management tend to have the same theme. There are a lot of things to do to run a successful company, and some people seem better at it than others. How can the rest of us get better?
There is conflicting information about whether all these techniques work. Despite this, let’s review a few ideas for Executives and Managers.
In its most basic sense, all executives should endeavor to work at their highest level. Recent 2017 research suggests that organizations are more successful when they have CEOs working in high-level meetings, and cross-functional activities. This same research suggests that leaders only have about 25% of their time devoted to working alone. This 25%, is, therefore, critical, if the rest of the time the leaders are traveling, in meetings, etc.
Ideas For Leaders to Maximize Their Solitude Worktime for Productivity
First, Align.
Everyone should have a quarterly plan and align it to achieve annual goals. It should break down the year’s goals into steps that can be accomplished in the quarter. Our tasks need to likewise be aligned to facilitate the attainment of the quarterly goals. In a busy day, week, or month; the day-to-day distractions and problems can throw us off. Some of your very most productive time will be spent assuring that you are doing the right things. That’s right: planning your work is a task to be completed. Make sure your lists include adequate activities to lead to goal accomplishment.
Second, Prioritize.
We all know that not everything carries the same level of importance, thus comes the need to prioritize. If needed, break down lists of tasks into high and normal, or an ABC approach where A is the highest, B is normal, and C can be put off. Keep your attention on the highest priorities and you will get the most out of your day. What about those B and C priorities? Well, they will turn into A priorities eventually, or you can cross them off the list.
Third, Delegate.
Instead of thinking about what you can delegate, try thinking about what you CANNOT. You work in an organization of competent people. It is in their best developmental interest that you delegate to them. Your subordinates (and with permission, other people’s subordinates) will welcome challenging tasks. One great way to get your company to grow faster is to develop the skills of your team. When you delegate, use traditional good delegation skills. Keep track of what you have delegated, to whom, and when it is due. Assure there is a complete understanding of the activity, and then hold the person accountable for delivering a specific outcome.
Fourth, Scheduling.
Once you have winnowed down your list, the next step is to schedule the work. If executives have only limited hours per day (2-3 on average), we need to be focused on when we can complete our key tasks to assure that we keep the company moving. Setting a good example in accountability and timeliness is important to leadership credibility. At some point daily, perhaps weekly, it is important to block out calendar time to complete the tasks that must be done. This technique depends on being able to reasonably estimate the length of time needed to get the job task done. Another advantage of this technique is to retake control over your calendar. Sometimes, you just shouldn’t have time for one more meeting…and blocking time out with task completion may be a good way to save that time for tasks that lead to critical organizational outcomes.
Fifth, Reminders.
In lieu of, or in addition to scheduling, some people like reminders. Practically all task apps or programs like Outlook have reminder features. Reminders have pros and cons. However, having at least our most important activities set to remind us to work on them, or to remind us of an approaching deadline can do a lot to refocus our attention to the key tasks of the day.
Executive Time Management Tip: Automate
A great reason to use a task system or application is to automate, which introduces immense efficiency. Speed is an amazing way to get more done per day. Consider using a task management program to make your time-consuming tasks get completed faster. By simply making 3 items a day save you 3 minutes each, you can take off 45 minutes early to see your family every Friday. How can we do things faster? Many executives do not take advantage of all the features within task management and automation systems.
Examples of Features in Task Management & Automation Systems
Recurrence
Whenever there is the same calendar or journal entry every month, set the recurrence to the date it is due. This will save you time from rescheduling the task month after month.
Reminder
When using recurring tasks, or any new task(s), make sure to set a reminder. That way you know something is on the list that you didn’t plan this week. Reminders are a good way to go for all tasks in general, specifically when it comes to setting reminders about upcoming appointments during days when things are scheduled back-to-back.
Hyperlink
Sometimes an under-used feature is hyperlinking within tasks. Next time there is a complex task that requires gathering data from the internet, or another file, put the link right in your task. This will save you steps and easily pays dividends.
Categorize
When responsible for so many tasks, sometimes it helps to use the Categorize option. For example, I separate my tasks into functional areas like Administration, Marketing, HR. Others will use the categories for business units. Because they are normally defined by the user, using categories is a powerful way to cut through the clutter.
Prioritize
As mentioned above, prioritization is key. Always work on the most important activities, and delegate the rest.
Deadlines & Due Dates
Make sure to set aggressive, and realistic, deadlines for yourself. Without deadlines, some tasks will linger.
Custom Fields
Not all applications are as flexible as others, but some will allow you to add custom fields. This could be important in a variety of ways if only to give you more options to filter away the less important tasks.
As a busy executive, it has never been so important to our companies, employees, and ourselves, to be as efficient as possible. Since we have such little time, it is important to focus our work on the things that only we can do. Then, do them as efficiently as possible.
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