Managing Time

Without question, one of the significant challenges that managers face is the task of managing their own time effectively. All too often, a typical day finds us reacting to one crisis after another – and before long we notice that we’re working 12-hour days and wondering why we can’t get anything done.

Sound familiar?

I joined a friend for lunch recently and we discussed her time management woes. Her department is not producing up to corporate expectations and there is pressure to show immediate improvements. Unfortunately, she lost valuable knowledge and experience when an assistant manager left the company. As a result, she had to hire a new, inexperienced assistant manager who must be trained – and quickly. Compounding these problems is a health issue that forced her to miss time at work. Just to make things particularly challenging, she is short-staffed and it is very difficult to find qualified and capable talent for the positions she has open.

Look at all the fires that need to be put out, and this doesn’t even include the inevitable problems that pop up every day and demand to be addressed – reports, budgets, paperwork, performance reviews, scheduling, customer complaints. It is not too difficult to get overwhelmed…

Unless you have a plan and your employees are prepared.

In my experience, many managers either don’t have a plan or they’re not following the one they have. It is very difficult to focus and stay on point if you’re not following a well-defined plan.
“Hope is not a strategy” Certainly, we have to stop on occasion and deal with a crisis – my friend has a few fires to put out before continuing with her plan – but “crisis management” on a consistent basis is a recipe for disaster.

Another reality is that most “crisis managers” don’t have employees that have been developed and prepared to handle challenges themselves. Frankly, many managers don’t know how to empower employees effectively. Have you developed your people to be able to deal with issues, or have you trained them to bring YOU every problem that arises? The reality is that many managers believe that their role is to fix every problem, make every decision, and deal with every issue. Then, they complain about the 12-hour days and employees who aren’t accountable.

Go figure.

If you are struggling with time management, there is no quick fix and no magic bullet. However, you can make significant strides by developing a plan – a set of primary objectives – and communicating it effectively to your employees. The second critical step is to develop the skills that allow you to teach your employees how to fight fires.

If they are ever going to be managers, they need to learn how, don’t they?

(Download the “Hope is Not a Strategy” brochure)