You’re struggling to manage your time. How can an executive coach help you develop better skills?

As an executive coach, I guide my coachees to gain self awareness of: - their time wasters (especially those that have become recurring habits) - the emotional ties to certain activities that lead to procrastination - their routines and how they can refocus 1-2 things to meet their objectives.

One of the first things I assess with my clients is where they are wasting time on the job -- there are always activities you can stop doing. Here's a 10-point checklist: 1 – Will this appear on your performance review? 2 – Is this a priority for your boss? 3 – Does this make your company money? 4 – Does this save your company money? 5 – Is this aligned with company strategy? 6 – Does this make your boss look good? 7 – Will this make you more productive? 8 – Will this contribute to your professional development? 9 – Can you delegate this to someone else? 10 – Do you enjoy what you are doing?

When I was leading teams, my calendar looked like a rainbow explosion with meetings and meetings, and then where there were no meetings, I’d have my ‘open door policy’ and let anyone come in with a burning issue. I would end my day with that question, “where did my time go?” like I lost my keys and couldn’t find them. Time is precious – know where you are spending it. You can take notes on your phone, keep a piece of paper by your computer or bed, and jot it down. Do this for a week and see where you focus your time and energy. Where are you spending most of your time?

A simple yet illuminating (and sometimes confronting) assessment of time management is to create a spreadsheet that has 15 minute increments for a full 3 days (2 weekdays and a weekend day) and to track in detail what you are doing for every 15 minutes throughout that time. From there you can explore or examine which tasks produce the best results, which are 'busy work' that you could delegate and which are distractions that pull you away from your intentions.

Assessing the current situation is best done with two lenses: the operational lens and the lens of purpose and aspirations. Calendar review, time logs (with some perspective on how much this means per week or month, not just per day) are helpful when it comes to the operational side of things, how does it translate into the day. Reflections on priorities then allows to compare this to the reality, identifying gaps, raising awareness of the main challenges. It is important to create a moment of realisation through this assessment.

Small steps, incremental actions. If you coachee is facing time management challenges, the last thing they need is to feel overwhemed even more. Identify 2-3 small things, try for a few days, review, amend if necessay. And move on to the next thing.

As an executive coach, to help my clients create a realistic plan, I first start by checking their understanding of time management and then I ensure that they gain clarity on the following two key aspects - 1. becoming aware of how they are spending their time currently by capturing their daily routine for 7-10 days 2.figure out their priority areas to get more focused in terms of their attention and effort Few of the tools that I suggest to them are 1. Time tracking apps 2. Manual time log sheet/ diary 3. Wheel of Life to identify the life aspects that needs immediate attention 4. Eisenhower, when they tend to be doing plenty but still not getting the necessary done. The above approach works very well for majority of my clients.

In my opinion a coach is to develop self awareness of the client goals. A coach not helping setting it but to make client self realize of client plan goal. Helping setting the SMART, keeping on the track, and others, in my opinion most likely the role of Mentor.

A well-thought-out plan is crucial for achieving goals and feeling a sense of accomplishment. This sets off a positive cycle, boosting motivation over time and helping to navigate long-term challenges. Many make the mistake of over-planning, thinking they can tackle everything at once. However, it's more effective to focus on completing tasks than trying to do too much simultaneously. In my experience, every professional has had to confront this reality and acknowledge that it's not just a feeling but a fact. Adhering to the SMART criteria also enhances the ability to prioritize, as not every item on the wishlist is feasible.

SMART goals, which useful in general are not what you need here to get better at managing your time. You've had goals to improve time management for a while, so more goal setting isn't going to magically make you better. Instead focus on RULES. What can you implement today which is a behaviour or rule that can make you better with your time. This may be writing your calendar down in a physical journal, using a timer for tasks or eliminating procrastination with an app blocker such as Opal or OneSec.

One of the key rituals that i try to inculcate with the leaders that i coach is the habit of making a weekly plan. I feel getting your weekly plan made every Friday (for the next week) is a very critical tool for effective time management. This is because when planning for the week you can be more purposeful as opposed to planning for the day. Sometimes, i have just told the leaders to send me their weekly plans. I mention to them that I wont open their plans and wont give them any feedback. The only thing that I will focus on is whether they created a plan or not. This very simple ritual starts them on the process of habit formation. Leaders with whom I have done this, have seen immediate benefits and impact.

- Eliminate all distractions and destructive habits that are sabotaging your time - Measure the value and impact of the current habits to tasks and goals - One question “How badly do you want it?” - Start tracking progress more frequently like daily or weekly instead of monthly or quarterly

Beyond well-known prioritisation methodologies, I would start with simple techniques that build a strong foundation: - weekly planning and retro is simple yet powerful - if it is not in the diary, it won't happen. - take a couple of recurring tasks and review how much time is typically spent on these, to build the muscle of estimating the time needed more accurately over time.

During a phase where time seemed to slip through my fingers, an executive coach introduced me to the concept of the Eisenhower Matrix, a tool to categorize tasks by urgency and importance. This strategy revolutionized the way I approached my to-do list, enabling me to prioritize tasks that were crucial to my success and delegate or delay less critical activities. Additionally, the coach encouraged the practice of the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working in focused sprints followed by short breaks. This not only boosted my productivity but also helped maintain my energy levels throughout the day.

Time management starts by doing the inventory of current tasks on daily basis. Sometimes we get so busy and we forget to evaluate the tasks we have at hand. I do challenge my clients to do the task detox in order to free time for strategy and even for some void. I also find Energy Management more important than Time Management. Are you spending your peak performance hours on Admin work? Do you reach the strategy presentation allocated time and you're totally drained? You've got time but you've got no energy.

It's amazing how much more likely people are to do things and stick to their promises when there's another person involved. Your coach can set out accountability practices with you, as easy as Slacking a daily message to make sure you keep up with intended routines. You'd be surprised how effective such simple tactics can be.

Much of the gain of time management comes in changing the "software" of how a person works, in addition to maybe a "hardware" change, like some kind of tool or mechanism to help them. But at it's core, it's the software that matters to me. Does the person really understand how they think? Do they know what got them in this situation in the first place? Getting hyper clear on how they think will help identify a strong starting point. A pro-tip I would also advise, is to find some kind of way to check in on the coachee in a more timely manner than once a month. Weekly, or couple times a week, even if just a text, might be the right level of encouragement/accountability to hold the gains.

Rather than thinking of time management we can think about 'energy management' and with this in mind knowing that we all have a finite amount of energy it is essential that we highlight at the start of each week what our targets are for the week ahead and which activities will support us reaching those targets. This ensures our finite energy is given direction. From here at the end of each week we can reflect on our wins, challenges and reflections for the week.

As an executive coach I've been able to find executives 10-15 hours a week. The higher you rise the more time you need to carve out for yourself to be creative and think about the bigger picture. The only way you can find time to be more strategic is by having someone who can guide you on what meetings to give up, how to best delegate, and explore where you can add the most value to your team and organization. We help you find what you need to say no to in order to grow.

Monitoring progress and result is coachee accountability. Executive coach facilitates coachee to keep on track by guiding coachee to set goals in agenda phase

In my experience, an executive coach significantly broadened my understanding of effective time management through the study of successful executives and the integration of best practices. This journey began with an exploration of case studies that showcased how various leaders harnessed technology to streamline their workflows, prompting me to incorporate similar automation tools. This change alone markedly reduced the hours I dedicated to routine tasks. Moreover, the coach introduced me to cutting-edge research on productivity, emphasizing strategies like time blocking and the importance of downtime.

An executive coach can assist you in distinguishing between best practices and playbook strategies that are truly beneficial and ingrained habits and routines that may be outdated or create unnecessary overhead. While adhering to best practices can lead to quicker, more effective outcomes, a coach can ensure that these practices are implemented correctly. They can help you develop sustainable tactics. Your interactions with a coach provide a safe environment to question whether the methods employed by individuals or groups are truly optimal or simply the result of confident but possibly misguided assertions. Furthermore, a coach can help you enact positive changes in your workplace, fostering engagement with your colleagues and managers.

Managing your Time and Energy applies to both your personal and professional life. The common mistake is that people think about them in isolation. If you work 10 hours a day, do you expect to manage nicely your time when you reach home? Also if you stay up until dawn, do you expect your time management to work well the next day at work?

I am a strong believer that Energy management is way more important than time management. It is managing your energy and plugging it in your schedule and not the other way round. Next time you schedule 7 back to back meetings with no break, please let me know how well your energy can serve you!

Time is an illusion once we comprehend the value or purpose of it. As a coach I always pose the question, Are you interested or committed in this area of your life. Interested only the minimum is done whereas commitment is doing whatever it takes to realise the intent. Next we align on what their purpose, intentions and values are as it relates to their aspirations. We then use a tool called The Wheel of Life, which highlights areas receiving attention versus neglected categories. We rate these categories to identify & discern which requires the most commitment or priority. The focus is then shifted to the most meaningful areas that will deliver significant results within the short to medium term.

Time is Energy, once the client is able to ‘get this’, it’s already a step. When we speak of managing time, the sub-text is inevitably about how the client tackles priorities. A Coach can help the client to understand what they may need to shift to align the two optimally.

Many would agree that time management is energy management. As human beings, we do opt for easy things to do and keep ourselves busy. As a coach, I allow the client to bring to their awareness how they want to manage their energy and focus using multiple techniques. One of my favourite tools at the beginning of most coaching engagements is asking client to ponder on their Wheel of Life. It immediately creates an understanding of investment of energy vs outputs they enjoy. Tools such as Eisenhower Matrix and concepts of traction vs distraction help individuals get back control. Many of the HR and mid-level leaders I coach have understood this value and changed their approach accordingly.

In my executive coaching experience, time management has come up for discussion. I would suggest the following: 1.As a first step , leaders need to assess where is their time involvement high or low and outline it 2.Explore factors that are important for them in prioritising tasks 3.Partner with leaders to figure what is their desired level of time management 4.explore and Assess the gap areas with leaders 5. Partner with leaders to make an action plan where there are accountability norms set.New ideas can be shared with no attachment from the coach side like the Importance and urgency matrix, Pomodoro technique, eat that frog principle etc 6.Review and track progress 7.celebrate client successes and their learning