How can you manage your time to be responsive to others?

Setting realistic expectations is extremely important as it will not only make you achieve things effectively and efficiently but it will also declutter your mind from all the not so important tasks.

In my experience, managing time is easy if you become aware of your input versus output time. Work will be there always and sometimes more work will be given to you on an urgent basis. It’s best to draw boundaries and fix a time in the day when you will meet people (without agenda) and relax. At the start of the day, list all the items that’s possible and convey to your team effectively so that they are also informed. Maybe delegate some after you’ve prioritised them as per company’s/work benefit. If at any time, you cannot finish work in time, it’s okay as long as you have given a prior notice about it to someone so that they are also on board with the output. One must clearly convey about one’s own timelines without any stress.

Setting expectations and being clear on those boundaries with others. I love the practice I have seen where you link to a Google doc in your signature with a short, acceptable and compassionate list of your response considerations and agreements - your own response Service level agreement in which you may add a bullet or two that says... I may email you late at night but I don't accept a response! I'm a mum and that works for me and / or my email replies are short, under 200 words to help us all with the information. And or I will respond to emails within 24 hours.

My best approach is setting a daily planner on how my day will be run. And I have to make sure I work within those timelines so that all tasks are covered. It makes it easier to know what targets were completely done, which ones need to be followed up ,and others which may have been postponed or delayed. It also becomes easier to manage expectations and deliver workable solutions.

People are very understanding about prior commitments you have made, when discussing new tasks that will be added to your workload. It’s sets the tone that you are considerate of ensuring that deadlines are met in time and to the degree of what has been agreed upon.

One must take up only those task that are doable within the expected deadline. Prioritizing and completing the assigned task in time is extremely crucial. Delegating tasks to peers and colleagues is also important however you must still take ownership of your task.

As best as you can, try not to be overwhelmed by your plate. The opportunities that are meant for you are on your plate for a reason. Trust that you can, and will do what is best for you and those that you directly impact. Remember that your clients always come first. If you are limited on time, outsource what you are not as skilled at that would require absorbing new information through research.

Technology plays an important role in anything that we do in this day and age. One must use technology wisely and know tricks to speed up the tasks. Microsoft suite is one thing that comes in handy when handling any job or even your personal work for that matter hence knowing it and it's shortcuts is extremely important.

Personally, creating graphics is one of my least favorite things to do for social media. I am incredibly excited to use AI generated images in the near future. Clockify is a great free time management tool that serves as a plug-in to your browser. It helps to know how you are spending the hours of time you have towards certain projects and figure out where delegation may be needed.

One thing that people often neglect is the ability to listen carefully/actively. We are often distracted with so many things and fail to give our full attention during speaking interactions. Aside from respect we should display the genuine interests and encourage two way conversations to have deeper level of empathy by sharing thoughts and experiences.

No matter how much you know or whatever you have achieved, being kind is something that one should always remember. Being humble and understanding will take you a long way. Empathy should never be replaced with ego or attitude no matter what you do in life.

There are ways to be empathetic with others, even when you disagree with what has been said. Provide constructive feedback with clear takeaways for how one can improve, if and when you see room for improvement.

Asking for help doesn't make you small. Intact feedback is that one thing that helps you Learn from your mistakes and know how to do things in a better way.

There’s a saying that ‘there is power in numbers’ and ‘a wise man seeks the council of others’. These two sayings sum up as leaders or as a person what it takes to being effective at what you do. One lesson I’ve learnt throughout my career is that never be afraid to ask questions because that’s when you are able to learn. When you learn you gain knowledge but also gain an opportunity to now impart what you’ve learnt thus creating a continuous cycle. Through our learnings we gain experience and the best experiences come from learning, trying and obtaining feedback. It’s about improvement It’s about building a brand and understanding your role in the whole. It’s about interacting with people trading ideas and discussing solutions.