What do you do if you're struggling to manage your time effectively as an executive?

TIP - The key to effective time management is consistency in your chosen method. Before diving into various strategies, reflect on your motivations and how you'll maintain discipline. Gradual implementation is crucial; start with one change at a time, allowing it to become a habit before introducing another. This incremental approach helps build a sustainable routine, ensuring long-term success. Ask yourself why improving time management matters to you and how you'll commit to these changes, setting a solid foundation for personal discipline and focus.

Categorizes tasks based on urgency and importance. And another approach is to consider deadlines, impact on goals, and dependencies to determine priority levels.

Adept time management is paramount for success in executive leadership. Executives must adopt a strategic approach when faced with challenges in this domain. Prioritization serves as the cornerstone. With techniques such as Eisenhower's Urgent/Important Principle while mitigating time-wasting behaviors like multitasking. Collaboration and delegation are essential. By delegating tasks and leveraging networks, executives can perfect time utilization and foster a culture of trust. Concurrently, assertive boundary-setting and judiciously saying "no" are essential to avoid overcommitment. Strategic time management for executives revolves around prioritization, self-awareness, and collaboration.

Executives often feel overwhelmed by their to-do lists. So, why not try a "not-to-do" list? This means deciding where not to spend your time, which helps highlight where you should focus. Imagine this: by noting down tasks to avoid—like unnecessary meetings or constantly checking emails—you create more time for meaningful work. It's like clearing the weeds from a garden to give your chosen plants—the priorities—room to grow and thrive. This method doesn't just help you prioritise tasks; it's about choosing quality over quantity and focus over distraction. Your "not-to-do" list can protect your time, ensuring your energy goes to tasks that matter. It's about strategically removing tasks to improve your work and personal satisfaction.

Time management comes with focus. Focus comes with clear picture of goals. Goals comes from a purpose. I always suggest me mentees to first figure out where they want to reach, ie the Goals, be clear on the purpose of that Goal, then working backwards, strategize the actions required to reach that Goal. Once the strategy is in place woth the bigger picture in mind, chunk down the actions into daily practices. Create a daily plan and stick to it.

TIP - When delegating, consider these practical tips: 1) Match tasks to the strengths and development goals of your team members. 2) Clearly communicate expectations and outcomes. 3) Establish check-in points for progress updates. 4) Encourage autonomy while remaining accessible for guidance. 5) Acknowledge and appreciate their efforts and achievements. This approach not only enhances your time management but also fosters a culture of trust and growth within your team.

Delegation can help to free your time while tasks still get done. The only way to take advantage of delegation is if you avoid micromanaging the delegation. You need to trust your employees to make the right decisions, even if they aren't the same that you would make. The goal is the outcome and not the process. As an additional benefit from delegating, your team will build self efficacy. They will be able to be more independent in the future and be able to take on more tasks from you. By delegating you are not only freeing time in the present but also in the future.

Delegation is paramount for executives seeking to master time management. It's about leveraging the strengths of your team to lighten your workload. As a leader, evaluating tasks and assigning them appropriately allows you to focus on strategic initiatives while fostering team growth. Remember, effective delegation isn't just about offloading tasks it's about empowering your team to excel. Trust their capabilities, offer guidance, and watch as both you and your team thrive. As Helen Keller wisely said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

Delegate effectively as an executive by identifying tasks suited to others' skills and expertise. Clearly communicate expectations, deadlines, and desired outcomes. Provide necessary resources and support. Empower team members with autonomy and trust. Regularly monitor progress and offer guidance as needed. Delegating effectively maximises productivity and fosters team growth.

Antes de o executivo delegar, por mais incrível que pare?a, ele precisa ter plena consciência conceitual do conceito de delega??o versus empoderamento e de como fazer isso. Esse ponto é muito relevante devido às diferentes gera??es, backgrounds e culturas das empresas. Além disso, existe o especialista que virou líder e n?o foi preparado para isso. Na hora do "fogo", o modo especialista entra em a??o e ele se envolve mais diretamente nas tarefas do que necessário, construindo com isso um sistema viciado nesse tipo de gest?o.

Avoiding interruptions require that you communicate externally when you are going to be focused and under what circumstances you can be interrupted if it isn't avoidable. It also requires that you respect your own boundaries and don't attend other issues during your focus time. And of course that you use your focus time for the intended work. To improve this kind of focus you can practice mindfulness, being present and focus in the now. One tool you can use to carve focus time is to use a pomodoro timer and stick to not paying attention to anything else during that period of time, usually 20 minutes.

Limit interruptions to manage time effectively. Set specific times for communication, such as email or meetings, and minimise distractions during focused work periods. Use tools like time-blocking or "do not disturb" features. Communicate boundaries to colleagues and prioritize tasks accordingly, ensuring uninterrupted periods for maximum productivity and concentration.

One crucial aspect to limit interruptions is eliminating all distractions during your focus time. Start with scheduling a 2h slot dedicated to strategic tasks. Opting for early morning or late hours can alleviate FOMO (fear of missing out). Before starting, shut down all potential distractions. Close all apps on your computer, including email and messaging platforms like MS Teams. Additionally, silence your mobile devices and place them out of sight, as research indicates even the sight of a silent phone can disrupt concentration. Enlist the support of someone close, such as your partner, to send you a reminder shortly before the first session. External support significantly increases the likelihood of getting things done!

Allocate designated periods for emails and communication, allowing you to concentrate on tasks with full attention. Implementing strategies like 'no meeting' days or uninterrupted work blocks, and ensuring your team respects these times, can significantly enhance productivity and focus.

Limiting distractions should be a priority, with the world we live in constantly finding new ways to cause distractions been able to limit or not give it to it helps to foster success

Use tools wisely to enhance time management as an executive. Employ productivity apps, calendars, and task management tools to organise schedules and prioritise tasks. Use communication platforms effectively for streamlined collaboration. Automate repetitive tasks where possible. Regularly evaluate tool usage to ensure they align with goals and contribute to efficiency.

The biggest tool for managing time effectively is to seek continuous stakeholder feedback and reflection. Calendars, task lists and phone buzzers can be quite futile without enough feedback on what is going right, and where one is falling off the track. While one can monitor (at least attempt to do so by oneself), objectivity can be lost easily due to self-beliefs or patterns regarding what is important and urgent. So, seeking time from a few key stakeholders (team members, boss, or even peers), and asking with courage where one can be more time effective , cane prove to be the most useful tool.

One of the main challenges of executives is managing numerous responsibilities simultaneously. Consider utilizing Trello: a browser-based Kanban board that facilitates visualising your tasks and applying agile concepts like reduce work in progress (WIP). Customize your Trello board to by adapting the lists to reflect your workflow stages such as "Backlog", "Weekly Shortlist", "Today" for tasks to be completed within the day, and "Done" for completed tasks. You can incorporate the Eisenhower Matrix by utilizing colored tags "Important" and "Urgent". Alternatively, create colored cards labeled "? IMPORTANT ?" and "? URGENT ?" as visual dividers within a list. A "? PENDING ?" card can separate cards to track tasks awaiting external input.

As a coach, mastering time management is crucial to optimize productivity and ensure I can provide the best support to my clients. I implement various strategies, including the Pomodoro technique, to structure my workdays effectively. By breaking tasks into manageable intervals and taking regular breaks, I can maintain focus and avoid burnout. Colourcoding my calendar and using task management software such as Trello helps me prioritise tasks and allocate time for client sessions, personal development, and admin work. I incorporate focus music during work sessions to enhance concentration, and I silence notifications to minimise distractions during crucial coaching sessions.

Time management and task management tools can be overwhelming and consequently more of hurdle and less of help. If they work for your great but if they don't wow about we go back to basics like blocking slots on calendars, writing to do lists with highlighted top 3 priorities and putting an alarm clock to remind us of mini break time?

Regularly reviewing how you spend your time can help to understand how you can be more intentional and realistic. You might discover that some tasks take more time that what you usually allocate for. Accepting it will help you to prioritize accordingly. You might find that you are spending time in activities that don't require your attention and that you can ignore or delegate. This kind of introspection will help you run regular experiments to make continuous improvements in your time allocation.

Self care vital for time management. When we are caught up in the stresses of urgent priorities we often forget to look after ourselves. We become stressed which is no good for the team or us. How many of us think we can catch up either at the end of the day or early in the morning when it is quiet? The problem is that habit grows with the workload. We forget about managing our time as we can stay as late as needed. Instead take a break, walk at lunch time, make a cup of tea, finish work on time. Pause during the day to think about what you are trying to achieve and how best to do it. Try to switch off in the evenings. When refreshed you will work and think better. Your team and family will thank you.

Consistently reviewing your time management practices is crucial for continuous improvement. Dedicate time each week to reflect on your strategies: Are you frequently overcommitting? Do certain tasks consistently exceed their allotted time? Use these insights to refine your approach, whether by reallocating time or reassessing commitments. Embracing a mindset of continuous improvement ensures ongoing mastery of time management skills.

In such scenario, prioritise your tasks and first of all, prioritise your self-care. If your or mentally and physically fit, you can do all other things done on set time. After taking your time and getting refresh then plan your to-do list by following these steps 1- Prioritise your tasks according to their importance 2- Avoid interruptions during your work by setting limits 3- Use system and tools wisely to effectively use your time and increase work efficiency 4- Always consider your to-do list before accepting any new task to avoid unnecessary burdens

Do you slot your physical and mental health care on your calendar just like you slot any other task? One of the things I do with my clients is have a sneak peek into their calendar (of course minding confidentiality) and I make sure to encourage having their personal stuff slotted there. Whether it is a doctor appointment or a 5pm yoga class, slot it. You are not meant to have leftovers of your time for the things that in fact recharge your batteries. You are meant to have proper ample time to look after yourself before you actually reach exhaustion.

When I was in management consulting, I learned to time block my calendar. Since, I have implemented time blocking with color coding to track categories. People often wonder how I can be so external in the community, and get so much done? 1) I am focused when I am in the office and have a great team whom I can delegate to. 2) I look ahead two months in advance, and mark the high priorities like my board prep, strategic planning and committees, and the other boards that I serve on. 3) I reverse engineer what are those priorities that I can only do, and I block out external events, supporter visits or campus tours. 4) My internal meetings are on Mondays, and then on Fridays I focus on my own projects, supporter stewardship and pre-planning.

Managing your time effectively as an executive isn't easy; thats the first thing to acknowledge - because the alternative is to feel like a failure. Working with 1000's of leaders over the years who have had this challenge; you're not alone. The key is making some tough decisions about what you really need to do vs. what you think you need to do. Step 1 - Tends to be to accept that not managing your time better is effecting your performance on all fronts Step 2 - Define priorities - what does your boss want? What do you want to be known for in work & at home? Then compare lists - you can't do it all. Step 3 - 'Ruthlessly narrow down to 3 key deliverables under each heading & allocate R & R - yours; to oversee more & do less. Stefan

Poor time management can result from various deeper causes, such as an inability to communicate clearly, resistance to delegating appropriately, and lack of clarity regarding one's role. In my practice, I have identified 12 common root causes. Understanding the root cause is essential to finding the right tool.

Get an excellent executive assistant. Empower them by being clear about what you need and expect, and build a solid and meaningful relationship with your executive assistant. Have regular check-ins with them and experiment together on what works best. An executive assistant can do so much more for an executive than we might think.