You're struggling to manage your time as a consultant. What can you do to improve?

Dizer n?o com sabedoria. Isso envolve comunicar sua negativa de forma respeitosa, clara e empática. Seja direto, sem rodeios. N?o é "n?o"; n?o é "veja bem" , "talvez", "ent?o"... Mas depois de dizer "n?o", dê uma breve explica??o do porque voce está dizendo n?o. Mas evite justificativas excessivas. Se houver insistencia, tente oferercer alternativas mas continue com o seu "n?o". E termine a conversa com um tom amigável e aberto.

Start listing down the daily task list and priority to the task. Start your day with previous day left out points and new task. Along with daily task list maintain long term goal and way measure your goal monthly or quarterly basis

Understanding the current situation is absolutely necessary to plan the course of action. One needs to understand the current challenges and pain points to carve a roadmap towards improvements. Having a tracker of activities with deadlines and deliverables can help for a start. 1. List of activities/actions 2. Timelines for deliverables 3. Goals 4. Identify gaps & opportunities (failure modes) 5. Plan of action 6. Tracking the activity progress

1. You cannot control something you do not measure. That is the key point. You need to implement tracking of the time into your daily routine 2. Write down all your daily/weekly/monthly tasks and prioritize them. 3. Define the main areas of your expertise. Analyze which activity generates the bigger result and focus on that. Invest as much time into this as possible and delegate/outsource all the rest 4. Use your calendar for business and personal life. Book time for your family. Book time for yourself. 5. “recharge your batteries”. You need to be in a resourceful condition to stay focused and hit your goals 6. Do one thing at a time. Multitasking is getting you busy. You will spend more time switching between tasks

I learned early on in my career to make weekly resets when it comes to planning. This is because we live in an organic , moving world and need to ADAPT to external situations. Managing your time, means managing your responses correctly to outside unexpected variables. The same goes for quarterly resets and yearly resets (further on in your career). By every week taking Sunday evening / Monday morning to take a step back before going in to my day 2 day , I am able to keep track of the main priorities that week (driven by clients) and stay focused on the quick wins against which I will be measured by my team. I use a combination of iOS app “things” for small personal tasks and Trello/Jira for collaborative tasks.

In Digital era, definition of SMART needs to be Systematic and scientific, Measurable in precise terms, Actionable, Result oriented, Time-enabled. SMART goals are crucial for consultants grappling with time management challenges as it provides a structured framework for defining clear objectives and action plans. SMART goals clarify what needs to be accomplished with constraints but fostering accountability and focus. Overall, SMART goals enhance productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness in time management efforts.

What I have found useful is to set aside some time every week to take a look at how you are doing. Check in on your progress, reshuffle your goals if needed, and tweak your goals. Think about what has been going well, what areas need fixing up, and then adjust goals accordingly.

It’s easier to succeed when you have cleary defined objectives that are based in reality.Teams often Call Short of meeting their goals due to a lack of consensus on the detinition of success.Smart goals use a specific set of criteria to help a specific objectives are cleary defined. Working though each step of creating a Smart goal where priorities resources.

Define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals for managing your time more effectively. For example, aim to allocate a certain number of hours to client work each day or reduce time spent on non-essential activities by a specific percentage.

Setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals helps consultants focus on key objectives, track progress, and maintain accountability. It ensures clarity, guides priorities, and enhances productivity by providing a roadmap for success in time management.

Give yourself time to plan. Map your diary with recurring planning time a. Force yourself to do lists and work through them - it’s cathartic and also action-orientated so that you naturally start to focus on what’s important, and eliminate the rest. Accept there is always more to do (in life) so create boundaries to support all of your plans, tasks and give yourself time to breathe.

In my experience, consulting is all about juggling between multiply projects and stakeholders and one of the easiest ways to multitask is creating a to-do list. You can start by creating a simple to-do for each day and then over time evolve to categorising them by urgency / dependency / whether it is a pre-work or deliverable or operational etc. Creating a to-do will help prioritise work for each day while at the same time serving as a reminder of pending actions. And not to forget, there is a very real satisfaction in ticking things off from a list! :)

Don't procrastinate. If you have some time available, address your non-urgent tasks because you never know when urgent issues will drop on top of your head and eat up your available capacity.

This seems to be the easiest and yet, most challenging thing to do. We are driven by a multi task, culture that has even the most seasoned of us doing a lot of little. Consider making your action list and sticking to it: put text, emails side bar, research, aside until your first actions are completed. Make a WRITTEN note on your follow up actions. Set a block of time that is dedicated to emails, BD, return calls etc. (I use the early morning and 3 pm afternoon). The task(s) at hand are enough for today.

It is more important to move n the right direction that to produce a lot (as only whatever is needed first would be valued). In my experience it is not easy to define priorities and despite having many methods, it can be very hard to align on priorities and it is very subjective most times. What I found useful is excessive communication up, down and across to align and reach an agreement on what is a priority.

I have found it very helpful to block time on your calendar for focused work sessions when you are at the height of your energy and focus. That way nobody can schedule a call or meeting during your most productive hours.

Notice what are the main distractions that stop you from focusing. - If it’s social media, have your phone on plane mode or even leave it in another room so it is out of reach. - If it’s receiving email notifications, switch off Outlook. I doubt the house will burn if you are unreachable for 1-2 hours. - If it’s your colleagues barging into your office, try and work from home. - If it’s your kids at home, do the opposite and go to the office. Just find ways to bypass the distractions so they are not able to find you.

Las distracciones son "el" gran mal para la gestión del tiempo. Mi teléfono está en silencio y sin vibración. Está en modo trabajo. Tengo quitadas las notificaciones en el ordenador. Así y todo, a veces me veo saltando de una red social a otra, pero, por ello implemento esos descansos cada 25/30 minutos. Trato de mantener el foco durante un período que me permita avanzar.

Managing distractions involves creating a conducive work environment, setting boundaries, and implementing strategies to 'stay focused' on tasks at hand. Today, we are surrounded by instruments of distractions like Smart phones and its applications, OTT, Online gaming, Social Media where an average human spends at least 6-7 hours daily as per recent study. Distractions can increase stress, derail productivity, disrupt workflow. By minimizing distractions, consultants can maintain momentum, enhance concentration, and optimize their efficiency in completing critical tasks. Moreover, managing distractions fosters discipline, cultivates a proactive mindset, and enables consultants to make meaningful progress towards their goals.

While doing your daily task, email and chat are major distraction but those are important too. Block your free time in calendar for some hours or look for the time of day when emails and chat are less so you more focus task completion.

As consultants, we often face the temptation to overcommit when opportunities arise, fearing they may not come again. However, this approach can quickly lead to feeling overwhelmed and impact the quality of our work. Build a team that can support you during peak periods, allowing you to focus on more important tasks. Resist the urge to accept every project that comes your way. Prioritise quality over quantity, and keep a healthy work-life balance.

I think you can start with low hanging fruits and then aim for the tough ones. Managing workload is like an exam the more you accomplish the better it is. If you are stuck move on to the next.90% of times you will get the resolution while doing the following task

Delegation of work - this is crucial especially if you’re in mid level in your consulting career.. this is not easy at all and definitely not easy in consulting.. it’s a chicken egg story where you need to invest time and effort in training juniors when you yourself are struggling for time.. so how do we release ourselves from this “catch 22 situation”? How does one delegate work in a demanding environment like consulting? 1) make sure your junior colleagues are adequately packed with work 2) give them realistic timelines to come back to you with their first level of iterations 3) plan deliverables in advance 3) assign work early during the day and focus on your own work during the rest of the day with minor and not too frequent checkins

Managing workload balance involves assessing priorities, setting realistic expectations, and delegating tasks when necessary to prevent burnout and ensure sustainable productivity. It's crucial for consultants facing time management challenges as an imbalanced workload can lead to stress, decreased performance, and compromised quality of work. By maintaining equilibrium, consultants can optimize their energy levels, maintain focus on key objectives, and deliver consistently high-quality results. Moreover, workload balance promotes work-life integration, enhances overall well-being, and fosters long-term professional growth and success.

Assess how you got in this overburdened situation: did you get here by digging yourself into a hole? Maybe it's time to stop digging then. Evaluate your processes and invest in an efficiency solve. Remember, your goal isn't necessarily to complete the task, it's to solve the client's problem. I recommend getting some fresh air and sunshine while you review where your time is going and ways you can invest your bandwidth more impactfully.

Review and improve is key - and I've found the ability to estimate the amount of time that a task will REALLY take is a super skill that most do not possess. If you hone your estimating skills by reviewing past estimates, compare that estimate to the actual time spent, and learn from that - you will be a more valuable team member. You will be more effective at hitting timelines, creating estimates, and judging other's effectiveness.

Regularly evaluate your time management strategies and assess their effectiveness. Keep track of how you're spending your time and adjust your approach as needed. Experiment with different techniques and tools to find what works best for you and continuously strive for improvement.

Reviewing and improving your time management processes is essential for continuous growth and efficiency as a consultant. By regularly evaluating your strategies and outcomes, you can identify areas for enhancement and refine your approach to time management. This involves analyzing feedback from clients, colleagues, and stakeholders to understand what is working well and what could be improved. Additionally, conducting a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis helps you assess your current situation objectively and uncover potential areas of improvement. Implementing the PDCA, monitor their effectiveness, and make adjustments as needed, and achieve better results in your consulting projects.

Review and improve is something that should be ingrained in your thinking. Ammending your p&p regularly. Always learn from your failures and successes.

At the end of each week, I reflect on my workload management strategies and identify areas for improvement. For example, if I notice that certain tasks consistently take longer than expected, I explore ways to streamline processes or allocate additional resources to optimize efficiency in the future.

If you’re struggling with time management, as a consultant or freelancer it could be that you’re having a value or priority struggle rather than a time management struggle. It may not be about time but rather about how much you perceive your own value (ie you’re taking on too much in the fear of not having enough as a “freelancer” (and not charging enough), or you’re prioritising incorrectly, such as spending too much time on clients whose work is cumbersome or time consuming , but not paying enough, for whatever reason (usually something like incorrect management of expectations or over delivery).

#Reflect on how badly you would like to manage time: ?? If the stakes are not high, you would probably continue the as is situation irrespective of whatever strategies you would employ ? ?? If you are really focused, intentionally increase your stakes: you will become the boss & time will be your Servant ?

Manage my meeting schedule in a manner that does not stress and overload me. As a consultant I need to give time to my clients and meetings can be stretched than the time frame. So I will schedule some meetings and one at site.

As consultants, there are lots of meetings, calls, and deadlines and your schedules could turn into a mess. But, time blocking can really help when you set aside specific chunks of time for different tasks or activities. You can set aside focused time for important client meetings, focusing on project work, and personal development. This way, you have your own uninterrupted slots for doing some serious deep work, without having to constantly switch gears.

Running 5k a day! This may sound counter productive, as running consumes energy. However, this is the best thing that has helped me sail through MBA and consulting. Starting to work while still trying to turn-on your brain cells vs starting with endorphins rushing through your arteries and already tingling your nerves! Adequate workout, proper diet, and sufficient sleep are under-rated productivity boosts. Moreover, walking coffee breaks in the afternoons are also a worthwhile to shakeout the drowsiness while pumping the endorphins with caffeine!