Time Management GM/OPS MANAGER

Few of us are confronted to this issue on the daily basis; how can I possibly be as efficient as possible and achieve results when it seems that there is so much to do. I have started to ask myself the question as I have been lucky enough to get promoted to a new role which involves being on different sites and handling various projects at once. The main question is how can I still be very hands on whilst not being able to meet up with my management nor being able to be involved in all the points of the business. Whilst still on the quest for the best method here are some tips which can help:

1-   Train your management team

The more responsibilities you are given, the less you will be able to achieve if you are not in same wavelengths with your managers/supervisors. Once your responsibilities in the business increase, in prior to start developing the new project focus first in passing all your knowledge and your day-to-day routine to your second in command; spend as much time as possible to develop the people who will be expecting to take the lead whilst you are not there; failing to do so will result in yourself failing to succeed in your role.

2-   Delegate

Easier to say than to do. Yes, things will not be the exactly as you wish all the time; but as your role grow within the company you should be able to see the bigger picture. Allow your team to make mistake. It is I agree an annoying process yet I believe a very important one. The more will be able to delegate, the more efficient you will become. Especially in hospitality you have to remember some fundamentals that a good manager is a great people person who loves customer service and able to jump in any part of the business. Is it very efficient in a role of GM/operations manager to spend most of his time on the floor? I am starting to think not. You should still be able to do it whenever necessary but this should not be your primary function.

3-   Prioritise

Once you are done with developing your management team and able to delegate as much as possible; it is now time to prioritise. There’s many priorities in a daily life of a manager but the main three I believe are

-      Taking care of your team: be firm but fair; and mostly make sure you nurture your team well and allow them to grow. You are only as good as your weakest link therefore having a performing and happy team should be YOUR priority

-      Increase Sales: at the end of the day; whether it is by creating new activations, developing strategies or simply having new offers; your main role is to generate more revenues in order to have a sustainable and viable business for your company and for your staff

-      Cost control: it goes without saying that this is of your main priorities. Every single cost of your business needs constant review; this is taking a lot of time but will insure that your business is performing at its best

4-   Be Organized

There’s no right or wrong method; you simply have find yours. Mine is quite old school with having everything written in my diary and time allocation. After 2 decades working crazy hours in hospitality I have finally came to the conclusion that it is not necessary to work 14-17 hours every day, you are just making yourself more exhausted and at the end you are not that productive as the tiredness gets the better of you. 10 -12 hours should be the maximum daily I believe to be really efficient. Prepare a day in advance and try even with unforeseen circumstances to stay as close as possible in line with your schedule. Before meeting or briefing your team; ensure you take time to prepare to be as efficient as possible.

The above are just a dot in the ocean of managing your time but hope it will help some of you as a starting point in organising your days more efficiently.

Thanks for reading

Michael Fons