Ditching the concept of ‘time management’, could be the key to getting things done, according to Karen Meager and John McLachlan
The demands of senior leaders seem to be ever increasing. With the needs of clients, stakeholders, employees, managers, and responsibilities outside work all requiring more and more time, it can be difficult to know how to ensure everything receives adequate attention. Life can begin to feel like a slender balancing act, in which one challenge can throw off your whole rhythm.
It is actually much more beneficial for your ability to allocate your time to ditch the idea of ‘time management’.
This phrase implies that you can control time, but in reality, you can only control how you spend it. You will choose to spend your time on the things most important to you, so taking an audit of these is a great place to start that will help you begin to recognise what works for you. Some people are more productive putting smaller tasks at the beginning of the day, while others will put them in between larger tasks. Some people will make a to-do list each day with timings, while others may make monthly goals. Work within whatever parameters are best for you. Whilst it will be completely personal to you, there are some strategies you can implement that will help you organise your allocation of time more effectively and ensure you and your team are as productive as possible.
Multitasking may not be as beneficial as you think
It is a common conception that if you are working on multiple tasks at the same time, you are being much more productive because each task is being allocated a portion of your brain power – therefore if you are thinking about a task whilst you are working on other important tasks, then you should be able to find the best solution. While this could be the case, it is actually more beneficial to spend your time thinking about one task at a time. If a task is particularly complex, you should always use your full brain power as opposed to splitting your thinking ability.
Work seamlessly with your team
When many different personalities come together in the workplace, it is likely that their working preferences will all be slightly different. Sometimes these personalities can clash and cause workplace conflict that may require your attention as a leader. When everyone automatically looks to you for guidance during challenges, it can be very time consuming and distracting. Events outside your control will always arise, however, if you empower your team and managers with the skills to be able to sort these conflicts themselves, less of your time will be spent here. Similarly, if you spend time getting to know your line managers, they may be able to represent you in meetings, freeing up your time as you will feel comfortable that they know exactly how to represent you.
Sometimes, individuals might end up working in a certain way because that is how everyone else works, not because it is the most effective for them. Wherever possible, the working preferences of all members of the team should be accounted for and this will benefit the whole team as people will be working in a way that is most productive for them. With regards to time, some people think in smaller time chunks – such as minutes or hours – because that is the easiest way for them to split their time to reach their goals, whereas others think more long-term. Allocating the correct time-thinker to the correct task will ensure it is completed in a timely manner and will actually free up your time because you can trust the task will be completed on schedule. When putting teams together to work on a new project or client, encourage a well-blended mix of time thinkers to work together, as both short and long term goals will be given attention and this will push people to see things from a different perspective. As a leader, utilise other time thinkers in your team that like to do tasks you may not enjoy – it will make your organisation more efficient.
To speed up, you need to slow down
Another common way people think they are managing their time effectively is to work through all their tasks as quickly as possible because they think productivity is simply accomplishing as many tasks in the day as possible. Whilst this may be true, these tasks might not have been completed to as high a standard as they could have been if they were worked through at a slower pace, allowing you to consider all avenues possible. Similarly, a quick decision could come with consequences you might not have considered, which will require you to spend more time and energy later. Instead, spending more time now considering two additional choices will help you to find the most effective solution and will increase your confidence in the decisions you make.
Avoid thinking about a balancing act
‘Work life balance’ is a common phrase used to describe how you choose to split your time between life inside and outside the workplace, however thinking of this as a balancing act could be making allocating your time even more difficult as you automatically feel as if you are missing out. It is important to stamp out a concept of ‘too much to do and not enough time to do it’ in the workplace that creates an always-on culture. It should not automatically be the case and needs to be addressed to ensure that everyone is working productively and healthily within their contracted hours to allow them to create their optimum life rhythm.
In reality, work and life cannot be balanced off against each other. Work is a part of your life and it is up to you how much this features in your life rhythm. Instead of thinking of tasks and responsibilities as a trade off, focus on creating a daily or weekly rhythm that works for you and think about what gives and drains you of energy. Take a week to see what boosts or drains your energy and, where possible, focus more upon doing the things that give you an energy boost. For example, large networking events may be something that drains your energy but these are a requirement of your current role. Instead of forcing yourself into them or avoiding them quickly, make them work for you and attend a couple a month that are smaller with someone you already know and can introduce you to others.
Going back to basics and reconfiguring how you think about time will go a long way in helping you become a time master. Slowing down and moving away from multi-tasking will actually help you to find the best solution to tasks and empowering others in your team and utilising their time preferences will free up your time for other important tasks. Don’t just manage time, invest the time to master it and you will be the most effective leader.
Karen Meager and John McLachlan set up Monkey Puzzle Training and Consulting to support leaders and teams in their professional and personal growth through training, coaching and business strategy events. They take the latest scientific and academic thinking and make it accessible and usable in peoples’ work and everyday life.
Monkey Puzzle teach people to understand their thought processes and why they (and others) behave in the way they do. These skills enable individuals to choose how they want to behave to get the results they want, which leads to a less stressful, more fulfilling life. Download the first chapter of Karen and John’s Time Mastery book.
