A 4-Step Method for Creating Time (for Managers only!)

It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste time. Henry Ford

You as a manager have as much time as you need.  True or false?  If you answered false, here are some ideas for you to create time!  Could you use a little more?  Then read on…

How are you actually spending your time? Do you know?  Or is the day gone without accomplishing the really important things in your agenda? If you had a great project idea or development strategy, would you have any time to devote to it? Look at this easy method for creating more time in your management schedule.

1.  Look at the tasks that you must carry out daily.  The best way to do this is to keep a schedule for yourself, for no more than one week.  (This is a method that accountants use daily, so you can commit to it for just one week!)
 
2 , Rate these tasks in this order.  Important, Marginal, Useless.  Use + or – as needed
to refine further.

 

     TIME                      TASK                         RATING
                  
8:00 – 8:15        Answered emails                  V
8:15 – 8:30        Spoke with admin staff        M
8:30 -  8:45        Spoke with admin staff        M
8:45 – 9:00        Took phone calls                  M
9:00 – 9:15        Took phone calls                  U
9:15 – 9:45        Meeting with client                 I

 

3.  After this week has passed, classify all the time you have spent that week under those categories.
 
•    Reading (emails, correspondence)
•    Writing
•    Meetings
•    Interactions with people (teams or individuals)
•    Travelling
•    Making/receiving phone calls
•    Prioritizing
•    Delegating
•    Other (note)

4.  Look at these categories, and how the time falls into each one. This will give you insight into how you create your own agenda.  Are you organizing your time in the most useful way?  Obviously, you need to cut down as much as possible on the M’s and U’s.   Now that you have a week of them to consider, you have increased your awareness of where the time is going. And can create your new agenda accordingly.  Using the same 15-minute blocks of time, prioritize tasks according to the following three criteria:

A = Must be attended to today
B = Today or tomorrow
C = Within the next few days

It doesn’t matter what you use for a daily organizer, as long as you estimate your time and rate your priorities.  Just be sure to limit your agenda entries to these three categories listed below:

DAILY ORGANIZER

•    Meetings and Appointments
•    Telephone calls and emails
•    Tasks (rated by priority)

Follow this procedure for at least one week, and see how differently you look at what yo spent your time on before.  Then take that extra time you just created and make the best use of it!