Management figures can often feel they're rushed off their feet, with too much on their to-do lists. Mastering time management will help you reduce your overtime and use your working hours wisely.
When you're in a senior position, it can often feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. You have a lot of demand for your time, so learning to manage that time effectively is key. We've got five strategies to help.
The first thing you should do is organise your workspace. You can waste a lot of time looking for things which aren't in the right place, so set things out in a logical, ordered way.
Secondly, embrace the daily to-do list. Start with the most important jobs at the top and those which can sit on the back-burner at the bottom, then work your way through them.
Thirdly, work offline. We spend far too much time online, where it's easy to get distracted. Smartphone and email pings can throw you off your stride, and studies show it can take upwards of half an hour to get your concentration back after a distraction. There's nothing wrong with a quiet space, a notebook and a pen.
Fourthly, know when to delegate. If you have too much on your plate, pass some of the less important daily tasks onto someone who has more time for them.
Finally, know your priorities - set out the things you need to prioritise in the days, weeks, months, even years ahead. Even trivial things count, like which emails you need to reply to now and which can wait.
Time management is a skill which improves with practise, but these five tactics are a good starting point if you want to make the best use of the working day.
Organise your workspace
Make to-do lists
Work offline
Know when to delegate
Know your priorities
