Project deadlines, meeting, emails – a few of the many forces that make it difficult to stay organized and on schedule. These forces are unpredictable and typically come with the role of an executive.

Time pressures seem to be intensifying. As a result, most executives feel they are not responding effectively to organizational priorities. The key to making the most of the time allotted in a day is to be clear on what the priorities are and aligning them with the way time is spent.

Some of the methods below are often the most overlooked when it comes to managing time. Following these methods will help free up the schedule for those tasks at the top of the priority list and might even result in a better life-work balance.

  • Delegating: Utilize Your Talented Staff

On many occasions executives will ask themselves the question of whether or not they should delegate a task. They ultimately end up deciding to complete the task themselves for fear it will not be done properly or believing it is quicker to do the task rather than take the time to delegate.

Delegating requires the ability for an executive to discriminate between the things he/she must:

1) Do well alone

2) Do alone, but just well enough

3) Delegate and supervise

4) Delegate without supervising

5) Do later

6) Do not do

Following the last four will allow more time to focus on the top priorities. Delegating tasks might initially require time to train the person who inherits the task, but in the long run it will be time worth spent.

  • The Master Calendar: Allocate Your Time

Taking full advantage of a master calendar available to you is vital to staying organized. To be most effective, a busy executive should have an executive assistant working in this master calendar as well to add, reschedule and delete as needed.

Here are some helpful tips when using a calendar.

  • Color code tasks: use a vibrant color for activities such as data analysis or strategic thinking, a calmer color for meetings, a warm color for daily routines and a very cool color such as blue for personal time.
  • Set aside time for planning: it takes time to plan – such as setting up tasks in your calendar – allot time for this.
  • Set realistic gaps between events: pick an amount of time and test it – you can tweak it next time.
  • Meetings – Most are Unproductive

Executives tend to spend most of their time in reporting or information meetings and less time in meetings where decisions are being made. It should be the opposite scenario.

Evaluate the amount of time spent in meetings and make an honest assessment of what meetings are productive. If the meetings are managed within a master calendar, go back and determine if any of these meetings can be eliminated or cut back in time. Repeating the same meetings that are unsupportive of strategic goals or scheduling them because they are corporate tradition is highly counter-productive. Be realistic about it and it will be beneficial to the entire team.

Do you have questions regarding time management, delegation, and leadership? Contact me for more information.