How to: Manage Your Time

What does this look like?

Managers who know how to manage time well:

• are time conscious
• use time wisely
• concentrate on important priorities
• work efficiently.

How can I do this?

1.    Prioritise effectively

• Consider all the tasks you have to do and categorise them as either:
• mission-critical
• important to get done
• nice to do if time allows
• not central to what you’re trying to achieve.
• Focus on the ones that are higher up the list.
• Distinguish between tasks that are urgent and tasks that are important. Don’t let the urgent crowd out the important.
• Be careful not to favour the tasks you like doing while neglecting the ones you don’t like doing.

2.    Make plans

Making plans will help you to use your time effectively. Even if you don’t think you have time to plan, it’s worth making the effort because it saves time in the long run.

• Plan what you want to achieve in a year, a month, a week and a day. Write task lists for every day.
• Make plans for large tasks or projects. Identify:
• the goal
• tasks and resources required
• timeframes
• how you’ll measure progress.
• Create timelines and flowcharts if helpful.
• Involve others in developing your plans and helping you set priorities, if appropriate.

3.    Manage your time efficiently

These tips can help you to manage time efficiently.

• Stay conscious of time throughout the day.
• Do the most difficult tasks at your most productive time. For example, if you’re a morning person, do your hardest tasks then and save easier work for later in the day.
• Set yourself deadlines.
• Set agendas for meetings and conversations. Keep them as brief as possible. When it’s time to move on, just say ‘I have to keep going. Perhaps we can pick this up some other time.’
• Identify time wasters—think about the last week and the things you spent too much time on. Make a plan to reduce time wasters.
• Put a value on your time. Think about your hourly payrate and ask whether tasks deserve the amount of time you give them?
• Delegate any tasks you don’t have to do yourself.
• Don’t let perfectionism stand in the way of getting things done on time. Rather than aiming for perfection every time, set your standards according to what’s reasonable in the time you have.

4.    Learn to say no

It’s hard to manage time when you don’t like saying no. But it’s something you can work on.

• Try to say no to tasks that aren’t as important as other things you have to do.
• Learn to negotiate—ask how important jobs are and when they need to be done by. Let people know you have other important jobs you have to attend to.

5.    Respect others’ time

• Be mindful that others usually have time constraints, like you. Don’t use more of their time than you have to. Think about:
• what is it essential for them to know?
• how can I communicate with them most efficiently?
• Recognise and respect when people communicate verbally or non-verbally that they need to move on. Schedule another opportunity to talk if you have to.

6.    Learn from others

• Observe and learn from others who manage time well. Try to apply what you learn.
• Ask others for feedback. Ask whether they think you manage time well and how you could improve.

You may find this challenging if you…

• don’t like planning or setting priorities
• find it hard to stick to a plan
• lose track of time
• tend to waste time and procrastinate
• are disorganised
• switch from task to task without thinking much about it
• are easily distracted.

You may be too focused on managing time if you…

• are impatient with others’ agenda and pace
• don’t take time to rest, recover and celebrate success
• don’t allow time for building rapport and making people feel comfortable.