Time Management on Steroids

One of the most important issues facing my clients is time management. They are over-scheduled, perennially interrupted, covering for others’ mistakes, and solving dozens of challenges.

I was working with a client in his office and within a brief ten-minute slice of time, four different people “dropped in” to ask something. When the fourth person walked in, he just looked at me and started to laugh. This man’s workday really begins in the evening, and obviously, that isn’t sustainable over time.

The Value of Consistent Action

Do you add so many tasks to your to-do list that it becomes harder to keep up as the days creep on? Many people have this challenge, especially with so much pressure to do more in less time.

Most leaders keep up (or try to keep up) with urgent activities, such as client-related deadlines, internal deliverables, or follow-up meetings. If you have a deadline, you’re more likely to get it done.

A Hidden Cost of Procrastination

Most leaders understand that procrastination can delay progress, frustrate teams, and stall decision-making. But there’s a less obvious—and often more damaging—consequence: you can actually lose something important.

Opportunities don’t sit on the shelf waiting for us to get around to them. When you delay action, the landscape can shift without warning.

Managing Time When There Isn’t Enough of It: Executive Strategies

For many executives, time is the one resource that never stretches far enough. Endless meetings, decision fatigue, and urgent tasks often crowd out strategic thinking. The key isn’t finding more hours – it’s choosing how to best invest them.

Ruthlessly Prioritize. Start each week by identifying your top three priorities. Try to do this when you’re least distracted, otherwise you may miss the mark. Your priorities should align with your biggest responsibilities, not just your most urgent tasks. Keep in mind the 80/20 rule: focus energy on the 20% of activities that drive 80% of impact.

Create Your Own Momentum

Have you ever gotten so wrapped up in a project that you completely lost track of time? It feels great when that happens – you’re working “in the zone” and are usually in a peak productive state.

But how can you replicate that feeling on a regular basis? You need to learn to create your own momentum. What you’ll find is that although it’s a little different for each person, certain factors are universal.

Exit the Scramble Spectrum

The timing of Thanksgiving was a week earlier than usual, and it feels like we have an “extra” week before the onslaught of the December holidays. Even if you haven’t thought about this, it’s not too late to take advantage of it.

Many of my clients are on some part of what I call the “scramble spectrum.” If your work reaches a crescendo at year end, then you’re definitely somewhere on this continuum. Let’s take a brief quiz:

The Power of One Strong Goal

It’s that time of the year where you’re wondering what the heck happened to the year…how did it go by so quickly…. and … how am I going to complete everything that I committed to do in 2023?

Well, there are about 80 days left in this year. The biggest challenge is falling into the trap of trying to do everything that you didn’t accomplish all year. If you turn into a whirlwind, you might make a little progress on several things, but may end up feeling dissatisfied because you didn’t get a great result on an important initiative.

Time Management or Mania Management?

One of the top challenges facing executives relates to time management. They are over-scheduled, perennially interrupted, covering for others’ mistakes, and solving dozens of challenges.

I was working with a someone in his office last week and within a brief ten-minute slice of time, four different people “dropped in” to ask something. When the fourth person walked in, he just looked at me and started to laugh. This man’s workday really begins in the evening, and obviously, this isn’t sustainable over time.

Turning to Fall

The autumn equinox arrived yesterday evening at 9:04p EDT. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, it marks shorter daylight hours and cooler weather. The current indicator of change is that it gets light later in the morning and gets dark earlier in the evening.

Different cultures commemorate the equinox with various customs. I typically notice a shift in the workplace at this time of the year. The looser environment of summer transitions into more of a settled and focused workplace.

Next Level Leaders – Managing Time and Priorities, 2

Last time, we looked at four areas of focus as a foundation for good time management when you’ve been promoted into a new managerial role. To review, these include managing priorities, determining needs of your new director reports, managing projects, and fitting in with the pace of the environment.

Today we’ll look at a way you can plan and manage your time through determining the level of importance and urgency for your tasks. This method went into broad based use from Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Leadership is a Mindset

Tag: Time Management