Time, as they say, is the most expensive currency. It’s something we can’t get more of, and no matter how much business leaders want it, lost time is gone forever.
We all know that business leaders wear many hats—juggling dozens of tasks each day. Managing time is one of the best ways for business leaders to stay productive and not be overwhelmed with their work.
So how can business leaders manage such a very scarce resource and get the most out of their day? Read on to know some of the most effective time management tips for business leaders.
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Know your time hijackers
There are too many distractions in this day and age. Time hijackers (a.k.a. work distractions) take your attention off the important things that you should be focusing on each day. And once you lose that work groove, you have to claw your way back in—which will take about 23 minutes and 15 seconds according to a study done by the University of California Irvine.
Create a list of your time hijackers and more importantly, include the things that you should do to avoid them. Here are a couple of time hijackers to start with:
- Unnecessary meetings
- Push notifications
- Checking your social media accounts
- Flipping through the news
- Going through your inbox multiple times a day
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Prioritize your most important (and realistic) goals
There is only so much you can do each day, and jam-packing your day with too many tasks doesn’t equate to success. What you might get out of it is too much stress. It’s better to set realistic goals first, and then choose which ones require the most attention.
But what if every goal I have for the day is important?
Then you can choose the most important out of all. You can do this by reflecting on which goals are urgent and which ones are not. Another way is to rank your goals.
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Create a routine and stick to it
Routines can be tedious, but the great thing about them is that they can keep you from wasting so much time throughout the day. Just like your goals, it is important to make your routine realistic or reasonable, and of course, to stick to it. The sticking-to-it part is where the trouble lies, mostly. Solution? Try routine apps. They help keep on you on track. There are plenty of free and paid versions out there. Try one and see how it goes.
You can always add variety to your routine to keep it from being boring. Or maybe, add something that will surprise you during a busy day. It could be a quick gelato trip at 4 p.m. or a walk in the park at 2 p.m.
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Delegate your tasks
Not all business leaders have superior delegation skills. Some prefer to overwhelm themselves with work rather than delegate it to someone else. Proper delegation is important to every business’s success.
For one, it’ll help business leaders focus on the most important tasks and problems. Secondly, they can make better decisions, and third, it’s one way to let their employees know that they’re trusted to get the job done.
Assess which tasks you can delegate and to whom. To ensure proper completion, provide the employee with a written list of what the task entails, the expected outcomes, and the resources that he or she may need to complete it.
CONCLUSION
Effective time management can boost your productivity, lessen your stress, make you a better business leader, and give you more time with the people you care for the most: your family. But like all other things, it takes practice, commitment, and consistency. Good luck!
