We all have too much to do and too little time to do it. In today’s complex and collaborative workplace, the real challenge is to manage not just your personal workload but that of your team’s. As a leader, your role is to both “set the strategic vision” and act as “the buffer for unreasonable expectations” from the rest of your company. Here are some tips to ensure that your team works productively.
Set the example
The first step is to get your own house in order and exhibit good time management practices yourself. Be smart about how you allocate the hours of your own workday—the meetings you attend, the emails you respond to, and the projects you sign on for—so your team can follow your lead.
Set goals
To get a handle on how everyone on your team should be spending their time, you have to “step back” and “think about what exactly you want your team to be working on”. Outline key goals and analyse your team’s capacity to implement them. This will help you decide what people should be working on and what they shouldn’t. It’s your job “to set boundaries.”
Clarify expectations
The next step is meet with your team members one-on-one to communicate the priorities and expectations for their respective roles. Also be explicit about how much time you expect people to devote to tasks that crop up from time to time. Does an unexpected client pitch meeting require a day, half-day or a few hours of prep? To prepare for an upcoming internal brainstorming meeting, should someone spend an hour or just a few minutes jotting down ideas?
Encourage communication
Conversations with team members about time management should be ongoing. Ask your direct reports about the challenges they face, how you can help them allocate their time more effectively, and whether they need more resources.
Give autonomy
The key to improving individual productivity is to eliminate or delegate unimportant tasks and replace them with value-added ones. So give your employees permission to make decisions on which meetings they attend (or miss), which email lists they are party to, and which responsibilities they hand off.
Rethink meetings
Meetings are the biggest time drain, yet you need them to share information, get ideas, and make decisions. You can’t get rid of them, but you can surely eliminate some and study up on techniques to make the ones that remain on the calendar more effective and efficient.
Reserve downtime
If your company has a 24/7 work culture, you should also consider mandating breaks for your team. Research shows that predictable time off improves productivity and morale.
