How can I manage my time better with so many demands on my schedule?

Time management for leaders is about prioritising High-Pay-Off activities and avoiding the trap of busyness for busy’s sake. To be a great leader of other people, you must first master effective personal leadership. Here are some key skills to learn: 

 

1. Adopt a strict time-blocking approach to managing your diary: Dedicate specific blocks of time for ‘meetings with yourself’. These should be as sacrosanct as meetings with your top client and should focus on making progress with your High-Pay-Off activities. 

 

2. Identify your High-Pay-Off activities: Create a list of future goals (priorities) in your personal and business life. Then, identify the tasks that will move you closer towards these worthwhile, predetermined goals and make sure you make progress towards them every single day. 

 

3. Delegate and automate: Use your team effectively and investigate the multitude of automation tools available today to minimise (ideally eradicate) time-stealers from your life. 

 

4. Set and communicate boundaries: Protect your time by blocking out slots in your calendar when you ‘cannot’ be disturbed unless it is the direst of emergencies. Make this a rule and encourage your team to do the same. This time should be allocated to your Hight-Pay-Off activities and planned downtime (which is essential for maintaining productivity and avoiding burnout).