Welcome to week two of Management Skills for Leaders class!
One topic this week is that of time management and ways to
use it to reduce stress. Given the often hectic nature of our world, especially
with the advent of “constant connectivity”, there are opportunities to help
ourselves.
Looking at my time management skills, I believe I do a
passable job. My work life is driven by my Outlook ® calendar. In fact, I have
a person at work that monitors my calendar and keeps it “under control”, as it
were. Otherwise, I would have six hours of meetings scheduled per day. Contrary
to popular opinion, very little really gets accomplished in meetings. My
calendar guardian keeps an eye on people who are trying to get on my schedule
and gets my approval to add them. As we have worked together for over a year now, she
has learned what meetings and people are more likely to get on the calendar and
who she can suggest other ways of meeting with me, like an e-mail.
I block out time each week to allow for pop-up issues and to
deal with work that I actually need to accomplish. As a senior manager, there
is plenty to do just keeping my team running smoothly. When I get to wear my
Chief Pilot hat, there are decisions to be made, direction to be given, and
personal study to get done, too!
At home, the “live off the electronic calendar” technique is
used to a lesser extent. I have a calendar on my smartphone that I keep big
events on, like birthdays, anniversaries, travel, etc. My wife uses hers to
track more of the commitments and projects we have as a family and forwards the
items I need visibility on to me. She, too, is a senior manager at her company
and lives off her Outlook ® calendar there.
When I know I have important commitments or a dead-line at
home, I utilize written checklists. Analyzing the times I use them, I would say
my propensity for doing so goes up in direct relation to the number of people
affected by the required actions or the gravity of the situation. “Pick up new
razor blades for me” may not warrant a checklist or note, whereas “mail party
invitations”, or “file tax return” probably would get the added attention. In a
way, this is a prioritization technique.
Looking back at my belief that my actions weigh heavily in
my chances for success (internal locus of control), having a say in what goes
on my calendar and the picture of my day that it provides me seems appropriate.
Admittedly, there are times that parts of my schedule are impacted by items
outside my control. However, having as many of my commitments as I can
accounted for and allotted gives me a stable platform from which to deal with
life’s uncertainties.
As there is room for time management improvement that could
assist in lowering stress in my life, let’s take a look at three other areas I
may be able to employ in that regard!
Rule 16 of effective time management, Whetten and Cameron (2011) p. 126, is to reach closure
on at least one thing every day. I will be striving to follow this rule. There
have been days in the past years where I have arrived home and felt like my
entire day was for naught. The feeling of doubt and frustration is very
dismaying. Being in a class does help the cause, here. I enjoy making progress
on an assignment!
Rule 12 of efficient time management for managers, Whetten
and Cameron (2011) p. 127, is to go to subordinates offices for brief meetings.
Since reading this technique last week, I have been using it at work. I like it
and will continue to do so. I appreciate that it offers me the ability to
control the time spent. Conversely, I know I need to work on Rule 11, meet
visitors in the doorway. (2011) p. 127
My employees and co-workers are very much in the habit of
walking in and sitting down for a chat. These types of meetings are called “drive-by
meetings” where I work. While the information garnered from such interactions
is sometimes quite helpful, the distraction to other work I need to do is
damaging. I will be working on this situation and expect to see a rise in
productivity.
My plan of action will be to note a closed or completed item
each day. Additionally, I will track the number of people I can meet at my door
for meetings and how many times I have meetings in my assistant manager’s
offices.
I expect positive results to my stress level as these
techniques are enacted further.
Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S.
(2011). Developing Management Skills
(E. Svendsen Ed. 8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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