How can leaders avoid common time management mistakes?

Effective time management in leadership is less about managing time and more about managing focus, priorities, and people. Eliminating distractions is crucial. Leaders must model and encourage focused work. This might mean setting aside specific times for deep work or creating team norms around communication. Planning and prioritizing are about understanding the difference between what's urgent and what's important. Help your team understand this. Delegation is not just about offloading tasks - it's similarly an opportunity to empower team members. Effective leaders recognize their team's strengths and delegate tasks that align with these strengths, fostering ownership. Regular review and reflection are vital. Keep iterating!

PPER - Plan - Priortise - Execute - Repeat One has to realise that he/she can’t do everything, every time and everything can’t be same priority

In my entrepreneurial journey across multiple startups, I've learned that time management is not just about productivity; it's about cultivating a sustainable and fulfilling work-life balance. As leaders, we must also recognize the importance of self-care and well-being in our schedules. Balancing ambition with mindful breaks ensures longevity and creativity in the business landscape. So, while setting SMART goals is crucial, let's not forget the wisdom in striking a harmonious chord between professional success and personal health.

The considerations of colleagues here are very interesting. I add the following: Lead with innovation by implementing a "Time Warp Workshop" where leaders challenge traditional time management norms and collaboratively redefine SMART goals in an evolving landscape, transforming the concept of productivity. Gamify goal-setting with a "SMART Quest" allowing teams to embark on a virtual journey where achieving SMART goals unlocks new levels and challenges, creating a dynamic approach to time management. Break free from routine by hosting a "Goalbusters" session, where leaders encourage team members to creatively disrupt traditional SMART criteria, infusing a spirit of experimentation and adaptability into the goal-setting process.

Time MGT at work is beneficial to employees and the business as a whole. Good time management manifests as work turned in on time, higher quality work, higher quantity of work in the same time period, increased efficiency, less employee stress, career advancement opportunities, and an improvement in general quality of life. But research into time management shows that up to 82% of workers don’t have a proper system in place to manage their time and tasks. Either they lack a technique altogether or they take on the philosophy of “I’ll deal with things as they come up.” There are many causes of poor time management, as we’ll see listed in the common mistakes below.

In my experience, being disciplined and consistent when goal setting cements your role as a leader and truly drives the team/organization to reach and crush goals. Ensuring that goals are well-defined, quantifiable, attainable, aligned with organizational objectives, and have a clear deadline undoubtedly will limit/eliminate gaps in managing your team. By incorporating SMART goal setting into their time management practices, you can enhance productivity, minimize distractions, and achieve better results.

Wichtig ist natürlich auch, sich die richtigen Ziele zu setzen. Ich kann mir ein SMARTes Ziel laut Lehrbuch setzen, dass aber aktuell nicht relevant ist (Weil es ein Prio 3 Thema und kein Prio 1 Thema ist). Wenn ich dieses Ziel verfolge, werde ich nicht wirklich voran kommen.

In my experience, simplicity and effectiveness are essential. Leaders should rise up and lead, and develop high performing teams. Scrap anything which just keeps people busy and unfruitful. Establish efficient systems and processes to align the productive efforts of the team, empowering them to achieve the strategic objectives and vision of the organisation. Review and validate progress against the action plans, tasks and activities. Identify challenges, risks and slippage, and address them promptly.

In addition to planning, I also ruthlesly prioritise using the well known urgent versus important framework. Some things may be important but can wait, whereas urgent things are often more time sensitive and stakeholder intense. I also have to acknowledge where things are important to me, but not necessarily to the team, leadership or the business. In those instance, I have to re-prioritize my personal list of things I want to accomplish in my role versus the things on my objectives and expectations that the business has of me!

I don't think that how you plan ahead is important - as long as it gets done. I set aside twenty minutes at the end and beginning of every day. I get my cup of tea, turn my phone to silent and plan my day. I allow (a lot) of time for interruptions and unexpected issues, because I know there's no point in planning for the perfect day. I get my list of 'must dos' - no more than 4 things - and 'nice to dos' - much longer - and get into my day.

Leaders can sidestep common time management pitfalls by prioritizing tasks effectively, delegating responsibilities, setting clear goals, minimizing multitasking, and practicing efficient communication. It's also crucial to allocate time for planning and reflection to ensure their time aligns with their objectives

Lead the charge against time management pitfalls by instituting a "Priority Poker" session, where team members collectively assign value points to tasks, ensuring alignment on the most impactful activities and demolishing common planning errors through collaborative decision-making. Transform mundane meetings into "Time Warp Workshops," employing virtual reality to simulate future challenges and strategize proactively, breaking free from the shackles of reactive time management. Blaze a trail with "Innovation Sprints," empowering teams to dedicate focused bursts of time to creative problem-solving, sidestepping the trap of scattered priorities by prioritizing innovation and deliberate planning ahead.

While delegating and empowering , trust building is very important. If the trust is not there delegation will soon convert into micromanagement. This in turn will damage more than benefit.

Absolutely, empowering others is a great way to build better solutions, engaged teams, and focus your time as a leader in the most impactful way. Choose the work you delegate carefully though. Make sure it is interesting and will engage people and not simply the things you don’t value or want to do. Set it up well, sharing desired outcomes and creating space for discussion. Establishing feelings of psychological ownership is key. Also, make sure you don’t delegate and disappear. Ensure they know you are around to help, if and when they need it. It’s a great opportunity to build relationships and grow mutual understanding. It is also very likely you will learn through the process too, so go in with this as an objective.

Delegation and empowerment is probably the most powerful tool to get more things done. For leaaders who are not accustom to this, it can be an anxious time for you. Don't let that slow you down.

Before starting any task, ask yourself - is this what I should really be doing or is this something I should delegate? Delegation is not offloading your work on others & not be accountable. It is a powerful tool which empowers people, increase motivation & develop new leaders. Remember, even after your delegation - you own the accountability - so have your team's back.

Temos que aceitar o risco de erros quando delegamos. Não delegamos para nós mesmos, mas para uma outra pessoa (parece óbvio, mas não é para todos) e precisamos respeitar que ela poderá fazer de uma outra forma. Temos que ter em mente a entrega e não a forma com a qual a mesma foi elaborada. Cada um se organiza de uma forma, escreve de uma outra e, acima de tudo, pode pensar de outra completamente diferente. Delegar é entender que perderá o controle de todas as etapas da construção da resposta.

Leaders should give tasks to their team members, trust that they can do the work well, and let them make decisions. They should also set clear goals, make realistic plans, and not control everything. This helps leaders focus on important things and helps the team work better.

Have your “ME” Time: I remember when I use to work under a very passionate CEO. He always advised us to come to office on one weekend in the month. On the day, you will be the only person in office – that solitude gives you an opportunity to introspect, analyse, realign your strategies and define the roadmap. Personally, following this trait has helped me tremendously.

time blocking is a powerful tool, and you should set for each week stable time blocks for: day and week preview and planning (short); day and week review for checking what got accomplished and what still needs to happen (and sort by priority - also short); and "project time" where you do not check emails and have a larger time block to work on more complex projects. a schedule on your office door that clearly shows the blocked time slots (always at the same day and time) makes you transparent for others, too, and ensures that distractions are minimized.

working on your business rather than in your business is so important. Having time without distraction to consider and focus on strategy is essential for success. Time blocking is a really good tool as is the ability to prioritize workload. As an example having set times to check emails can give you the ability to truly focus on tasks in hand without distractions.

Yes, eliminate UNWELCOME distractions and interruptions. For purpose driven leaders it is easy to forget that we are doing this job for the people and moments that matter. Allowing time in our schedules for the interruptions that come with life, in relationship with others, is essential to our emotional wellbeing. I would never want to be told after the fact that I was unreachable during a family crisis because I had locked my phone.

One of the simplest hacks to keep your team feeling empowered and to ensure better time management is to show your team that you respect their time. If you are leading or attending a team call, be fully present and use it as a time to listen to your team. Checking your notifications and working on other things in parallel will only give your team the sense that you don't value their time. Invest time but also invest IN your time with them.

Taking time to reflect is always good, especially from a leadership perspective. My considerations are: Leaders can shatter time management norms by implementing a "Time-Travel Taskforce" dedicating periodic sessions to reflect not only on current priorities but also on future trends and potential disruptions, ensuring a proactive approach that anticipates challenges. Flip the script on time management by hosting "Temporal Teatime" a reflective pause during the workday where leaders and teams discuss time-related challenges, fostering a culture that values introspection and continuous improvement in optimizing productivity. At the end of the day, what matters is creating spaces to internalize everything that happened to us.

I believe we can dodge time management black holes by balancing a few habits. - Skillful delegation—knowing when and who to assign tasks to, leveraging team strengths. Autocratic bosses can't make it. - Commitment involves setting realistic deadlines and sticking to them, fostering accountability within the team. But don't forget to reassess regularly: course-correct is always better than crash-and-burn. - Collaboration is key; leaders should communicate effectively and transparently ensuring everyone's on the same page. An important watch-out is tracking quality of time. Work with your team to define which tasks must be an A+ and which ones need a B only. Chasing perfection a 100% of the time is a recipe for missing deadlines.

An essential element of leadership is being able to recognize the Law of Diminishing Returns. On a given project, it may take 15 hours to get from a 0 to an 8. Then another 15 hours to go from 8 to 10. For most projects, getting to 8 is more than enough. Leaders need to help their teams recognize when you need a 10 and when you need an 8, then pinpoint when you hit that.

The question is: How do you leverage your team members to enhance overall productivity and efficiency within your leadership journey? Delegating tasks according to each team member’s strengths not only lightens the leader’s workload but also sustains a collaborative and empowered work environment.

Make it comfortable for individuals to feel empowered to say 'No'. Often the 'Yes' culture and mindset stacks work that quickly becomes overwhelming. Not everything leads to productivity. Leaders must understand their personal and teams capacity and be willing to decline additional commitments.

Leaders should prioritize tasks, delegate effectively, set realistic goals, minimize multitasking, and regularly reassess priorities. Clear communication, embracing technology, and fostering a balanced work culture contribute to avoiding common time management pitfalls.

In my experience, while the above points are very helpful in focusing the energies and impact of a team, there's one thing you can't delegate, and that is prioritizing your own time and attention. Don't overcommit. Be selective with your commitments, which means saying "No" firmly and gracefully. Don't neglect personal well-being: Work-life balance is increasingly recognized as crucial for long-term productivity, as evidenced by research in occupational health. Don't make the mistake of shortchanging your time for mental health, physical health, and social well being.

Think about why you need a time management tool. In my experience coaching senior leaders, giving an overwhelmed leader a time management tool can often lead to them cramming even more into their already overloaded schedule which can start to head towards burnout territory. I'd suggest looking at a time management tool alongside closely examining what you're focusing on that drains you of energy and distracts you from working on the things that make a bigger difference. Is there anything you are handling that you shouldn't be and that should/could be delegated to others?

From my personal experience, here are a couple more tips to improve time management: 1. Respect your boundaries and don't hesitate to say no when you're overwhelmed. 2. Don't forget to take regular breaks. Remember, we're not robots! Allowing yourself time to recharge helps maintain focus and prevents burnout.

In addition to setting SMART goals and eliminating distractions, leaders should cultivate a proactive approach to time management. This includes establishing clear communication channels to avoid misinterpretation and delay, incorporating regular check-ins for progress assessment, and allowing flexibility to adjust to unforeseen circumstances. Leaders should also invest in their own skill development in time management, seek feedback on their scheduling and task delegation, and stay abreast of new tools and methods that can optimize efficiency. Lastly, a leader should set an example by respecting their own time and that of others, ensuring a healthy work-life balance for themselves and their teams.