Your time is precious. Do you think you’re using it wisely?

Are you a manager? If the answer is yes, you are indeed reading this with a slight tinge of guilt over the thousands of tasks that await completion. So, what’s the solution here? Certainly, tricks that make mountains of tasks vanish are not known yet. But, we have something similar – effective time management. It may not make the tasks disappear, but it dramatically cuts down the mountains.  Effective time management is using your time and energy in the best manner possible to achieve your goals. It is a critical skill for managers because they always need to be on top of their goals. It allows you to organize your activities so that you find time for all your responsibilities and allow yourself some rest too! All in all, effective time management is about taking charge of your time.

So, how do you think you could take charge of your time? Setting SMART goals and deadlines is one way to do it. Smart goals arise from pragmatism and ambition; while they offer challenges that keep you going, they are achievable and measurable. Managers can use this to make the best use of their time and talent. Not only that, but it is also a great way to keep your teams moving.  Continue reading here out more about SMART goals for managers and leaders.  The value of time management needs no repetition. In addition to building effective habits that seamlessly promote productivity, time management is critical to developing a healthy work-life balance. Maintaining a work-life balance that is actually symmetrical is another challenge in itself, especially for managers and leaders. While flexibility and high performance are great benefits, it also allows managers to take time off work.  Taking time off might seem like a considerable challenge to many professionals who cannot but imagine the pile of tasks awaiting them on return. But, if you manage your time effectively with the help of well-designed schedules and deadlines, you can do that and more. Taking time off work will also present a healthy example for your team members. It will help the employees see that there is a life outside work, which is not only worth living but enjoying. Setting examples of a wholesome attitude towards life that enables personal and professional aspects will help you become a relatable manager with your employees.

Time management needs to be your mantra if you are in the quest for work-life balance. You can achieve balance only when you concentrate on tasks fully. In order to do so, you need to minimize distractions, plan ahead, and track your progress on a daily basis toward those goals. Do you know if your time management skills are up to the task? Check now with Risely’s free time management skills assessment.  The free time management assessment rates the effectiveness of your time management skills. It shows exactly how strong they are and what they are doing for you so far. With this, you can identify the areas you need to work on. Moreover, it will also help you remove ineffective practices. For instance, your planning period might need to be shorter. You can try shortening it to see if you get better results the next time. Similarly, it will show what works – the ideas and habits you must enforce vigorously. By drawing inferences from these results, you can craft the proper intervention for your time management strategy and make it smart, just like you!  The journey of improvement, however, continues after this discovery. Once you know what to do, the next question lies in how. But worry not because Risely has got you covered. You need to download the free Time Management Toolkit to build the roadmap that enables efficient time management for managers and leaders. 

Not only does it clarify the intent of time management, but it also comes equipped with several valuable resources. The toolkit provides templates for a self-audit and task prioritization framework, which can bring you on top of your game. Moreover, you can use these tools with your teams to teach strong time management practices across the whole team and get manifold benefits. When you start doing all this, you can also use the toolkit’s weekly planner!  With equipment in hand and goals in mind – what are you waiting for? The right time to start time management is now. Take charge of your time now with the first step of the assessment. As you progress, share the insights with your team and unlock the highest performance standards.