Are You Tired of Feeling Overwhelmed at Work? Master Time Management for Better Balance

Are you reading this newsletter while heading to work early in the morning and wondering when you will finally get the opportunity to take a few minutes to yourself? If yes, this week’s edition of The Top newsletter is just for you. 

Work-life balance is important for every manager to give their best at work. It refers to dividing one’s time smartly between personal and professional lives. However, in this fast-paced world, maintaining one becomes challenging for managers and leaders alike. It happens more so in managers who frequently do their team’s work and take on additional burdens to maintain productivity. 

Balancing the time spent on personal and professional endeavors gives managers the freedom to cater to all aspects of their life and not feel bound to either solely. As a result, they can create a healthy routine for themselves and inspire their teams to do the same. The improved habits reduce stress, save managers from the troubles of burnout, and give them the space to recharge before coming back to work. The example of a manager also inspires team members to do the same. 

However, it remains hard to find despite comprehensive discussions on work-life balance. Strong time management habits are key to a good work-life balance. If a manager’s time management habits are poor, they would be prone to fatigue and overwhelming work. On the other hand, effective time management practices, such as prioritizing and delegating tasks, setting goals, and utilizing tools, can save managers from these headaches. 

The challenge arrives due to some typical problems that every manager faces in the course of their work. It can be a disruptive work environment where chatty colleagues occupy nearby nooks, or construction noises envelop the background. If not, a manager’s habit of checking emails can hold them in front of their screen too long too! 

Seemingly mundane issues can turn into significant time management problems that hold you back. The first step to cutting their hold on you lies in identifying these issues.

Another common trouble that makes time management ineffective is the absence of a goal. Goals make the job easy always – they set the destination and milestones and guide you as you define the route. Without goals, you are headed into an abyss. And that’s what happens when managers do not set time management goals. 

Time management goals define what you want to accomplish by strengthening your time management habits. For instance, a manager, let’s name them Alex, can set up the below goal:

“I want to reduce the time I spend in meetings by half over the next month.” 

This goal will then guide them to take actions that realize their objectives. For example, Alex might decide to block an hour for essential meetings. For some other tasks, they can delegate the jobs to their team members who are prepared to take up more responsibility. 

We have listed a few more such ideas in our blog on time management for managers here. 

As they feel that meetings are taking the larger part of their productive day, Alex begins by identifying the causes and devising plans to overcome those challenges. Do you know what is preventing you from achieving good time management? If you are confused, Risely can help drive it away with a free time management self-assessment for managers. 

The free time management self-assessment for managers helps you understand whether you are investing your time or just spending it being busy. It identifies the unproductive time management habits that keep managers stuck under tall piles of work. In totality, it unlocks your path to effective time management. 

#Managers need to understand the critical role of #timemanagement in ensuring a good #worklifebalance that brings ease in life. It not only simplifies personal schedules but declutters team project timelines big time. There lies the key to becoming an effective manager who stays on top of work and always updates themselves with the latest trends. 

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #managerdevelopment