A manager will be always be prioritizing jobs, which could be through a task list, invitations to meetings, deadlines and numerous emails to get through, and staff and department responsibilities. If a manager does allocate their time properly and understands what the priorities are, it will reduce their stress and anxiety levels in the job as well as showing they can cope with the pressure of a demanding position.
Have a list: It is important to be aware of all deadlines and the tasks to achieve this, so a starting point is to create a list. This will help to properly organize the work on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. It will also give a manager awareness of all the tasks. This could be done electronically or written by using: calendars, personal organizers, time management app/tools, to-do lists, post-it notes, etc.
Prioritize the list of tasks: When rating your tasks, always prioritize what’s important to you. Decide which activities/tasks/jobs are urgent (may have a deadline) and which will have the most impact on you and your team. There will be some jobs which are urgent and can be done fairly quickly. Whilst other urgent jobs may be bigger and need to be planned into your diary to ensure they are given the dedicated time they need. Having a list of jobs/tasks is useful to keep focused and make sure nothing is missed and it is always a good feeling when they can be ticked off as completed.
Say “no” and delegate: Sometimes a person reaches a limit and just cannot do all the things that are required. Trying to do it all can be damaging and create stress and anxiety. So, being assertive, firmly saying “no” to additional tasks is part of managing and prioritizing your time. Delegating tasks, can not only help you as a manager with the workload, but it will also support the development of staff who are delegated the task.
Keep focused and stop distractions: Team members or colleagues frequently ringing or talking to you, emails pinging and constant messages, can all distract you. While it is good to have an open-door policy where you are available to team members, there will be times when you have to create a space where there are no interruptions. Staying focused can be difficult, however, there are a few things you can do to help. For example, put your phone away/turn on an answering machine or ask someone to field your calls and for emails/social media, notifications can be turned off.
Time Blocking: This is a way to prevent one task from taking over your day and stops you from multi-tasking. By keeping the focus on one job at a time it can help you take it to completion, as opposed to having several jobs going at the same time and none actually get finished. Time blocking is a way to section your work across the day. For example, it may be worthwhile having the first hour of the day to prioritize the work, return calls, answer emails/invites and carry out those small urgent tasks that can be done quickly. Another 30 minutes at the end of the day will capture any late urgent tasks that have come in. This would leave the main part of the day free to schedule in the other elements of your work including periods when you need to be distraction-free
Take a break: For your own health and wellbeing, it is essential to plan into your daytime for regular breaks. These should be away from your desk giving you time to recharge your batteries and clear your mind of work. Ensure you include food and drink in your breaks and if possible, company and chat about anything but work issues.