MANAGEMENT
Time Management Tips for the Professionals “My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time” – Steve Jobs
As a business owner, you need to “use” people’s talents and you are not going to help them grow in your business if you do not put their talents to good use and provide them with an opportunity to affirm themselves. Get your team involved. Set tasks that increase in difficulty with time, as your employees are supposed to grow with you 2. Plan your schedule. Make a 7-day schedule with the appointments, staff meetings, lectures and management tasks that you have to perform. But do not forget to leave time for personal time, with family and loved one, as well as time to take care of your health. Your family and the success of your business depends on you! 3. Start on time. As much as we love to sleep for 5 more minutes or delay an unpleasant meeting, the delay might affect you whole day schedule. So, plan ahead and, schedule your unpleasant meeting in the first part of the day so that, after accomplishing it, you can enjoy your normal day and not live with the anxiety of a meeting at the end of schedule 4. Get to know people. No matter if we are talking about clients or staff, you must get to know them. Regarding your staff, you also need to know their personal strengths, weaknesses, their professional aspirations. It is wrong to over-use an employee but is just as bad to under-use one. Get a profile of your staff, know their needs in terms of professional life, and also get to know a little about their personal lives. It may reveal aspects you never thought of.
We live in a world where everything is on fast forward. Our professional lives, our personal ones. As a professional with more than 12 years in the field, I must say that, many times, I chose the professional life instead of my personal one. I still, occasionally do. But as much as I love what I do, some time management tips have always come handy in organizing my time:
1. Learn the power of saying “no”. As much as you value your team and clients, sometimes you need to delegate. You may find that the client needing some urgent solution is not so urgent after all and it can be resolved, at least temporarily by a colleague. The task that you feel that only you can perform to the highest standards may be performed successfully by another team member.
5. Set a time limit. For each daily task or appointment, set a time limit. Allow yourself 15-20 minutes of buffer time. In case of clients, we all know some of them are always late. Even if you finish the task earlier than supposed, you will enjoy that time by having a snack or coffee or maybe getting up to date with the latest research. Maybe even find time to do that interview you promised to do 3 months ago.
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TIME MANAGEMENT
6. Focus on the task at hand. There is no need to worry too much about the tasks of the day because they won’t get any easier that way. So, do your job as good as you can, every job; don’t be a perfectionist all the time. Sometimes, things just get in place by themselves.
7. Reward yourself for every accomplished task. No matter if it is just a mental reward, feeling good about your abilities will help you, on the long term, feel more confident about accomplishing more and more difficult jobs. Periodically, reward yourself with a time-off or a vacation somewhere. As much as you hate being away from your passion, sometimes we need some time away to get a clearer picture and come up with new and out of the box ideas
8. Make a list of the things that weren’t resolved as good as you wanted them to that day, all the things and leave it at the office. Do not take your worries at home.
9. Life/work balance is crucial. Even if it feels that you have your life ahead of you and the career is more important, pay attention to your loved ones. If your business needs your attention, how about your friends and family? Some moments in life are not worth missing for anything. Do not let them pass you by!
10. Practice clearing your mind before you start work. It help a lot. If you practice meditations or yoga, concentration may come easier. Anyway, it takes discipline and time
11. Sleep 7-8 hours a day, eat healthy, exercise
12. Work can be play. Remember why you started this business in the first place. Write it down if you have a tendency to forget. But do not give up and, after one year, you can write down your accomplishments
13. Work smarter, not harder. This should be the first on the list but I put it last, as the last line tends to be a conclusion. So, enjoy your work, change what you dislike about it, never stop learning and let others help you grow! It can be a great opportunity!
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