As we decisively start to prepare for holiday plans, Dear Readers, what time management tips will you implement as more companies are pushing for the dreaded back-to-the-office move in 2023? It’s time to mentally prepare for the busyness that the end of the year brings as we fight to nail the last sprint to achieve our Q4 targets, wouldn’t you say?
Welcome to the JMS blog, your hub for actionable crisis management tips to level up your brand.
We are back to answer your branding questions after an unexpected, prolonged hiatus working with executives across the U.S. to assess their strengths/weaknesses and beef up leadership skills. Dear Readers, if it is your first visit, this blog is the brainchild of JMStrategy LLC (JMS), a Philadelphia-based crisis management firm that helps brands in free fall strive again.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, the Great Resignation, and the Quiet Quitting chaos, this blog shares practical insights to enhance your leadership style, team management, and goal-setting skills amid any crisis. Now, without further ado, let’s dive into everything you need to know about the top time management tips for fearless executives ready to change the world in a post-pandemic era.
Time management tip #1 to lead more effectively: track everything!
Dear Readers, we all share the misconception that we can save or manage time. However, the truth is that we, poor humans, have no power over time. We cannot slow it down! Thus, to be a highly productive executive leading a team, it is best to focus your efforts on changing your relationship over time. Rather than harping over what you can or cannot do, zero in on how to allocate your energy for maximum impact.
When working with executives, the JMS team first asks them to track what they do at work all day and everything else they must accomplish in their personal lives for an entire week. Within 24 hours, they realize that their response to time constraints leads to inevitable burnout. It’s a worthwhile exercise, Dear Readers. Try it and let us know in the comment below if you feel the same.
To avoid feeling overwhelmed with everything life throws at you, Dear Readers, you must delegate. Indeed, only when JMS clients see on paper the piles and piles of work their leadership expect them to manage that they acknowledge that they are drowning. Now, how can any executives lead more efficiently if they have no strategy to address bottlenecks in the workflow of their teams?
Consequently, Dear Readers, this blog invites you to delegate wisely, which will alleviate all these time management headaches. To lead effectively, however, you want to train the employees who will take over your responsibilities to your liking. The key is showing them how you prefer to receive information since everyone understands it differently. The JMS team has found that doing so reduces the tendency of leaders to micro-manage by 50 percent, while direct reports feel that they are growing professionally exponentially. If you do it right, Dear Readers, you will have boosted your time management skills by 30 percent and improved your team’s productivity by 25. Is that not amazing and worthwhile!!! Drop us a word if you need a thorough uplift of your time management skills and team dynamics.
Time management tip #2 to lead more effectively: schedule it all!
Dear Readers, achieving a work-life balance without a system that organizes your many responsibilities is quite impossible. Usually, executives know they are in crisis when they feel helpless as their personal lives bleed into their professional ones repeatedly. In our practice, we work with brilliant executives who are disgusted with their inability to grasp their time management, which causes frustrating family disruptions with partners, spouses, and children! Would you, Dear Readers, want a shot to break out of such a stressful and draining way of living?
Thus, Dear Readers, consider getting into the habit of scheduling E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G and not just work meetings. If it’s your turn to drop your child to school with a plate of brownies or put together a costume, write it down so that you are reminded of such an important task the night before when you can still do something about it! In short, rather than having a mile-long to-do list, insert specific tasks into your phone or planner. That’s how you prioritize what matters most and identify critical tasks not yet urgent to schedule later.
Time management tip #3 to lead more effectively: self-awareness prevents burnout!
Haven’t you heard, Dear Readers? 90% of US adults say the United States is experiencing a mental health crisis! Say what?!!! Yes, we are all losing it! How are executives expected to lead direct reports potentially battling their mental health crises?
The answer is more self-awareness. In the post-pandemic era, more employees expect managers to cultivate a safe, productive, and non-toxic workplace environment. Therefore, leaders must take into of the mental health of direct reports and identify the tell-tale signs of burnout fatigue ASAP. Of course, it does not mean that executives must baby their employees. It simply means that leaders must behave more humanly rather than treating their teams as line items on the budget.
Listen, Dear Readers, the global pandemic has been challenging for everyone, including your employees. All they want from you is understanding and support. The best time management tip that helped countless JMS clients is to be as flexible as possible. So, get in the habit of scheduling daily breaks and encourage direct reports to take time off or even work from home from time to time. In short, Dear Readers, time management is about task management and decision-making! You want to work with your employees rather than against their interests because nobody can control life! The more self-aware you are, the higher the likelihood you keep any burnout at bay. If you’d like to have that conversation for yourself or your team, feel free to reach out.
Dear Readers, we want to hear from you.
We strive to create better content for you. So, please don’t be shy and share your thoughts. Do you agree with our time management analysis? What are your favorite time management tips? How do you ensure that your team maintains the much-valued work-life balance and avoids burnout? Let us know in the comment section below whether we missed anything else.
As always, The JMS team thanks you, Dear Readers, for taking the time to read today’s publication. We believe that overcoming any crisis comes from the strategic management of time, money, and people. As a boutique crisis management firm, the JMS team feels lucky to have the ability to support clients across industries through any given crisis that rocks their daily operations. We want to do the same for you, Dearest Readers. The JMS team loves providing actionable tips to enhance the management of your time, people, and goal-setting skills. So, feel free to drop us a note in the comment section below.
To learn more about how crisis management support will help improve your company’s leadership skills and team performance, contact JMStrategy LLC at jms@branding24seven.com or (888)476-2761 for a free consultation.
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