The life of a manager is never dull. The workplace is a hectic and fast-paced arena where it can be difficult to keep on top of everything you need to do. It’s a sea of chaos where your staff are the crew looking to you for guidance amidst the storm.
There are times when everyone feels that the work they need to complete is overwhelming.
When feeling this way, it is easy to lose sight of what our next step should be to make constructive progress. This is especially true when other commitments in our life are just as demanding. All the various pressures and commitments can make us feel out of control.
To assist you in combating these feelings and regain a solid sense of direction, this blog provides three key tips for you to adopt to keep control. This will help you keep track of your tasks and know which to prioritise, enabling you to leave work at the end of the day feeling confident that you are ready for the next.
3 Tips for Keeping Control of Your Work
1.Task management
Step 1: As soon as you are given a task, there’s no reason to clutter up your mind with what needs to be done. Instead, utilise the tools you have around you.
On a notepad or on your phone, write down all the requirements needed to accomplish the task. Remember to write each subtask as a separate item. Moreover, you should mark the tasks so that you can easily tell if you will be doing it yourself or if you will require the help of others. Next to each subtask put a timeframe for completion. This will give you a better idea of how long you will need to undertake the work.
Step 2: Technology is your new best friend, so make use of its many features!
Your calendar can do more than simply showcase the dates within the month. Think ahead and consider how long you’ll need to complete the subtasks. Block the time needed into your calendar to ensure you are on schedule with the timeframes you have identified. Write into the appointment the key things you need to do. This way, you won’t have to scramble to remember when the appointment comes up in your calendar.
Take the time to reach out to the people you will need assistance from, for that specific project. Be clear about the task you are undertaking as well as what you need their help with. Provide a timeframe for their input and allocate time in your calendar for when to send emails to check progress. These reminders will help you monitor the progress on the task and confirm that everything is on track.
Step 3: Regardless of whether you will be delegating the task, Step 1 is still necessary to complete. It will give you a better idea of a suitable timeframe as well as the resource requirements needed to complete the task. When delegating, be sure to give reasonable timeframes to those working on the task.
Also, give yourself and your team enough time for you to review their work, provide feedback, and have revisions made where needed. In this instance, put time slots into your calendar to remind you to check on their progress. This means you’ll be able to anticipate receiving their contributions and allocate time in advance to review the document.
Following the above steps frees you from having to worry about the schedule and keeping track of all the responsibilities in your mind. Having a tangible reminder will remove an unnecessary load from your shoulders. This way, after you have considered what is needed, delegated the responsibilities, and locked in time periods within your calendar, you are free to think about your other tasks for the day. This is key to preventing you from feeling overwhelmed. After all, you have already considered the task and planned its implementation. Any reminders will be handled by your calendar. This will ensure you will complete the tasks by the expected timeframe, with enough wiggle room so that your team won’t feel too rushed.
Keeping a master list
As the manager, it’s imperative that you keep a master list with all the key activities due within your responsibility. List the task down as a dot point, make a note when the task is due, and who oversees its completion. This will highlight how urgent the task is while also considering the workload of each of your staff. It is necessary to keep in mind how much is on the plate of each staff member.
Establish a ritual wherein you review your master list at the start of each week. During that time, check what is due within the week, followed by what is due the following week so that you are on top of what is happening in your area. Doing so will help you plan where to allocate your time while also confidently brief your boss or peers about what your team is working on.
Extra Tip 1:
Colour code your calendar. Visual cues will aid in understanding what your schedule will consist of. Colour coding your common tasks will make it easier for you to see what your day has in store. You can colour code your meetings by key clients, supervisors, staff meetings, and other miscellaneous tasks that happen frequently. You can also opt to colour code by urgency or whether it is a reminder to check up on the progress of others. Doing this will help you visually assess what activities are driving your day or week.
2. Leaving work at work
Every day before you stop working, spend five minutes writing down everything you need to accomplish the next day. Once this is done, check your calendar to see what commitments you have and incorporate them into your list.
Look at the list you have developed. Can you group the activities?
Research has shown that our brain works more efficiently when undertaking similar tasks. This means that if you need to make emails or phone calls, try to do them all together. It will be easier and more efficient this way rather than doing them multiple times throughout the day. So don’t be afraid to aggregate those tasks!
Consider how much time your calendar has identified as free. Rank your tasks in order of importance. It is tempting to undertake easy work first, but the smarter way to go about things is to prioritise the most important tasks. This will go a long way in helping you feel like you have made progress each day. Accomplishing these tasks will mean you can leave work feeling confident. This will help keep you grounded for the next day’s challenges.
3. Wrapping up your week and planning for the next
Finally, to ensure you can leave work ‘behind’ at the end of the week and enjoy your weekend, take 20 minutes on your Friday afternoon to write down your tasks for the next week.
Put the days of the week against each task to provide you with a rough timeframe for activities. Open your calendar and note any significant meetings. From there, you can add them to the list so that you can easily see what the workload for each day is likely to be.
Were there any tasks that weren’t completed before the end of the current week? If so, add them to the list as well.
If you are a manager, consider the tasks of your team as well.
Will any of them need to meet with you?
Are there any projects due or will require your time?
Is anyone one running our of work, and could you give them anything of your list?
As a rule, leaders shouldn’t be afraid to delegate tasks. Those that can’t be delegated need a valid reason to hold on to. This ensures you have the flexibility to respond to any urgent issue, but also helps you develop your staff. As they continue developing, your role will transition more into a coach and mentor.
Keep your task list somewhere easily seen on your desk. This way, when you come in at the start of the week, you have a clear direction of what needs to happen. Remember to program times into your calendar to ensure you aren’t overbooked. It will prevent you from losing the time needed to complete the tasks required.
Extra Tip 2:
If you keep a notebook for meetings, a helpful tip is to put an asterisk in the column whenever something is discussed which needs immediate action. At the end of the day, review all your notes and extract any tasks identified by the asterisk. Add them to your master list. This ensures that you won’t miss a task allocated through a meeting or other engagement.
Extra Tip 3:
When someone asks to meet with you, you must decline the request if it clashes with the time that is allocated for another task. Reschedule the meeting for a time that doesn’t interrupt your planned activities. Unless it is urgent, everything can be rescheduled to a time that suits both of you.
Final thoughts
By structuring your day around priorities and allocating time to tasks, you should gain more control over your work and never miss deadlines. This way, when your day becomes frantic, you will retain a clear perspective of the priorities which will help you progress further. If you delegate, make sure you do so promptly after you receive the task. This will help both you, and your team members, plan for its completion without stress!
If you would like support to clarify your workload or master these techniques and others, contact us for help.
Author Bio
Deborah Knight is the founder of Xsead Lead with a background in organisational and individual leadership and executive coaching.
As a coach, Deborah aims to create an inclusive and respectful space where individuals and organisations can do the work necessary for growth and change. She is also passionate about helping women be valued for themselves while also contributing and being successful.
Apart from her company which she is deeply passionate about, Deborah also loves bushwalking, reading, travelling, and learning new things.
For any coaching or organisational support enquiries Deborah can be contacted via email: info@xseedlead.com.au or via her company website which is www.xseedlead.com.au.
