Every week I talk to managers and supervisors who often comment (complain) about the skill-sets (and lack thereof) of their employees. It appears there are 2 skills that a majority of people mistakenly feel are their own competencies: Customer Service and Time Management. And ultimately, they aren't very good at either.
Customer Service embodies the art of the customer always being right, which sounds simple at face value...up until it's time to actually act and communicate as if the customer's ignorance or attitude is indeed actually right. That is moment where true customer service is tested.
Then there's Time Management...the world where organization, scheduling, and balance make a baby called productivity. If your Time Management skills are weak, then first start take a long, hard look your system that does the managing. Outlook? Google Calendar? Cell phone app? Day Planner? a scribbled on napkin?All are good choices if you're just starting out, but I'd go with a coaster in lieu of a napkin. Your first key is to use your system for everything- both professional and personal- so you get in the habit of solid, comprehensive planning. That is, you'll make Time Management second nature.
If you're feeling pretty good about your Time Management skills, then I'm about to grant you 3 intangibles for which mastery will further increase your profile.
Foresight. Anybody can plan out the next 5 working days. Let's upgrade. Have your thoughts scroll through a series of timelines...2 weeks...1 month...3 months...6 months...and asked yourself the detail-oriented questions for each event on the calendar: Do I need to book a conference room? Have all the stakeholders been invited? What is the budget? What are the traveling and logistics challenges?
By asking the critical questions for each interval, you essentially just raised your own stock:You elevated the game from simple Time Management to anointed Project Manager. By mastering the details early and often, you begin to look like a planning genius to your colleagues. Your reward? Impressing the masses as they think, 'wow, he thought of everything.'
Valuing the time of others. Have you ever scheduled a meeting for a small group, say 8 to 12 people, and 2 people were no-shows and 2 others were 10-15 minutes late? You awkwardly sit there forcing conversations while those 4 members didn't even bother to confirm presence nor tardiness. Now, yes, I concur that we must acknowledge that $hit happens and schedules often conflict. But if others are depending on your presence, feedback, and contributions, then bare-bones human decency asks that you keep the group or team leader aware of your attendance. Valuing the time and schedules of others is about respect. If your punctuality and presence isn't noticed by your colleagues or stakeholders, or even your friends, why should they respect your time?
Continual Re-prioritization. True masters of Time Management have figured out that your priorities at 9:00 am on Tuesday, may be drastically different than those at 2:30 pm on that same Tuesday. Sometimes you'll have to have your head on a swivel...and when you least expect it, the present task will change as you balance the critical needs of today with the deadlines for the next week. You can also consult your Circle of Concern vs. Influence to focus on the areas where you have direct control. Evaluate early and often, and don't be afraid to consult superiors for guidance.
Keep your schedule fresh in your head, value others' schedules, and use your gift of foresight to become a master of balancing and reshuffling. And thus, your 3 new concepts all come together.
Time Management can be an art...a lifestyle. If you're willing to embrace even the basic concepts, you can start streamlining all aspects of your life, and, in in turn, maximizing every single day.
~Coach Jake
P.S. Ask me how www.MaximalMe.com Life Coaching programs are centered around Time Management.
