Articles and Newsletters

Time Management:
Get People Out of Your Office and Back to Work!

By Sarah Woods

You are busy. Your calendar is filled with meetings and conference calls, and then there are those emails to cull through and the paperwork crunch due by end of the day. Just when you thought it was slowing down, the pace picks back up. You miss lunch. You start your morning on top of your game, and slowly throughout the day, time has a way of slipping away from you.

If you could only stay on schedule…it all seemed like it would work when it was put on your calendar. How is it that time seemed to accelerate during the day?

Busy leaders are expected to manage their people, their business and their time. But how? One way is to make a commitment to begin and end each calendar commitment when you said you would. Here are 6 tips to closing a meeting and/or a conversation so you can move on to your next equally important calendar item:

  1. Set realistic expectations and time allotments for each meeting. Allow enough time to accomplish your meeting goals, even if that means scheduling follow-up meetings.

  2. Insist on agendas - prior to any meeting, whether informal or formal, one-on-one or with a team, ask that the purpose and desired outcomes be established in advance, and time allocated to move through the agenda.

  3. Define clear next actions during the meeting - this will signal that the meeting and/or conversation is winding down and you are ready to wrap up.

  4. Create ownership and accountability - establish who will carry the actions forward, and by when - and how this will be communicated to those who are involved.

  5. When the time allotted for the meeting is coming to an end, indicate that the conversation is closing by acknowledging what has been agreed to and thanking participants for attending.

  6. If necessary, stand up and walk around your desk (or conference table) toward participants while thanking them and say "let me walk you out; I'm sure you have a busy day ahead".

Your effectiveness as a leader is reliant on your ability to prioritize your time and your energies - your time should be spent on doing those things that ONLY you can do; leave the rest to others. The more you protect your calendar, the more productive you will be.