Time Management: If Only I had...
Time flies when you are having fun!
Have you ever started to read a book and then suddenly realized you have been reading for hours? If we are not careful with time management, this is exactly what happens with our everyday tasks. We can waste valuable company time and resources if we spend too many hours on tasks that are better performed by another team member. I find it helpful to assign value to a list of tasks, to be able to focus my attention on the more value-added tasks. I can then assign lower value tasks to the appropriate team member and focus my attention on high value tasks that only I can perform.
IF ONLY I HAD:
Fewer meetings to attend, I could get more accomplished. Consider how value-added a meeting is. Would sending a team member to the meeting let you spend time on a more value-added task? Your team member could deliver meeting notes to you, and you could be accomplishing tasks that only you can do.
IF ONLY I HAD:
An hour a day to myself. We all wish we had more hours in our day. This is not hard to accomplish, by blocking out an hour a day (or 2 half hours) in your calendar, and shutting your office door. By having the discipline to shut the door and not answer the phone, you can make that time. This practice must become routine. I used my best friend, Outlook, and blocked out time and stuck to it.
IF ONLY I HAD:
A little bit of help.
As a maintenance supervisor, you have a whole team available to help with lower value tasks. Think about those team players you have been working with and possibly coaching to take over your role. I am a firm believer that every good leader is looking for his or her replacement while building a team. To build a strong team, we must always look to the future. Get your craft people involved! Look for things that a team member can help with and delegate.
IF ONLY I HAD:
Structure and discipline.
It is hard to have structure and discipline when we constantly work in a reactive mode. We are no different than our craftspeople. We fight just as many fires as they do, and it becomes our nature when in a reactive world. Things will not change overnight. Use all the tools you have to stay on track, and work hard at it. I still have to work hard to achieve structure, even in this late cycle of my life.
IF ONLY I HAD:
More time to share.
We are at the end of this series of writings on Time Management. I love sharing! Look for more from me in our E Newsletter. I have enjoyed the time spent with each of you sharing some of the little tips and tricks that I have learned over the years. Reach out anytime if you have more questions on this topic or if you just want to let me know how you are doing.
Like my grandpa would say “bye for now”!