Time management is the rules of self-organization by prioritizing to-do lists. There are different ways of self-organization, and they depend on who you are: a leader, a performer, or a “middle-level” manager. This article will focus on time management for executives.
The leader, freelancer, self-employed entrepreneur, independently makes decisions and bears personal responsibility for them, so it is important for him to set priorities, set goals and be able to delegate what does not require his personal participation.
Time management techniques for a manager:
System ABC
Prioritized to-do list compilation. Priority A matters are super important. Priority "B" affairs are just important, and then "C" - not important matters. All tasks from the list are performed in order of priority and you cannot move on to the next group until you complete the tasks from the previous one. With this to-do list at the end of the day or the next day, it's easy to analyze how much time was spent doing the most important things and how much time wasted on the rest. The ABC system is great for day-to-day planning.
Eisenhower Matrix
The essence of this matrix is that activities and activities are divided into the following groups:
- "Urgent and Important". They need to be done first.
- "Important but not urgent." These are deeds and projects that promote us, in which we can develop. You need to do such things systematically, they take a lot of time. It is possible to get distracted from an important but non-urgent matter only for an urgent and important matter (1).
- "Urgent but not important." This is all that distracts us from important matters. Such cases do not bring us any benefit; their implementation must be delegated as much as possible.
- "Not urgent and unimportant." It is best not to do such things until they become "urgent and important" or "important but not urgent."
The Eisenhower Matrix is suitable for day or month planning.
Another trick of time-management of the head -
Boston Matrix
It uses two criteria:
- Benefit (Is the business profitable right now?);
- Perspective (Is the case promising?). This means that there is no immediate benefit from the project, but it is possible in the future.
And, depending on the answers to these questions, projects are divided into categories:
- A project that is profitable and developing is the Star category.
- A project that requires a lot of labor for future benefits is the Problem Child category. Perhaps there will be no sense in the future from "Difficult Child", but if everything works out, he will bring super-results and become a new "Star".
- Projects that bring benefits, but do not have prospects - "Cash cows".
- Projects - "Dogs". These projects take a lot of effort, but do not have development options and do not bring benefits.
Following the principle of the Boston matrix, the main attention should be paid to projects - "Stars", from "Dogs" we refuse altogether. If the "Difficult Child" becomes a "Dog", he should also be abandoned. Cash Cows projects receive as much attention as they require, but not more. Cash cows can also become Dogs and treat them accordingly.
