Mastering time management: An undervalued executive skill

September sees a sudden jump in workloads for many leadership teams. Whether they have just ended their vacations and sent the kids off to school, or regain their strength with the end of the summer heat or typhoons, executives won’t return to steady and predictable times at work. Neither geopolitical, nor technological disruptions got calmer recently, teams lost some of their focus during the summer, and newcomers will need lots of help.

Okay, say many executives, it’s time to be ruthlessly efficient. The resolve of those who return from summer holidays is often fortified by new inspiration from beach-side business reading and motivational influencer videos.

But as unstoppable as that “you-can-do-it” energy feels, most leaders will return to their old habits by the end of the year, end here is why. Many obvious time-saving improvements require MORE time from the leader in the short run, not less. Here are a few timely examples.

• Onboarding: If you’re among the lucky leaders whose budget allows hiring new talent, they can save you lots of time and trouble soon. But right now, boarding, training and integrating them in your existing operations is far from a time-saving endeavour.

• Delegation: As a general rule, the smarter and more efficient the executives, the poorer their delegation skills. Why? Because they can work faster and better than their team. Delegation can save time, but shaping tasks into a delegable form takes time and effort, and forces the executive into a slower, more analytical role.

• Tech tools: “Who needs to delegate in the age of AI?” I literally heard a C-suite leader say. But technology takes time to master, and using new tech increases error margins in the short run. Tech also clash between generations: senior leaders use core tools like ChatGPT, often to the amusement of younger managers, who are busy learning the top-25 apps that may not exist next year.

In the brilliant British comedy series “Yes, Minister”, the minister demands an immediate solution. His Chief-of-Staff replies that immediate solutions are possible, but take longer to plan and implement.

So, how can business leaders become more time-effective without wasting time on constant time-management improvements?

The question is especially pressing in my East-West Leadership coaching practice, as most of my participating executives work across several time-zones, balancing diverse priorities across cultures whose attitude to urgency can be infuriatingly different. This is how we make sure that time-management practices actually result in tangible improvements from day one, so that leaders can move on to deeper and longer-term effectiveness measures in their own and their team’s work.

STEP ONE: Show me where it hurts.

Goal-setting in time management is harder than it seems, but any executive can define a. Which essential tasks remain (at least partially) undone for lack of time, and; b. Which unwanted (or even hateful) tasks much more of the leader’s time than they should. The list is highly personal, and will change over time, but a snapshot of current work-weeks is a great start.

STEP TWO: Reactive vs Proactive tasks

Most time waste occurs because of Reactive tasks: issue that require a reply, never end an often have the annoying habit of triggering three new questions with each answer. Meanwhile, careful analysis usually shows that the executive’s real value-added work comes from Proactive tasks: action that the leader initiates, that require deep thinking and involve creativity. Tilting the balance from Reactive to Proactive is the key to executive time management.

STEP THREE: Now you can delegate!

Smart executives struggle to delegate because others struggle to understand their work methods. It feels easier to get it done than to explain it. That attitude makes initial sense, but over time it piles up work on the leader’s end, while lower levels in the org chart aren’t busy enough. Separating Reactive from Proactive tasks helps resolve the dilemma: Reactive tasks are simpler in nature, easier to delegate and can serve as learning tools for others. Tech tools are also more suitable for Reactive tasks, and can serve as joint platforms between the team and the delegating leader.

The devil is always in the details. This autumn I will share examples for the application of these principles in specific situations such as onboarding and improving teams, project management handling time-consuming communication tasks.

But if you are curious how they apply to your specific leadership work, all you have to do is ask.

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