Entries Tagged 'Management' ↓

Time is money and money is time as people always say. If you can master time then you have the ability to alter your perception and others for your advantage. Often in the workplace timing is important. Whether you have a deadline to meet, a negotiation to settle, or approaching a department for additional resources you need to do it at the right time. Getting things accomplished without the proper timing leads to complexities and obstacles that would not have otherwise surfaced. How do you master time then? First, one must understand the stages that are involved with time and determine what tactic will help you master the art of timing.

Let’s take a look at what each stage encompasses and how you can benefit.

Future Time: Future time essentially is planning ahead and having a long term strategy. Some items that fall into this category are project timelines, future meetings or events, and anything that can be planned for rather than in-the-moment. What does this mean? When you have something you can plan for you can take a step back and avoid rushing. When you hurry to do things you lose focus and time seems to fly by. For example, let’s suppose that you have a negotiation deadline to meet. Your client plans to meet you 1 month from now to finalize the terms. Knowing that you have 1 month to plan you can effectively put a strategy together before you reach your deadline. This way you are prepared for any case that might arise. The reverse would be ignoring your planning phase and to deal with it the week of the meeting. Here you are pressed; you have other commitments going on and might not have any availability to plan for what’s closely approaching. You end up telling yourself, I’m just going to wing it and it’ll be okay. In essence you just gave the deal to your Client on their terms because you have no strategy in place or any benchmark to cross reference the deal. Learn to categorize the long term plans with Future time.

Strategic Time: Strategic time is using time to change or alter the perception of your engagement with someone. This is a tactic that is used for a variety of reasons. When you make someone wait, you are in effect altering their perception of time. You slow down time for them, and they get agitated and you disrupt their normal plan. If you ever had to wait for a bus or cab, you’ll understand how that tactic applies. Use this skill wisely, you don’t want to upset people but if you need them to play on your terms this works well. The opposite of waiting is being in a rush. When you make things happen quickly and on a fast pace the perception of time speeds up. People tend to think, I don’t have enough time right now. This again distorts their perception leaving them vulnerable for suggesting thinking. When you’re in a hurry you can’t focus, you do what comes next and without thought because there is no other option. When you can effectively make someone hurry whether it is for deciding something or coming to terms on an agreement you have the upper hand. Learn to use strategic time to your advantage and you’ll have people at your ease.

Forced Time: Forced time is when you need to get the job done that moment. There is no waiting or rushing the situation arises unexpectedly. When this happens you don’t want to rush into a decision but often you are and things become chaotic. When forced time approaches you need to know when it is and how to best deal with it. When a report gets dropped on your desk and you’re expected by end of day to have the answer you’re in forced time. Usually, forced time works to your advantage. It is when most people are creative because they have an immediate deadline with a specific task. The goal when facing these situations is to determine quick objectives. Overwhelming yourself will only cause mistakes. Like future time, you need to plan the short term very quickly. By anticipating the end goal and realizing that you have the resources you’ll be quick to implement a solution and people will love you for it. When others can’t do it and you show that you have the brain power to pump it out, you become the go to person.

All in all, you need to work with time rather than against it. You need to maintain your composure and let others feel the need to hurry or wait. When your perception of time is altered by others you’re at a disadvantage in the workplace. Learn to figure out what frame of mind you need to put yourself into and act on it. Waiting till the end, rushing into a decision, and or waiting on others will only screw up your schedule and project. That said I want to hear from you. How has time affected your ability to get things done? Please respond in the comment section below.

Do you pride yourself on being an effective manager? A manager who can motivate their team and drive exceptional results? For some it may come as natural, but for the majority of managers mastering the five habits is critical to success in the workplace. Over the years, I have learned from some of the best and made notes as to what works well and what doesn’t. Whether you need a reminder or want to expand your skill set here are the tricks of the trade.

1. Apologize quickly or face resentment: The goal of each manager is to be trustworthy and have high standards for integrity. Admitting your mistakes as soon as they happen, help you build your reputation with your direct reports. By gracefully admitting when you are wrong you show that you are human and that you realize your shortcomings. Take it a step further and put in place your steps to correct the situation without holding blame to your team. This may seem intuitive but often you’ll find a manager who ignores this simple principle.
2. Establish smart goals for your team: Rule by the iron fist isn’t going to produce quality work. To get what you want done you need to be clear and concise with your objectives. Explain to your team what needs to get done and the steps to follow. If you’re lucky, you’ll have self-starters on your squad. More often than not, you’ll have a team that is going to be more effective by telling them rather than having them figure it out on their own. This way you reduce redundant steps, have a focused vision, and can take out the guessing game.
3. Express confidence and expertise: To be a thought leader you need to know your industry and department. Establish your authority by showing your team both verbally and physically that you have the confidence and faith to get the job done. Just as dogs can smell fear, people can see it. No one listens to a person who doesn’t believe in himself and can’t answer the difficult questions. Step up your game or you’ll lose your respect.
4. Let your team shine, or darkness will prevail: If you think focusing on what your team does wrong will give you the most productivity then you’re in to lose your money. The key to keeping things moving in a healthy direction is by easing up on their weaknesses and bringing attention to their strengths. In times of failure it’s harder to listen to someone telling you where you went wrong. Instead, by saying what they did right will open their ears to listen to how they could have been better. Give recognition where it’s due and you’ll be smoothing sailing into tomorrow.
5. Be approachable or risk the bottom-line: Some managers capture the spot light because of their approachable personality. Whether it’s their charismatic nature or thoughtfulness, people tend to flock and listen to these managers. Do your employees think you’re standoffish? Do they always see you behind closed doors or clutters of papers on your desk that make you look too busy? If you’ve answered yes to either of these questions you need to rethink your strategy. You can start by giving your team the time of day when they need it most. Taking your team to lunch, helping them with a personal task, or listening to their weekend stories will give you likeable points and more office productivity.

Each manager has their own style of bringing success to a team. These are my thoughts and I’d like to hear back from you. Reply in the comments with what has worked and hasn’t for you and your organization.