Time Tips – use your own wisely

“Time is free, but it’s priceless.
You can’t own it, but you can use it.
You can’t keep it, but you can spend it.
Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.”
~ Harvey MacKay

Last week, thinking about the time salespeople waste in an effort to not be late (check out Time Tips – help your team use it wisely) got me thinking about how that happens for managers too.

The difference is – I think for sales managers, time may feel like sand slipping through an hourglass. Something you have no control over.

• TOP down requests from the organization’s leaders.
• BOTTOM up ‘to do’ activities from the salespeople.
• PLUS prospects and customers demanding bits of time.

Here are my top tips about taking control over time back!

1.    Big Rocks – Are you making sure you put your big rocks in first? I’m not going to retell the whole story! (you can Google “big rocks time management”) The thing to remember is that sometimes we forget to prioritize the THINGS that come at us during the day.
2.    Who’s More Interested? – One of most important lessons I learned from my sales management days is to NEVER spend more time on a salesperson than they are willing to invest themselves! When you’re asked for help, who is more interested in the outcome… them or you?
3.    Ask for deadlines – This may sound funny but in any given day people will ask you to do things that MAY or MAY NOT be urgent. Yet based on their political level in the organization, you might drop what you’re doing. Instead ask when they need the finished product – it may surprise you and allow you to finish what you’re working on THEN move on.
4.    Multiple requests; ask for priority – A little different twist on #3, if you have multiple projects or requests from someone make them pick what is most important. Don’t stress yourself out trying to figure it out… make them pick! (along with a polite reminder that they can’t be done simultaneously)
5.    Are you moving forward? – Never forget to look at any and all activity in relationship to your own career goals. Will this activity help you get what you want out of your career? As well as the opposite question – will NOT doing this hurt your chances of getting what you want out of your career?

Stop letting the sand slip through your fingers, make sure you accomplish the most important things each day. What other tips do you use to successfully use your time wisely?