John had been really excited about his new job. He had been promoted with the support of his manager and the VP of Human Resources. They told him he had been selected because he was by far the most efficient person on his team.
When John took on the role, he had been given a cursory job description which talked about the reports he was responsible for submitting, the various functions required of the department, the meetings he would need to attend, and the staff he would be managing. He thought, “I’ve got this.”
What he didn’t realize is that managing a team is far different from doing the job yourself. Managing a team requires effective time management and prioritization, among other skills.
After a month in the position, he was really struggling. He found that there simply wasn’t enough time in the day to complete all of the functions required of him. So, he reached out to his boss and asked for some advice. His boss asked how he spent his days in general, and John let him know what he was doing. His boss said he was doing all of the right things and to keep up the good work.
The problem? John was flailing at this point and didn’t know what to do.
So, he decided to research online what was going wrong. He began finding out articles and tips on how to better manage your time. While John was excited about what he was learning, he still wasn’t sure how to put this into practice. Why?
Because John didn’t know WHAT items in his schedule to prioritize.
So, he went back to his boss with this newfound information and asked his boss what items he should prioritize. His boss appreciated this direct question and was able to let John know the items that needed to be completed and their deadlines more specifically. This helped John determine the priorities better.
However, John still was unable to meet all of the deadlines and continued to find himself flailing.
The research online wasn’t helping him make a dent in his schedule… until he ran across information about getting a coach for time management targeted for managers.
Why did he need a coach?
Often, companies are great at providing the facts of the job, but not the HOW, WHY, WHEN, WHERE, WHO, AND WHAT of the tasks that need to be completed.
A coach can individualize an approach to the specific person needing this help. A coach can walk the person through a day, a week, and a month, to better understand where the challenges are in the schedule for that person, ask about ways in which the person could modify the schedule, help them implement changes, and then follow-up with them to make sure that the new approach is working.
If you are a new manager, or perhaps even a seasoned manager, who is struggling with feeling overwhelmed and out of balance with time, following is a link to help you figure out where you are spending most of your time currently. Filling out this form is critical to get a better understanding of how your time is currently being managed and may provide a window or mirror into how you might be able to make small adjustments that make a big difference.
Looking forward to your success!
