Strong time management is a core skill for any effective manager. Whether you're leading a team or working solo, how you organize your own tasks—and enable others to do the same—directly impacts productivity. Without structure, managers fall into a cycle of reacting, rather than leading.
This guide breaks down practical steps to help you organize yourself, prioritize your work, and manage time-stealers before they take over your day.
🧭 Step 1: Organize Yourself
- Plan proactively: Daily planning isn't optional. Without it, your time controls you. Use your calendar as a strategic tool, not just a reminder app.
- Sort your tasks: Identify active vs. reactive work. Active tasks align with your core goals. Reactive tasks are incoming requests that derail your day.
- Prioritize using urgency + importance: Combine these two factors to decide what deserves your time today.
📊 A Real Example
In one of our sessions, a marketing team leader realized she spent over 90 minutes a day handling emails labeled "urgent" that didn’t directly affect her KPIs. After redesigning her calendar with a block-and-batch system, her team noticed a 20% bump in completed project deliverables within three weeks.
🛠️ Use Time Planning Tools
Visual planners, bring-forward files, and consistent use of a digital or paper diary can act as a second memory. Relying solely on your brain leads to missed tasks, half-finished items, or repetitive time-wasters.
📌 Recognize Patterns in Your Workday
Ask yourself: What makes some days more productive than others? Often, it's when:
- You knew what needed to be done.
- You worked on a task you enjoyed or valued.
- You blocked enough time to finish it properly.
- You got recognition after completing it.
🧠 Stop and Think: Evaluate Priorities
- Use this priority scale:
- Must do today
- Should do today or tomorrow
- Could do sometime this week
- Urgency vs. Importance:
- Urgent but not important: Do it quickly, don’t over-invest time.
- Urgent and important: Tackle it first and fully.
- Important but not urgent: Schedule it—don’t ignore it.
🚨 Watch for Time Bandits
A "time bandit" is anything that blocks you from doing what matters. It might be unnecessary meetings, endless emails, or well-meaning coworkers. The first step is to name them. Then decide how you’ll manage or eliminate them.
📋 Self-Check: Where Does Your Time Go?
- What tasks do you do because your boss asked—even if they aren’t priority?
- What do you say yes to because you like the person asking?
- Which tasks do you start but not finish?
- What do you avoid because you dislike it—even if it’s important?
Explore our Time Management training package to get complete slides, trainer guides, and ready-to-use activities.
⏱️ Curious about your own time habits? Try our free self-assessment: Do You Procrastinate?
👤 About the Author
This article was written and published by TrainingCourseMaterial.com, a trusted source of ready-to-use training resources for team leaders, facilitators, and HR professionals worldwide. All content is created and reviewed by experienced instructional designers and field practitioners.
Last reviewed: August 2025
