One of the side effects of the rocky times we are going through is that every one is under intense pressure to do more with less. Chances are that your company may have reduced headcount (hopefully, not at your expense), while at the same time trying to boost productivity. This means your team has more work to do, and fewer hands to help do it. All of this stress and pressure results in difficult time management challenges for you, which can definitely start to pile on the stress and frustration.
Here are some time management tips to help you navigate this demanding time:
1. Develop a realistic attitude about the workload you are facing. During times like this, people sign up for time management training, hoping to find a magic bullet to help reduce the stress and workload they are facing. If that is you right now, I have some bad news for you: no time management course or strategy can change your circumstances. The workload is what it is, and it probably isn't going to get lighter any time soon. You can either face it constructively or look for a new job, so try to make the best of it instead of becoming bitter and resentful. Believe me, a lot of people right now would love to be in your situation.
2. Develop a realistic attitude about the workload you can handle. Extra-heavy workloads and the heart attack deadlines notwithstanding, you are still only human, and there are limits to what you can squeeze into your schedule in a given time period without degrading the quality of your work product and, in some cases, beginning to undermine your health. No matter what the demands of the job may be, or the level of responsibility you feel for the success of your team going forward, you have to be able to recognize when enough is enough for one day or one week, and avoid accepting more work in any given time period than you can really handle. You are not doing anyone any favors by making promises you can't keep.
The key to effective time management in high stress times is to know what your limits are and take appropriate steps to honor those limits in a way that doesn’t create more problems for the rest of the team.
