The average startup CEO is inundated with tasks, leaving them overwhelmed and time-poor. Yet, studies have suggested that up to 70% of a CEO’s day could be used more effectively. In this article, we’ll cover six ways startup leaders can better use their time to drive more positive results for their organizations.
The Importance of Managing Your Time Wisely
Time is a finite resource. You can’t make more of it, but you can use it more wisely. The key to being productive as an executive is to know how to manage your time appropriately. Research shows that leaders who are more productive experience:
- Less stress
- Greater time freedom
- Less procrastination
- Increased energy
- Greater clarity
- More intentionality
In what may be the most important benefit of time management for executives, profit margins can increase following productivity. Therefore, if company growth is the goal, a leader should first look to improve productivity.
Six Time Management Tips for Overwhelmed Leaders
There’s no shortage of advice on how to manage time better. Success lies in finding the tips that best fit your needs and lifestyle. Here are some of the best pieces of productivity advice to consider.
1. Develop healthy habits
Do your habits help your cause or hold you back? Developing healthy productivity habits is one of the easiest ways to boost productivity without a total lifestyle overhaul.
Start your day with a planning and prioritizing session. The Eisenhower Matrix is an excellent method to help you narrow down what’s important and urgent. Once you have a plan of attack, start by “eating the frog” or tackling the most dreaded task first.
As the day progresses, resist the temptation to multitask. Instead, eliminate distractions and take adequate breaks to recharge. Finally, end the day with a quick analysis of what worked, what didn’t, and what you want to try next.
Other healthy productivity habits include:
- Developing morning and evening rituals
- Meditation
- Exercise
- Follow the one-minute rule
- Disable notifications on your phone
- Use lists (physical or digital) to track tasks, projects, and goals
2. Work remotely
The COVID-19 pandemic allowed most workers to get a feel for working remotely. While organizations had to develop new processes and feared the worst, the resulting data showed an uptick in productivity.
One study found that 86% of employees were most productive when working from home alone. Another report found that 64% of global business leaders noticed a positive impact on productivity with flexible working arrangements.
It’s easier to work remotely in some industries compared to others. But if the opportunity to work from home comes up once a month or several times a week, take advantage of it for a temporary boost in productivity that can help you develop healthy habits for the corporate office.
3. Create a comfortable work environment
Whether working from home or on-site, creating a comfortable workspace can boost productivity, and creating comfort can refer to a few different matters.
One change that can boost comfort is music. Studies show 90% of workers (leaders included) are more productive and accurate when listening to music while working. Streaming white noise or your favorite playlist can help you quickly and happily work through a to-do list.
Temperature is another overlooked environmental factor that can influence productivity. Over half of surveyed employees report being less productive if their work environment is too cold. Take a moment to adjust the thermostat, lighting, and feng shui of your workspace to make it as supportive as possible.
Finally, culture can also influence how a work environment feels. More than half of executives say corporate culture influences productivity. Boost your company culture by creating positive employee experiences, building strong relationships, and offering transparent communication.
4. Embrace tools and data
Digital tools can simplify mundane tasks on your to-do list, making you more productive and less overwhelmed. But just how much more productive depends on what you use and how you use it.
For example, document storage software can make creating, accessing, editing, and collaborating easier without bouncing between multiple screens or searching for files. In addition, time-tracking software can provide data that helps you spot which tasks are eating up your time and where you’ve made improvements.
Task management software can help you plan, prioritize, delegate, monitor, and deliver projects with colleagues in the same room or a team stretched out across the globe.
5. Eliminate communication barriers
A strong leader knows how to be an exceptional communicator. But communication barriers can make it challenging to get the message across quickly and accurately.
One example is scheduling. Skip the back-and-forth of email when planning a demo or meeting, and utilize a calendar app instead. When communicating with a marketing or sales team, consider using a messaging app for business to simplify the process and keep the conversation in one easy-to-access place.
The average professional spends nearly 30% of their workday reading and answering emails. While this may not be a communication barrier, it is a speed bump in the day’s productivity. Consider using an AI email writing tool to help you work through your inbox in less time.
6. Avoid meeting waste
Meetings are one of the most common ways for leaders and employees to communicate and collaborate. However, there is much wasted time and resources in meetings, with one statistic citing 24 billion lost work hours due to unproductive meetings in a year.
The key to increasing productivity in your meetings is not just having an agenda but also following it. If you have an agenda, you are less likely to spend time on unproductive activities such as introductions, small talk, or previously surfaced brainstorming ideas.
Using a meeting template is one way to ensure that a meeting remains focused and productive. There are plenty of group and one-on-one meeting templates to pull from online, or you can create your own based on your industry and meeting style.
Another tip is to set a meeting time limit before the meeting starts. This way, everyone will know that time is limited and remain focused and concise.
Managing Your Time is the Key to Successful Leadership
Being productive means getting the most out of your day in the shortest possible time.
As a leader, focusing on productivity can help you organize your time and limit distractions so you can do what matters most.
It can be challenging to manage time efficiently. Still, managers and executives can be more efficient with their processes through tools, automation, and time-saving best practices.