Have you ever taken time to consider… well, time itself? It’s an unusual resource as once it’s gone, that’s it. You’ll never get it back. Time is your greatest asset – it’s important to use it wisely.
As action coaches we believe that one of the most effective ways to manage time is by diary planning and prioritising.
How well do you plan your diary?
If you take a casual look through the entries already in your work diary, can you honestly say they’re all important?
Let’s explain this further. What do you give priority to? If someone says they’d like to book a call with you, or they request a meeting, do you automatically allocate a mutually convenient time in your diary without giving it a second thought?
If so, at a later point when you’re looking to squeeze something else in, you’ll likely realise that your priorities are jumbled.
How should you plan your diary?
Your diary needs to work for you. Think about the things which actually lead to an outcome.
Instead of blindly scheduling endless calls and meetings, ask people what outcomes they’re seeking from it. This gives you a sense of purpose. You know why you’re going to invest your time in that phone call or meeting, and you have an idea of the result you’re aiming for. In other words, that’s an outcome-driven booking rather than perhaps just being a waste of your valuable time.
Creating your ideal diary
From experience, we’d recommend you start by listing the regular tasks you need to do and allocating sufficient time for them. You can then see how much time you have left over to think about the day-to-day things which may crop up.
Think about your personal working day. If you want to become really efficient over the next 90 days, how structured would your diary need to be? How would you need to plan your daily tasks so that everything’s taken care of by the end of each day? If you’re able to complete your day with all your allocated tasks taken care of, you’ll have a clearer mind for everything you need to do tomorrow, but also know exactly what your priorities are.
Remember those outcome-driven bookings
What are some of the things you should plan in your day-to-day tasks that make a difference to progress? Perhaps you could take time to update strategy or ensure staff are up to date with news. Could you review your competitors progress or catch up with a supplier or client to be aware of their needs and how you could help them.
Efficient diary planning is a great habit to get into. However, we totally understand that it’s not always possible to completely stick to your schedule. Things overrun, unforeseen eventualities occur and it’s important to accept it – life’s like that!
We’d be delighted to help you with your diary planning, understanding priorities and recognising outcome driven bookings.
Feel free to drop us a line on 02392 454 111 or get in touch if you’d like us to help you create a more effective diary that works for you.
