The_Essential_Manager_s_Handbook

186 / IMPROVING YOUR SKILLS

Managing your time

While you can raise additional capital for your business, employ

more people, and buy more machinery, there will only ever be

24 hours in a day. Time is one of the few commodities you

cannot buy, but there are many

techniques to help you use your

time more effectively.

Tracking your time

Before you can start actively managing

your time, you need to find out how you

spend it. Rather than just guessing,

measure and record your expenditure

of time over a period of at least a week

in a time log. When you have completed

the analysis, consider if the way you

spend time reflects your key objectives.

For example, you may find that you

spend five percent of your time visiting

customers. Is this activity one that

delivers key results (because it

generates sales)? If it is, you need

to consider whether you would be

more effective by spending more

time on this activity.

How to set up a time log

As you work, record in the

right-hand column the letter of

the activity you have completed

in the last 15 minutes.

At the end of the week, analyze

how you have spent your time and

draw a pie chart to show where

your time goes.

Planning encourages you to think

not just about the day ahead, but

also the more distant future

US_186-187_Managing_your_time_1.indd 186 30/05/16 3:03 pm