TIME MANAGEMENT IN THE WORKPLACEEven if you can’t infl uence what your boss
focuses on, you might be able to engage his help
in removing obstacles or roadblocks that are
affecting your team’s ability to focus on the right
goals and tasks. If anybody will understand the
profi t and performance payoffs that fl ow from
the ability to focus, it will be your boss.
By diplomatically working around your boss’s
fl aws and practicing good time-management
skills, you can lighten the load for you and your
boss—and enhance your market value. Plus,
learning to cope with an ineffi cient boss can
make your workplace far more tolerable. It’s no
lie that workers “don’t leave bad jobs, but fl ee
from bad bosses.”
COMMITTING TO PERSONAL CHANGE
Getting a handle on time management can be an
overwhelming proposition. Yet imagine having
control over your time and workload. Imagine
saying “no” to your inner workaholic. Imagine
saying “no” to your subordinates, peers, and
superiors who make inappropriate demands on
your time. Imagine saying “no” to the minutiae
that threaten to overwhelm you.
Now that you’ve learned to prioritize your
tasks, stay focused, avoid distractions, teach
your subordinates to manage their time, and
work around your boss’s time-management
defi ciencies, you are in the best position to
fi nally gain control of your time. Focus on elim-
inating wasted time or effort, refusing work that
doesn’t move your agenda or your company’s
forward, keeping track of your projects, and