Keep Your Career Moving Forward

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Sherri Davis-Garner, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

Time is probably the world’s most precious commodity. Why? You have a limited amount of it and no one can give you back the time you’ve already spent. Consequently, you have to use what you have well and you have to be successful in managing your time.
Here are some Smart Solutions Strategies™ for managing your time well as you move your career or business forward.
First Smart Solution: Get the assistance you need when you need it! I say this with an exclamation point because if you need help in completing a project, figure out how you need to free up your time and energy. Don’t be too proud to ask for help. Managers usually respect those who ask for help, as opposed to those who need it and don’t ask. Making this request taps into your boss’s ego, presents you as a problem solver and taps into your manager’s expertise. Remember the dance. Ask just enough and not too much Exhibit you are working smarter and strategically.
Second Smart Solution: Don’t get drawn into unnecessary meetings and conversations. If you have flexibility with saying yes and no, exercise this muscle. Be strategic about how you spend your time. If you are drawn in many directions, take it to your director or manager and have a conversation as to what’s the priority. Once you have this sign-off, you can eliminate the meeting to decide what coffee needs to be ordered next week. Stay out of the weeds.
Third Smart Solution: Prioritize and delegate. Leaders allow people to do the jobs they are hired to complete. Managers observe employees who can engage others on the team, as well as keep all of the pieces moving. Throughout a project, communicate with your manager about what’s completed and occasionally share how you’ve enlisted the team to share in the brain trust.
Fourth Smart Solution: Present yourself as a good steward of time. Those employees who appear to be organized are seen as being pulled together, on top of things and able to handle deadlines well. On the other hand, those employees who wait to the last minute, don’t meet deadlines and whose offices are messy are labeled as the not-go to persons. It may not be true; however, it’s someone’s reality. Always remember, perception usually equals reality.
In review, know how to engage your manager when you need assistance. Managers love to provide advice and consultation. Don’t get drawn into unnecessary meetings. If you have a choice, prioritize which meetings are most important and which are not. Understand the importance of delegating tasks. Your manager will commend you if you do it well. And, lastly, present yourself as a good steward of time. Present yourself as organized and able to meet deadlines. Organization is both what can be seen and what cannot. Organize your time well because no one can give you more of it.