The Complete Manager 1 of 14: Time Management
We're examining the profile of a 'complete' manager - one who daily achieves Predictable Success for herself, her team, and the organization she works for. In this article, we'll look at the most fundamental of the 14 characteristics of 'The Complete Manager' - Time Management. (If you missed the introductory article in the series, you can read it here). To help you follow along with the series, you can Click here to download the Complete Manager Brain Map (a pdf version of the graphic at top right), and track the progress of the series (and jump to other articles) using this progress bar: Why Time Management Comes FirstTime Management if the first of four skills listed under the category of 'Productivity', and it's up first for one simple reason:The lack of personal time management skills is the single most common reason that managers fail. Setting aside the technical skills required to fulfill the manager's core function (sales, legal, IT, accounting, etc.), when I sit 'round conference room tables with managers, the most frequent concern I have, is not whether they're clever enough, determined enough, committed enough, or even capable of implementing Predictable Success®, but rather: - Do you have the personal time management skills to both schedule and follow through the implementation points necessary to achieve Predictable Success®? Time: the One Resource You Can't Make More OfEvery manager faces their own individual challenges in achieving Predictable Success® - whether it's -
This all takes time - and that's the one resource none of us can manufacture more of. Mastering Your Use of Time Is THE Foundation of Predictably Successful ManagementThe predictably successful manager realizes that personal mastery of time management is not an option - it is THE essential pre-condition to success as a manager.When I'm coaching managers, it's often difficult for them to grasp this concept - that you can be good - or excellent, even superlative - at everything you do as a manager, but if you're not totally on top of your personal time management, eventually your performance will slide, and will eventually collapse. It's important to grasp this point: It doesn't matter how good you are at making decisions, communicating, taking risks, schmoozing customers, motivating employees, influencing others, or any other management skill - Some day it will catch up with you. If not today, tomorrow. And if not tomorrow, the day after.
How To Become a Complete ManagerPre-register for our upcoming Complete Manager Program - a distance learning program based on all 14 'Complete Manager' characteristics, launching later this year. There's no obligation whatsoever in pre-registering, and the Program is open to members and non-members alike (although members will receive a discount on the Program registration fee (which we haven't set yet). Just complete this simple form and hit 'Submit':
Next: Priority ManagementIn the next article, we'll look at the second skill in the Complete Manager's 'Productivity' category: Priority Management.
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