How should you spend your time?
As discussed in the role of a manager there are two key functions of any manager:
In reality
In reality there are really three areas that take up a manager's time:
1. Interpreting - communicating direction and relevance to staff, suppliers and customers. Identifying what staff, suppliers and customers need from you and your team. Facilitating the right people get together to ensure shared understanding and collaboration.
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As a manager it is essential you spend your time on your core roles - interpreting and enabling
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2. Enabling - providing the tools, information, people, support, systems to enable people to perform well. Reviewing how well these things are enabling your staff, suppliers and customers.
3. Other - this is the mess part. Fire fighting, paperwork, hands on stuff. Anything that doesn't fall into the other two categories.
Take the test
Try our mini test to see how effectively you are utilising your time.
How much?
So how much time should you spend in each area?
We think 1/3, 1/3, 1/3.
If you are spending a third of your team in each area, then it is likely you are a very effective manager.
Variability
Depending on the nature of your role, these proportions may change slightly. The 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 split is certainly a good guideline, you may like to discuss it with your manager to see what their expectations are.
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