A manager's calendar is usually full of meetings, appointments or conference calls. Often there are so many such activities that you need to work on different things during them in order to prepare for further meetings. However, even in such a rush, you should not forget about those activities that are essential in your leadership role.
According to Forbes.com, you should always make time for the following activities at least once a month - and preferably every week. To "make time" in this context does not mean spending a few minutes doing these things if you have a free moment but rather allocating specific periods of time for them in your schedule.
1. Strategy
Leaders create strategies and motivate staff to follow them. What is your strategy and do your staff know about it? You have to talk to them and constantly monitor whether your strategy reflects the reality of the needs of your company and team.
2. Recognition
Your staff will be more motivated and stay with you longer if you appreciate them. You can acknowledge their good work at meetings or naturally during everyday tasks. Thanks expressed by e-mail also count. Try to set your calendar to alert you to thank someone either verbally or in writing every morning.
3. Clients
Every manager has clients, whether they be customers or employees. You have to communicate with these people to know their needs, strengthen your relationships and improve what you can provide them.
4. Concentration
In the flurry of everyday urgent issues, it can easily happen that you have no time left for work that is not just one-off or superficial. These are tasks you have to pay full attention to without being distracted. Therefore, you need to schedule specific time frames in your calendar for these tasks, inform others about it and then take full advantage of these blocks of time when you will not be disturbed.
5. Relax
A manager's role involves great responsibility and also great stress. Ideally, you should find at least a short block of time for activities that will help you relax, calm down and continue working each day with fresh energy.
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