How to improve my time management skills?

My 24 best time management techniques for marketing leaders

What's more scarce than a marketing budget? Time. So listen up, you busy bees. If you're a marketing leader and you’re feeling like a hamster on a wheel, I've got some advice for you. And it's about time management techniques. I know, I know. It sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry, but trust me, you need this. So grab your overpriced coffee and let's look at the 6 biggest time management issues you're probably mucking up right now.

Focus, aka the attention span of a goldfish.

The visible surface issue: you can’t focus on anything longer than it takes to read a tweet.

What's the impact? Consider yourself working on a comprehensive strategy for a new campaign. Constant interruptions and an inability to concentrate can result in fragmented thinking and less than desirable outcomes. This might end up delaying timelines and also undermine the quality of the work. Nothing new here, but I thought I'd remind you of the reasons why you may want to find a solution for it.

The possible root cause: a lack of emotional regulation to maintain focus, finding it difficult to resist distractions.

So what? Techniques like Timeboxing and The One Thing can help you stay focused on what matters most. I explain how they work in this free PDF (alongside 22 other time management techniques)

Prioritisation or determining what's most important

The visible surface issue: you can’t decide what’s more critical: saving the company or updating your LinkedIn profile picture.

What's the impact? Without clear prioritisation, you might spend excessive time on tasks that don’t significantly impact the overall marketing (or company) goals. For example, small admin tasks might take precedence over critical strategic planning, leading to inefficient use of time and resources.

The possible root cause: a lack of clarity in differentiating urgent from important tasks. Are you clear on the game plan of your company? Of your department?

So what? Use the Eisenhower Matrix, which will help you distinguish high-impact activities from low-value tasks. There are 3 more techniques I've included in this free PDF .

Explicit periods of time to manage effectively.

The visible surface issue: your work pattern is more erratic than a squirrel fuled on Red Bull. There, I said it.

What's the impact? Irregular work habits can lead to burnout and a loss of productivity. For example, working late into the night on some days and taking long breaks on others can disrupt your efficiency and work-life balance. It's not pleasant, and how long can it really last?

The possible root cause: a lack of a structured schedule and awareness of optimal work periods. Are you aware of your productivity peaks and lows during the day? I've got a tool for this, if you want to know - let me know by email [email protected] if you want it!

So what? Then the Pomodoro technique will be appropriate for this time management issue and bring a certain level of consistency and efficiency to your work routine. Want to try other methods tackling this issue? You know what to do - it's all in this free PDF .

Task management

The visible surface issue: your to-do list is longer than a Costco receipt.

What's the impact? A cluttered task or to-do list can lead to important activities being overlooked. For instance, key project milestones might be missed, resulting in incomplete projects and dissatisfied cross-functional team members or worst - your manager.

The possible root cause: poor organisation and lack of a systematic approach to managing tasks. The length of a to-do never equates your busyness. It's the opposite. Focus first on what will realyl move the needle (see first section), then once it's clear, use task management tools.

So what? Tools like Kanban boards and closed lists can be really great ones for you, I explain how they work (and 2 more) in this free PDF .

Motivation: on starting and finishing tasks

The visible surface issue: you’ve got all the get-up-and-go of a sloth on a lazy Sunday.

What's the impact? Oh hello procrastination! This significantly hinders your effectiveness, as you delay important tasks, and this often results in rushed, subpar work and increased stress. Am I not right?

The possible root cause: a disconnect between personal values and work tasks, leading to decreased motivation. In simple terms. Find your mojo again, is what I'm saying. What has happened that made you lose it?

So what? In this case, I find that Eat the Frog is realyl good at boosting motivation and ensuring stuff is completed on time. Find 3 more techniques in this free PDF .

How good is your time awareness?

The visible surface issue: you have no idea where your day goes. Time just vanishes like my white sock in the laundry.

What's the impact? Without understanding how your time is spent, you might find that low-value activities consume a disproportionate amount of your day. This can prevent you from focusing on strategic initiatives that drive brand / buiness growth.

The possible root cause: lack of reflective practices to assess time use and adjust your behaviours accordingly. If you can't put a finger on what is the actual problem or barrier you're facing, how will you find a solution for it? It's just like seeing a brand market share going down, looking to develop a plan to get it back up, but not knowing what brought it down in the first place. Your strategy will likely be a waste of....yup, time...and energy.

So what? Practices like Time Auditing and the 168 Hours Challenge provide insights into how to understand your use of time and identify areas to improve. All here in this free PDF .

I'll end with one of the best thing to learn from this article today: it's as much time management as it is energy management, my friend. I'll dive into that another time, it's a minefield and is always a favourite topic among those I coach or train !

If you'd like to get support with it, how about: Starting with a free 30min chat?

Mags

Turning self-doubting marketers into confident and inspiring leaders who make an impact • Leadership Coach • Mentor • Trainer

Ps: I have a newsletter I send to marketers every Wednesday 7am with lots more leadership exclusive stuff for marketers - it's free, wanna sign up?

Ps 2: I have free resources you can use for your own development or your team, it's right here

Ps 3: I've got a membership called UPON created by a marketer (me!) for marketers to hone soft skills and build more confidence in how they lead (leading to promotion, influencing stakeholders, setting boundaries and more!). Wanna check it out?