It was a question I was asked after speaking at Management in Practice, London last week. It’s a valid question when practice managers and practice teams are so busy.
So busy it seems there is no time to improve things, to work more effectively or chase goals. But without improving then there’ll never be any time. It’s a vicious circle you need to break, for you and the whole team. If you don’t you’ll always feel as busy as you do now.
While it may feel impossible, there are some things you have the power to do.
🔶 Adopt a mindset of there is time, and it's so important we have to find the time.
🔷 Accept you have to make an investment, of time and effort, in order to get a return.
🔶 Say no. Practice Managers are very good at saying yes, but saying no to other work or requests may leave space for what’s more important.
🔷 Prioritise your work. Not every task is ’urgent’ and thinking so can mean the ‘important’ tasks without a pressing deadline can be overlooked. These might be the ones that produce the longer term benefit.
🔶 Delegate to others. Not only can this free up time for more important things, it also gives an opportunity to develop others.
🔷 Plan ahead. Ring fencing time for important tasks can help you escape constant firefighting and ensure you improve and move forward.
How do you find the time to improve?
You may already have the answers.
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