public relations…social media…commmunications…marketing. Repeat.

There are not enough hours in the day, you say? Working more efficiently can help you find them. In an earlier post, I outlined various ways to declutter your work life. In the spirit of Daylight Saving Time, I thought I’d share a blog post for you from Pointer.org.

Writer Butch Ward does a great job outlining ten ways to effectively manage your time and create more opportunity to do the work you want to do. Here are a few of his tips:

• Clarify your role: We waste so much time wondering what the boss expects of us. Why not ask? Then ask again, until you get a clear, consistent answer. Check back at least weekly to review real situations and the decisions you made.
• Be clear about your expectations: If we waste time wondering what the boss wants, how about the people who work for us? Are we sure they know exactly what we want on this assignment, this beat, this project? Don’t wait for them to ask what you want; invite them to help you develop guidelines. End conversations and meetings by reviewing what everyone agreed to do. Seize opportunities — while editing, running staff meetings, talking over lunch — to reinforce your expectations.
• Schedule the important stuff: If it matters, schedule it. It will be harder to cancel. Reserve time for activities that improve the staff’s work in the long-term — feedback sessions, difficult conversations, career updates — and prepare for them.
• Coach all day: Talking with staff throughout the day can save you time at the end. For example, taking an extra five minutes with reporters at the idea stage and when they’ve finished reporting (but before they write) can eliminate surprises and save precious minutes at filing time.
• Manage your meetings: Distribute agendas in advance. Schedule only as many items as you can reasonably address, including discussion and questions. Start and end on time. Encourage all to participate, and don’t let anyone dominate. Stay on topic. End by reviewing what everyone agreed to do.

For the complete list, read his article. How do you effectively manage your time?