Time management may come naturally to some more than others, but I think for most, it’s a learned skill. Low level hires don’t very much need it, their tasks are assigned to them and they can focus on doing the most tasks at the highest level of quality to get ahead. But once they succeed enough to get to the management level, understanding how to manage their time to continue succeeding, while keeping a happy work-life balance, is the real challenge.

In the organizations that I’ve been a part of, plenty of training is offered around how to better organize and prioritize tasks and coach team members, but I never saw a really great course on time management, and found few mentors who could relay their lessons successfully. Senior management have mostly gotten the handle of time management, but few shared their lessons, and many simply got to where they were by working ungodly hours to stay on top of everything.

Now with most teams working remotely, managing your time successfully could bring new challenges. But the principles are the same, it’s just a matter of applying them to the new paradigm.

Plan out your days, and defend that plan