10 Strategies for Busy Managers to Boost Productivity

If you’re a busy manager with constant demands on your time, it can be intensely stressful to find that you’re always fighting fires or buried in admin work, with no time left for meaningful work on major team goals.

You’re not alone, but there are some highly effective ways to power through your to-do list and rescue wasted hours. From learning to ‘eat your frogs for breakfast’ to cutting down meeting time, here’s how to cultivate excellent productivity habits.

1. Begin with the End in Mind

Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, advises starting with a clear vision of what you want to achieve. For leaders, this means having a goal that filters all tasks through the lens of their relevance to your team’s bigger objectives. This vision becomes the organising principle for everything you and your team do.

2. Communicate the Vision

Once you’ve identified your vision, share it with your team. This enables them to prioritise tasks in line with the team’s goals. Without a clear vision, your team might be left guessing what’s important. Effective communication allows you to delegate confidently, setting clear deadlines and expectations.

3. Eat Your Frogs for Breakfast

Mark Twain famously said, ‘Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.’ Tackle your most dreaded task first. By doing so, you’ll create momentum and relieve yourself of that nagging sense of something hanging over you all day.

4. Prioritise High Payoff Activities (HPAs)

According to the Pareto Principle, 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts. Look at your tasks for the week:

• Which ones significantly move your team forward?
• Which ones directly align with your team’s goals?
• Which are lower-value tasks that still need ticking off (admin, non-urgent reports)?

Schedule your HPAs for your most productive hours—whether that’s first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon.

5. Manage Low Payoff Activities (LPAs)

LPAs fall into three categories:

• Unnecessary time-wasters (e.g., endless scrolling between tasks or social media).
• Boring but necessary tasks (e.g., admin work).
• Enjoyable but low-impact tasks (e.g., tweaking a template that doesn’t need fixing).

Eliminate unnecessary time-wasters, save the third category for a mental break, and tackle boring but necessary tasks during off-peak times.

6. Don’t Write Your To-Do List in the Morning

Prepare your to-do list the day before, just before shutting down for the day. This way, when you start work the next morning, you can hit the ground running.

7. Incorporate Exercise and Stress-Relief Techniques

Exercise not only reduces stress in the moment but also releases ‘nanny neurons’ that help calm your brain when stressful situations arise later. Regular exercise, yoga, and meditation all contribute to better mental clarity and emotional regulation, helping you stay productive.

8. Make Time for Listening

Listening to your team’s ideas and concerns may seem like a time drain, but it actually enhances productivity. It prevents misunderstandings, task duplication, and disengagement, while also fostering creative ideas, which can spread through your team.

9. Streamline Meetings

Reduce the number of attendees to only those necessary. Replace lengthy PowerPoint presentations with pre-meeting memos so attendees can come prepared with ideas. Always question the necessity of meetings: are they vital, and if so, why?

10. Schedule Time for Creativity

Inspiration often strikes when you’re not bogged down with everyday tasks. Clear time in your schedule to think creatively about the big picture. Changing your environment, such as taking a walk, can help stimulate new ideas.

By setting a clear vision, managing your time effectively, and taking care of your team and yourself, you’ll see a sharp rise in your productivity as a leader.

Many thanks,

Alex & The Excel Team

P.S. If you would like to discuss any of your other learning & development challenges, book in your discovery call.

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