Every year tends to start with new goals, well-planned schedules, and a sense of control over our time. Yet, before we know it, our daily whirlwind takes over. We can feel like our days are spiraling out of control. For busy tourism leaders, regaining control over your time is crucial. Here are some straightforward tips to help you achieve time management mastery.
- Tools: Choose Your Time Allies Wisely
Start with your tools. How are you managing your time?
- Diary/Calendar: It’s astonishing how some people don’t use one. Choose a digital calendar like Outlook or your phone, or go old-school with a hard copy. Whatever suits you best, but use one.
- Meeting Invites: When scheduling meetings, ensure you CC relevant people. It keeps everyone on the same page and reduces unnecessary back-and-forth.
- Blocked Time: Dedicate blocks in your calendar for meals and focused work time. Don’t let these crucial breaks get swallowed by constant meetings and tasks.
- Colour Coding: Differentiate between personal and professional commitments. Always prioritise key activities like team meetings, 1-1s, and personal well-being.
- To-Do Lists: Don’t let your to-do list become a never-ending mental list or a collection of sticky notes. Work on it, rather than it working you over.
- Plan: Clarity and Accountability
Your plan must promote clear, specific, and timely communication.
- Agendas: Set the stage for meetings by pre-setting the agenda. Send out dot points for discussion, so everyone is well-prepared, and meetings are more productive.
- Follow-Up and Delegation: Clearly communicate follow-up actions and delegate tasks to specific team members. Make sure everyone knows their responsibilities.
- Visual Goals: Don’t just talk about goals. Make them tangible. Print them out or have them on a visible board. Visual goals are easier to remember and work toward.
- Alignment: Ensure your goals are closely aligned with your core business values and mission. Avoid getting bogged down in unnecessary details that don’t drive your mission forward.
- Support: Foster a Team That Works Together
To be a high-performing leader and lead a high-performing team, you need robust support systems.
- Accountability: Encourage team members to hold each other accountable. Create a culture where saying “No” or “However” is acceptable, so unrealistic workloads don’t pile up.
- Timelines: Discuss and mutually agree upon timelines for projects and tasks. Keep everyone on the same page regarding expectations.
- Regular Communication: Establish a routine of weekly and daily meetings where team members can communicate, ask for help, brainstorm solutions, and share their availability. Don’t let everyone run their show; collaboration leads to success.
Mastering time management isn’t a one-time event; it’s a continuous process. Great leaders and high-performing teams build solid communication systems for engagement, accountability, and results. Day by day, week by week, and month by month, this doesn’t happen by chance. It takes deliberate design and consistent effort.
What’s your favourite takeaway from these tips, or do you have additional suggestions to share? Your journey toward time management mastery begins with these principles, setting you up for success in the coming months.
As an Australian tourism leader, your role is crucial, and efficient time management can help you steer your team towards excellence. Share these strategies with your team, and together, you can navigate the unique challenges of the tourism industry, with time on your side.
Genevieve
P.S Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you develop your tourism business leadership capabilities and achieve consistent business growth:
- Grab a free copy of our E-Book – How to Attract, Train and Retain Your Tourism Talent
It’s the core principles for success in attracting new tourism talent, training new and existing staff, then retention strategies to ensure you keep the keepers — Click Here
- Join the Tourism Business Leader’s Facebook group and connect with like-minded leaders focused on building highly effective teams
It’s our Facebook community where smart leaders get to learn more about creativity, leadership and performance for tourism business success. — Click Here
- Create Your Tourism Pro-Team and Drive Consistent Growth
Helping tourism business leaders develop their skills to improve engagement, accountability and performance of the team and business. If you’d like to work with me so you can stop being reactive, have the difficult conversations and drive performance to get the results you want and know the business need and can achieve then… message PRO to me here and I’ll get you all the details.
- Let’s get the Whole Team Together
Would you like a different perspective and someone else at the front of the room or on zoom/teams to lead regular and consistent team building, accountability, and engaging learning experiences, that drive results and outcomes for individuals, teams, and the business? If you feel a little challenged with everything going on, maybe sounding like a cracked record saying things repeatedly, or actually not 100% how to motivate and drive the team, given the current nature of business, it may be useful for us to chat. Message TEAM to me here… and tell me a little about the business, your team, and what you’d like to work on together.
