1 Prioritize your tasks

Not all tasks are equally important or urgent. You need to identify your top priorities and focus on them first. A useful tool for this is the Eisenhower matrix, which divides tasks into four categories: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. You should do the first category, plan the second category, delegate the third category, and eliminate the fourth category.

3 Plan and schedule

You need to have a clear and realistic plan for your daily, weekly, and monthly goals and activities. You can use a calendar, a planner, or a software tool to organize your schedule and track your progress. You should also allocate time for unexpected events, interruptions, and emergencies. Moreover, you should review your plan regularly and adjust it as needed, based on your priorities, deadlines, and feedback.

4 Avoid distractions and procrastination

You need to stay focused and productive during your working hours. You can do this by avoiding distractions such as emails, phone calls, social media, or irrelevant meetings. You can also set boundaries and communicate them to your colleagues, clients, and boss. For example, you can block some time for deep work, or have specific hours for checking and responding to emails. Furthermore, you need to overcome procrastination and tackle the tasks that you tend to avoid or postpone. You can do this by breaking them into smaller and manageable steps, setting deadlines and rewards, and asking for help or support if needed.

5 Balance and recharge

You need to take care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. You can do this by maintaining a healthy balance between your work and personal life. You should also set aside some time for yourself, to relax, recharge, and enjoy your hobbies and interests. Additionally, you should seek feedback and support from your peers, mentors, or coaches, who can help you improve your skills, overcome challenges, and grow as a supervisor.

6 Learn and improve

You need to keep learning and improving your time management skills as a new supervisor. You can do this by reading books, articles, or blogs, taking courses or workshops, or joining online communities or forums. You should also monitor and evaluate your performance, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and set goals and action plans for your improvement. Moreover, you should be open to feedback and criticism, and learn from your mistakes and successes.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?