The ability to manage time is a critical leadership skill, and one that is often overlooked when firefighters move into supervisory roles. Firefighters tend to let others do the planning and scheduling, and otherwise go with the flow. However, taking this approach as an officer can be disastrous.
Once you know how you are currently using your time, the next step is to make changes to improve your efficiency and effectiveness in using the limited time you have each day to get things done. Here are a few tips that can lead to better time management:
One: First things first
Among the biggest mistakes people make when deciding how to use their time is not setting priorities. There is also the tendency to address small and less important tasks first, to “get them out of the way.” It may feel good to accomplish any goals, but if addressing those lesser goals keeps you from tackling more important work, then you are not using your time effectively.
Small tasks tend to multiply — there is always something else to do other than the larger task at hand. Don’t use trivial work to procrastinate from doing important work. Instead, decide what the most important thing is that you want to get done that day, and do it first. Obviously, there are always small tasks that must be attended to — returning a phone call, checking e-mail, checking the rig in readiness for the shift. Do these things as efficiently as possible, and then immediately move onto the priority work for that day.
Two: Use, but do not abuse lists
Lists can be a great way to outline what you need to do within a time frame — that shift, that week, that month. It really does help to write things down, and crossing completed tasks off a list is very satisfying. But don’t get so hung up on lists that making them becomes a goal in itself. Lists are just a tool, and they work better for some people than others. Use lists, or other planning tools, to create a sense of structure to your days.
Three: Schedule your distractions
E-mail and the Internet are wonderful inventions, but they can also be supreme time wasters. How many times have you gone online “just to check something real quick,” only to surface an hour later, wondering where the time went? If you are an e-mail or Internet junkie, it is critical that you schedule the time you spend with these distractions. There is really no need to check your e-mail more than three times a day — first thing in the morning, midday, and at the end of the work day. Any more than this and you’re probably using e-mail as a way of avoiding other tasks.
Four: Avoid multi-tasking
Many recent studies show that multi-tasking doesn’t work — that it is more effective to do tasks sequentially rather than simultaneously. Sometimes multi-tasking is unavoidable, such as on the emergency scene. But even in an environment where many different things are going on, the more you can focus your attention, the more effective you will be.
Five: Expect interruptions, but don’t use them as an excuse
You are running a fire station after all; interruptions in the form of emergency calls, citizen requests and the need to cover for other stations are to be expected. Always create an exit strategy for any project — for example, if you decide to paint the station that day, plan with your crew how you can safely leave the project on a moment’s notice before you start painting.
Few projects are so sensitive that they cannot be left and resumed, as long as you plan ahead for that possibility. Don’t use potential interruptions as an excuse to just sit around waiting for an emergency to occur, or you’ll never get anything done.
Six: Take conscious breaks
Being a good time manager does not mean being busy every minute of the day. Quite the contrary — when you manage time well, down time is a part of the overall plan. But be conscious about how breaks are taken. Don’t let a deserved long lunch turn into a completely aimless afternoon. Set clear expectations, such as by saying, “Okay, we’ll get back to work on this at 1:30.”
Seven: Involve your crew
It’s not all about you. Good time management is a team effort, and leaders who ignore the needs or preferences of their crew members are not likely to be as effective as those who set priorities and schedules as part of a team. Asking your crew members, “What do each of you have going on this shift?” at the beginning of a work day will do much to get their buy-in for whatever plan is ultimately made for that day.
The ability to manage time is an essential leadership skill, and brings credibility to the officer’s role. No one is naturally good at managing time — it is a skill that must be learned and practiced. Being a good time manager will make you a better officer, and a positive role model for those who work with you.
