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Time management in construction and real estate is a big issue. Many executives work 50 or more hours each week and have families making demands on their time as well.  Balancing all of these demands is a constant struggle. Here are a few simple tips that can help many of these executives:

Manage email messages efficiently. Read them, file them, or delete them. Ever meet someone with an inbox filled with thousands of old emails? There are a lot of people in the workplace who could be much more efficient if they simply processed this information once and once only. Read email messages and do something with them immediately. Either file the information or delete it, but don’t let old messages sit in your mailbox. This leads to inefficiencies, disorganization, and poor time management. Files can even be set up in Outlook to keep the process simple. Keep your inbox clean and be more productive.  
 
Control the volume of pending voice mail messages. Listen, forward or delete. Why anyone would want to let voice mail messages accumulate is a mystery to me. Saving these messages is inefficient. Schedule time to listen to your voice mail messages. Then process the information as you hear it, forward the messages to parties who need to hear these messages, and then delete them. Keep your mailbox clean and you’ll be ready to take on new challenges as they come up.  
 
Minimize time required for snail Mail processing. Move it, toss it, or file it. Show me a disorganized desk filled with mail or paperwork and I’ll show you a manager who is not as productive as they could be. File important documents and throw away the rest. Do this when the material arrives on your desk and you’ll be free to take on other tasks.   Letting mail accumulate is inefficient. Process it once and move on.
 
Schedule time each day to process the information above. Lots of time is wasted when people immediately stop what they’re doing to read an email or listen to a voice mail message, or check to see what goodies have arrived from the postal service. Budget time to do these activities each day and keep these tasks to their allotted times. This will allow you to focus on getting your other assignments done. 
 
Finally, take a half an hour each day to write out a daily plan. Personally, I like to plan each day at 4:30 – 5:00PM the previous day This way I know what I want to accomplish when I come into the office the following morning. Avoid the temptation for interruptions and don’t forget to budget time to process emails, voice mails, and snail mail. Let people know that you are busy when you’re doing your daily plan and that you will have to respond to them later. Daily planning is extremely important because it provides a blueprint to help you reach your goals.

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