Workday Management Tips

Here's what 'easy' administrative tasks are like for me as a neurodivergent person: 👉 spending hours doing tasks that 'should' take 5 minutes, like setting up a zoom call 👉 panic attacks over not understanding how to do them & avoiding completely until it builds up into an overwhelming mountain 👉 Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria in struggling to ask for help, especially when I can do other things well, like writing books about ADHD! 👉 feeling 'stupid' for repeatedly having the same challenges, no matter how many times I'm helped 👀 (have now given up on ever understanding Excel 🤣) 👉 overthinking small details, like signing off an email, wasting energy & focus 👉 being easily distracted, making the task 100x harder to do as I keep interrupting myself from doing it & having to start again 👉 constantly losing all usernames, passwords & log in details 👉 offloading to other people from overwhelm, resulting in having no idea where or what anything is 👉 intense anxiety about making a mistake (often crying at bewildered people, like HMRC), & constantly feeling on edge 👉 beating myself up for not doing 'basic' tasks like washing, cleaning & socialising (often whilst coaching others on this!) For me, this is one of the most disabling parts of ADHD, due to a 30% developmental delay on executive functioning skills. Here's some reasonable adjustments that can help: ✅ task-swapping: empower everybody to play to their strengths & help each other at work! ✅ a virtual assistant (who can be funded by Access to Work!) ✅ training for managers of ADHD-ers, to understand their interest-based nervous system (https://lnkd.in/eFePQRzD) ✅ body doubling (like Ed Taylor's free 'Big Spoon' sessions: https://lnkd.in/eTD4aeCi) ✅ non-judgemental conversations about tasks that people find more challenging than others ✅ reassuring ADHD-ers that receiving support doesn't stop them from doing 'harder' work ✅ offering support via mentoring / buddies, such as people happy to check seemingly 'small' things ✅ making procedures as simple as possible, such as by having written reasonable adjustments & sign-off policies ✅ ADHD coaching, to help people implement strategies & systems that work for their brains - ours is based on executive functioning (https://lnkd.in/eq95acta) In return, employers get employees who can harness their strengths to focus on what they're best at: inclusion benefits everybody. 💫 Just because society says something should be 'easy', doesn't mean it is. Just like cooking - we might all have the recipe, but we don't all get the same outcome. (Especially if you're me & forget about the oven until it sets on fire. 👀) Does this resonate with you? Become an ADHD Works Coach in September here: https://lnkd.in/eVGyn8YY #ADHD #reasonableadjustments

Do you often feel like your workday is consumed by endless meetings, leaving little room for actual productive work? Almost every organization has too many meetings with too many people in them that run too long. 🫡 Most organizations eventually get to the point where their middle managers can’t do their “real” work during the day because they’re running from meeting to meeting or video call to video call. Here are some actionable tips: 1. Evaluate Necessity: Only hold meetings when absolutely necessary. Could an email suffice instead? 2. Set Time Limits: Keep meetings concise and to the point. Aim for shorter, more efficient sessions. 3. Encourage Autonomy: Empower your team to make decisions independently, reducing the need for frequent meetings. 4. Establish No-Meeting Blocks: Designate certain times or days as meeting-free to ensure uninterrupted work periods. By implementing these strategies, you can reclaim your time and boost productivity. How do you manage meeting overload? Share your tips in the comments! #TimeManagement #ProductivityHacks #WorkSmart

If you don’t control your time, someone else will. 7 time management frameworks to own your time: 1) Measuring my time At the age of 14, I started preparing for engineering exams, only to realise I just could not manage my time. So I recorded every hour of my day; I did this for 13 years. Just this act of measurement led to the act of improvement. Do it for 10 days and you will see the difference. 2) Time blocking I realised context switching was taking a toll. I started blocking 2-3 hours and have been doing so till date. Monday AM: X Monday PM: Y Tuesday all day: Z 3) Win the week, not the day Think of your week as your time unit, not your day. Think of what you wish to achieve in a week. And split your week to achieve that. 4) Single source of action We are constantly being fed a to-do list. From multiple sources. What helps me is to have a single source of action - my emails. It can be a to-do app for you, a notebook, or post-its - anything except your memory. 5) Create repeatable tasks I am a student of processes. So my endeavour is - find something I need to do in life, and find a way to convert it into a recurring task which I can add to my calendar. It builds a habit, routine, and discipline for your mind. 6) Setup distraction time Our mind craves distraction because we make it a forbidden fruit. Do the opposite. Set up time to waste time. 7) Zoom out We struggle to manage time, because we look at it in a micro way. Go back to the macro. What do you want to achieve this month, quarter, or year? What are the big milestones that will get you there (or tell you that you are on the path)? Did that happen this week? If yes - great. If not - go back to step 1 and figure out what went wrong. Repeat every week.

What if managing your energy, not just your time, was the key to your success? In today's world, we often think of ourselves as being like computers: we run until our batteries are drained, only to recharge briefly and do it all over again. But the reality is, we're not machines.  We're biological beings, and we need to approach productivity with that in mind. Here are three quick ways to rethink how you work: focus in 90-minute bursts with breaks in between, as Tony Schwartz suggests in his book “Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time,” batch similar tasks together to maintain flow, and align your most important work with the time of day when you’re naturally more focused. These small shifts can lead to big improvements in how you manage your energy. For me, embracing these strategies has been a game changer. Learning to manage my energy—not just my time—has helped me avoid burnout and maintain peak performance over the long haul. It's not about doing more, but about doing smarter, more sustainable work. #productivity  #gettingthingsdone  #strategy 

Every task that comes to me is urgent and important. Sound familiar? This is a challenge many of us face daily. Early in my career, prioritization was relatively straightforward—my manager told me what to focus on. But as I grew, the game changed. Suddenly, I was managing a flood of requests, far more than I could handle, and the signals from others weren’t helpful. Everything was “important.” Everything was “urgent.” Often, it was both. To handle this effectively, I realized I needed to develop an internal prioritization compass. It wasn’t easy, but it was transformative. Here are 6 strategies to help you build your own: 1/ Be crystal clear on key goals Start by understanding your organization’s goals—at the company, department, and team levels. Attend organizational forums, departmental reviews, or leadership updates to stay informed. When in doubt, use your 1:1s with leaders to ask: What does success look like? 2/ Deeply understand KPIs Metrics guide decision-making, but not all metrics are equally valuable. Take the time to understand your team's or function's key performance indicators (KPIs). Know what they measure, what they mean, and how to assess their impact. 3/ Be assertive to protect priorities Not every task deserves your attention. Practice saying “no” or deferring requests that don’t align with key goals or metrics. Assertiveness is not about being inflexible—it’s about protecting your capacity to focus on what truly matters. 4/ Set and reset expectations Priorities change, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is working on misaligned tasks. Keep open communication with your manager and stakeholders about evolving priorities. When new demands arise, clarify and reset expectations. 5/ Use 1:1s to align with your manager Leverage your 1:1s as a strategic tool. Share your current priorities, validate them against your manager’s expectations, and discuss any conflicts or challenges. 6/ Clarify the escalation process When priorities conflict, don’t let disagreements linger. If you can’t agree quickly, escalate the issue to your manager. This avoids unnecessary churn, ensures trust remains intact, and keeps momentum focused on results. PS: You won’t always get it right—and that’s okay. Treat each misstep as an opportunity to refine your compass. What’s one tip you’ve used to prioritize when everything feels urgent? --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

This 15-minute morning routine supercharged my productivity.  Every day, I spend 15 minutes doing a "brain dump" before checking my devices. I write about my internal triggers, frustrations, and worries.  This simple act helps prevent these thoughts from hijacking my attention later. Here's how to make it work: 1. Schedule it: Use a timeboxed calendar to allocate 15 minutes each morning.  2. Minimize distractions: Do this before checking your phone or computer. If needed, use apps to block distracting feeds and websites. 3. Write freely: Explore negative feelings with curiosity, not contempt. What's bothering you? What's on your mind? 4. Identify actionable items: What problems are under your control? What can you do about them? 5. Let go: Acknowledge the things you can't change. This practice helps you form an action plan for the day ahead, focusing on what truly matters. Try it tomorrow morning. You might be surprised at how much clearer and more focused your day becomes. Want more science-backed techniques for mastering your attention? Subscribe to my newsletter (link in bio).

Your next 1-on-1 is either building trust or breaking it. Most managers treat them like status updates. Most employees see them as obligations. After years of leading teams through growth and crisis, I've learned the truth: The best 1-on-1s aren't meetings. They're investments in human potential. When done right, these 30 minutes can transform: • Disengaged employees into champions • Surface problems become solutions • Good performers into great leaders Here's how to make every 1-on-1 count: For Managers: 1/ Start human, not tactical "What's on your mind?" beats "What's your update?" every time. Let them drive the agenda first. 2/ Listen like your success depends on it Because it does. Their challenges are your early warning system. Their wins are your team's momentum. 3/ Ask the question that matters "What support do you need?" Then actually provide it. Trust compounds when promises are kept. For Employees: 1/ Come with intention This is your time. Own it. Bring your real challenges, not just safe updates. 2/ Share what's actually blocking you Your manager can't fix what they can't see. But come with potential solutions too. It shows you're thinking, not just venting. 3/ Talk about tomorrow, not just today Where do you want to grow? What skills are you building? Make your development their priority. Great 1-on-1s don't just review work. They build relationships. They surface insights. They prevent fires instead of fighting them. The game-changer most miss: End every 1-on-1 with absolute clarity: 📌 What are the next steps? 📌 Who owns what? 📌 When will we check progress? Vague endings create frustrated teams. Your people don't need another meeting. They need a moment where someone truly sees them, hears them, and helps them win. Give them that, and watch what happens. What's one thing that transformed your 1-on-1s? ♻️ Repost if this changes how you approach 1-on-1s Follow Desiree Gruber for more insights on storytelling, leadership, and brand building.

84% of workers are burned out by toxic workplaces. Boundaries are your best defence. In toxic work environments, setting boundaries isn’t just helpful - it’s essential for protecting your well-being. Reflecting on my first boss, I realise now that clearer boundaries could have prevented many of those situations. When we let things slide, it gives others ‘permission’ to keep testing our limits. Here are 8 common situations where boundaries can help, plus practical strategies to start setting them: 1/ After-Hours Work 🔹 When work spills into personal time, it disrupts work-life balance. ↳ Be clear about when you’re available and when you’re not. 2/ Workload Dumping 🔹 Taking on others’ tasks repeatedly leads to stress and resentment. ↳ Set boundaries on your workload while still being a team player. 3/ Last-Minute Demands 🔹 Constant last-minute requests interrupt focus and increase pressure. ↳ Request advance notice so you can manage priorities effectively. 4/ Poor Planning 🔹 When projects are rushed, quality suffers, and you end up working late. ↳ Advocate for realistic timelines to maintain quality and balance. 5/ Credit Stealing 🔹 Losing credit for your work can damage confidence and morale. ↳ Stand up for yourself and ensure your contributions are recognised. 6/ Scope Creep 🔹 Small “extras” add up quickly, costing time and resources. ↳ Clarify project boundaries to avoid overextending yourself. 7/ Vacation Interruptions 🔹 Time off is for recharging, not working. Constant interruptions defeat the purpose. ↳ Direct requests to a backup and protect your vacation time. 8/ Work-Life Boundaries 🔹 Endless work sessions lead to burnout and decreased productivity over time. ↳ Set firm limits on after-hours work to recharge fully. Setting boundaries is key to managing burnout, especially in challenging workplaces. Start using even one or two of these strategies, and you’ll see the difference in your well-being. 👇 Tell me in the comments: Which boundary has made the biggest impact for you at work? ♻️ Share with your network to help them create sustainable boundaries and prevent burnout. 🔔 Follow me, Jen Blandos, for daily tips on business, entrepreneurship, and workplace well-being.

Are you letting others control your time? Protecting your time is one of the most important things you’ll do as a leader—yet so many of us don’t act like it. We let back-to-back meetings, constant demands, and the never-ending flow of “urgent” tasks dictate our days. But what if you could take control instead? Here are three ways to help you safeguard your time: 👉 Shift your mindset  Recognize that your free time and thinking time is as important—if not more important—than your meeting time. 👉 Block it out  Schedule time for yourself first. Align it with your natural rhythms, whether that’s morning or afternoon. 👉 Have a plan for it  Use this time intentionally for deep work, strategic thinking, or long-term projects you never seem to get to. These aren’t just productivity hacks. They’re essential tools to help you do your best work. I’ve seen (and lived!) the packed calendars, the lack of focus, and the overwhelm that comes with saying “yes” to everything. I’ve also seen the transformation that happens when leaders reclaim their time and prioritize what truly matters. It’s not about doing more—it’s about doing the right things.