jonathan@researchcomputingteams.org
This resource first appeared in issue #115 on 26 Mar 2022 and has tags Becoming A Manager: Other
Energy Management for Newer Managers - Cate Huston
One of the first things new managers discover is that they have to abruptly switch from having a relatively few deep tasks they’re working on to many tasks, much of them fairly small. So there’s a lot of discussion and about task management and task management tools.
(Note “task management”, not “time management”. It’s not a power given to we mere mortals to manage time. We manage tasks. One of the key skills new managers have to learn to apply to tasks is gracefully declining them).
Not all of the tasks are equal. Some might take longer, true, and so that’s the usual focus with task management. It’s quantitative and easy to track.
But some tasks are just harder or more draining, especially when you’re starting out. They may take the same time, but they take more of you. Depending on your inclinations, a common one to find tiring is having a performance or expectation discussion with a team member. It might only take a few minutes, or kick off a larger discussion which consumes an entire one-on-one. And it could distract or otherwise drain you for the rest of the afternoon. Or the task might not be hard or draining exactly, but require something particular of you. Maybe you have to be particularly alert to learning some challenging materials, or to pay full attention during some one-on-ones.
It gets better! Like with physical tasks, hard management tasks can get easier as you develop certain “muscles”.
But as Huston points out, being aware of this and adjusting your task lists accordingly is important when you’re starting out in a new role. That role might be a first-time person or project manager gig, or a director job, or even taking on substantial new responsibilities within a given role. You’ll be doing new things, and it’s worth paying attention to what drains your energy and what pumps you up, and try to schedule accordingly while you’re getting used to things.
