As a campus leader, are you constantly balancing being available with being effective? The secret to really thriving in this role isn’t just about showing up; it’s about smart time management while you are at school. If you don’t master prioritization, the principalship becomes a job that consumes your entire life…and that job isn’t sustainable (or desirable) for anyone. Here are five practical strategies that can help you manage your time, boost your instructional leadership, and ensure you have time for rest and recovery.
1 - Intentional Accessibility: Redefining the Open Door Policy
An 'open door policy' should communicate that you’re approachable, not that your time is up for grabs. It’s a common misconception that effective principals should be available to tackle every 'Do you have a minute?' request that comes their way. This constant availability can actually prevent you from being present in the places where you can make the most impact, like classrooms or PLCs. To manage this, it’s essential to establish clear boundaries. Block time on your calendar for high-impact instructional leadership activities FIRST. Have your administrative assistant help protect these times, ensuring you’re not pulled away for less urgent matters. In addition, utilize your calendar to schedule time for “office work” that is focused and strategic. This approach, made popular by The Breakthrough Coach, not only boosts your productivity, but also makes you present where it counts the most—out on campus. You’ll find that the more you connect with staff and students away from your office, the less they will be looking for you there, making your “office hours” more focused and effective too!
2 - The Myth of Multitasking: Embracing Singular Focus
Research clearly shows the downsides of multitasking—it scatters our focus and lowers the quality of our work. When you’re in your office, use your time wisely by scheduling dedicated blocks for specific tasks and tackling them ONE at a time. Instead of trying to handle everything at once, embrace Brian Tracy’s 'eat the frog' method: by starting your day tackling the most significant or challenging task while your energy is highest. These focused approaches don’t just improve the quality of your work; they also make you faster, freeing up time for other important duties. Since your real impact happens where the learning takes place, any office time you have should be spent strategically.
3 - Limit How Often You Check Your Email
The principal’s inbox seems to defy the laws of physics at times. Reading and responding to emails can easily take up all of your scheduled office time. Block specific time on your calendar to check your email just a few times per day and resist the temptation to check it every time you’re at your desk! Close your email window so you are not tempted to abandon your scheduled work to respond to every email that comes in. Let your administrative assistant help you manage your schedule and monitor your emails for anything urgent. This helps ensure that your office time is productive, allowing you to focus on one key task at a time without getting sidetracked.
4 - Cultivating a Distraction-Free Zone
When working in your office, take proactive steps to eliminate distractions. Remember, the reason for focused office work time is to keep them to a minimum so you can spend the bulk of your time where instructional leaders make the most difference…in classrooms! Consider removing your personal cell phone from your immediate workspace (or putting it on “do not disturb”). The Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance found that the rate of errors made after hearing or feeling an alert on one’s phone was about the same as if they had actually answered the call or message (Zimmerman, Forbes, 2017). The absence of constant notifications and the temptation to browse social media can dramatically increase your concentration and productivity, allowing you to accomplish more in a shorter period of time.
5 - Protecting Personal Time: The Importance of Disconnecting
I’ll wrap up this post with a story from my own leadership journey. When I was a fairly new principal, I allowed work emails to constantly invade my evenings and weekends. Every ding from my phone brought potential stress over issues that, realistically, couldn’t be addressed until Monday morning or the next school day. I realized this constant connectivity was affecting my ability to be present with my family, rest and recuperate away from school, and was having a negative impact on my mental health. So, I made a decision: I set a boundary to stop checking emails during my off-hours. I communicated this new policy to my staff and my supervisor, making it clear that while I was still accessible for emergencies via my cell phone, I wouldn't be available to solve less urgent problems over the weekend or in the evenings. I also set up an auto response message that respectfully informed senders of my intention to return their message within 24-48 hours. This change not only allowed me to be more present and engaged with my family, it also helped me recover from the demands of the role, making me a more focused and effective leader when I was at school. Lastly, an important bonus came through the modeling of this strategy for my staff. It helped them see that it was not just ok, but expected, that they create healthy work-life boundaries for themselves as well.
Balancing the heavy load of campus leadership is no easy feat, but these five strategies can make a difference. By setting clear boundaries, focusing on one task at a time, managing your email efficiently, creating a distraction-free work zone, and protecting your personal time, you can enhance your effectiveness and well-being. Remember, it’s not about doing everything—it's about doing what matters most. Start making these changes today, and you'll see a positive impact on your leadership and your life.
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