According to a new survey released this week by the Australian Institute of Management, one third of bosses admit they’re underperforming. When asked if they could be putting more effort and input into their role, 34 per cent resoundingly said yes.

Well, they say that admission is the first stage towards solving the problem. And not surprisingly, there is a direct impact on more junior members of staff. They feel under appreciated if not misunderstood. One big recipe for disaster.

Well, there are lots of techniques for resolving these issues; group dynamics, bonus systems, away days, etc.

My experience increasingly points in another direction: appreciating your time and then managing it efficiently. Here’s what I mean.

Many managers often feel that they work hard, but just never get ahead of the “ball game”. When given a few moments to reflect, they often find that thy do not use their time properly. Here are just three reasons:

• prioritising the wrong things
• never getting around to subjects they enjoy
• spending too much time on non-productive subjects

Result? Underformance, disillusionment, passing on unnecessary pressure to colleagues and staff, and thus our familar circle of departmental boredom and ineffciency kicks in.

The question is how to move forward. (See next blog)