Time Management for Facility Leaders: How to Stay Ahead of Daily Challenges
Facility managers juggle numerous responsibilities: maintenance, vendor management, compliance, and employee safety. According to a 2024 IFMA survey, 68% of facility leaders report that administrative tasks consume most of their day, leaving limited time for strategic initiatives. Effective time management is crucial for both operational efficiency and leadership impact.
This article provides practical strategies, tools, and best practices to help facility managers stay organized, prioritize tasks, and reclaim their time.
Common Time Wasters
- Manual data entry and paperwork.
- Untracked work orders leading to duplicate efforts.
- Miscommunication between teams and departments.
- Inefficient scheduling of inspections, maintenance, or meetings.
Time Management Strategies
- Prioritization Techniques
- Use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks by urgency and importance.
- Focus on high-impact projects that improve safety, efficiency, or cost-effectiveness.
- Use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks by urgency and importance.
- Digital Tools & Automation
- Use platforms like OnsiteHQ for centralized work order tracking.
- Automate recurring tasks such as reporting, reminders, and inspections.
- Use platforms like OnsiteHQ for centralized work order tracking.
- Delegation & Team Empowerment
- Assign responsibilities to qualified team members.
- Encourage accountability and decision-making at the team level.
- Assign responsibilities to qualified team members.
- Structured Scheduling & Planning
- Time-blocking for key tasks and inspections.
- Weekly planning meetings to align priorities with team members and stakeholders.
- Time-blocking for key tasks and inspections.
Measuring Success
- Track completion rates of tasks and projects.
- Monitor energy usage, maintenance turnaround time, and safety metrics.
- Collect team feedback on process improvements and workload distribution.
Call-to-Action
Time management is not just about efficiency—it’s about creating space for strategic leadership. Facility managers who optimize their time can focus on improving safety, sustainability, and employee experience.
