So, you just got promoted to product manager. It is a welcome challenge to be given more responsibilities but it can be overwhelming and frustrating as well. As a new product manager, you need to learn effective time management in order to fulfill your duties and excel at your new position.

Product managers are expected to be efficient and accomplish a lot of tasks, from paperwork and production supervision to team or client meetings. Managing your time wisely can help you develop your relationship with your team and get more work done.

Be Organized

One of the main factors that contribute to a product manager’s struggle to manage their time is chaos. How about organized chaos, you say? That can work, of course. But make sure to always know where everything goes and what needs to get done.

It helps to keep a schedule so you are always aware of what should happen at a specific time or date. Keep a planner or calendar if you think it will help you remember appointments and deadlines.

Set Priorities

Prioritizing can help you determine which tasks take precedence over others.

Focus. Effective time management does not simply translate to doing more. It means identifying and finishing what is most important.

Remember Pareto’s 80/20 principle — by accomplishing 20% of the work, you get 80% of the results. So by accomplishing the few vital tasks, you accomplish many trivial others as well.

Do Not Schedule Unnecessary Meetings

Status updates should not be the main reason behind scheduling a meeting. Brainstorming, problem solving, project planning, and the like are valid reasons for meeting with your team. Do not waste time and energy on mundane status updates, when this time can be spent for production.

Don’t make everyone stay for lengthy technical meetings or administrative sessions that do not involve them. Remember that you are also in charge of your team’s production and quality of work.

Do One Task at a Time

Multitasking can help you accomplish more at a given time, but can also be a hindrance to the quality of work produced. Not everyone can be successful at multitasking, so a better solution is to focus and complete tasks one at a time. This ensures less errors and better quality of work. It’s time to accept that multitasking can get you in trouble.

Send Less Emails

If you find yourself spending a good part of your day just answering emails, then you have a problem. By sending a more concise yet comprehensive email, you lessen the quantity of actual messages sent and received. This means that less time is spent managing your inbox. Make email management a breeze— send less of them.

Finally, Do Not Procrastinate

Procrastination is a huge barrier to productivity. If you can do it now, then do it now! Know when you are starting to procrastinate and find out what leads you to putting off important matters. Avoid these behaviors and events to prevent it from becoming a habit. Procrastination can cripple you and your team, so beware. And maybe add to your to-do list – enroll in a product management training program like Product School courses – this will be your greatest investment ever.

Michelle Gonzalez has been writing for SMEs across the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK for the last five years. She is a highly-experienced blogger and SEO copywriter, writing business blogs for various industries such as marketing, law, health and wellness, beauty, and education, particularly on product management training such as those offered by ProductSchool.com.