Practical Time Management Approaches for Busy Administrators

The life of an administrator is often hectic, a little crazy, and perhaps overwhelming at times. There is never enough time to accomplish what needs to be done, or what you want to undertake or complete.

Since you cannot add more hours to the week, the only way to survive, and perhaps thrive, is to manage your time as best as you can. While you might try coming in a little earlier in the morning, or staying later in the day, these two approaches will not work long-term. Therefore, it comes down to using every minute as wisely as possible and finding practical approaches in which you can do more in less time. Impossible?

Brian Mancuso, athletic director at Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, Illinois, points out that in economics, “We talk about the difference between present value and future value of money. I use this approach when making decisions about the present value and future value of time. Therefore, I try to project and complete tasks ahead of schedule in case something unexpected appears that needs my attention.”

Tom Arria, director of athletics at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is in agreement, noting that “Time is of the essence. The athletic administrator’s position has developed and evolved so much, and it continues to grow including more responsibilities. Our jobs have expanded to include public relations and dealing with social media, and countless other tasks.”

On his drive to school, Mancuso thinks about the day ahead (hopefully, he also keeps an eye on the road and traffic).

“I try to review my goals and what has to be done today,” Mancuso said, “Having a plan before you start your day will increase your efficiency. In my office, I am a fan of and use Post-it Notes as reminders of what has to be done. There is real value and a sense of accomplishment removing the note after completing the task.”

With respect to driving to school, Arria adds, “Check the traffic report app prior to leaving in the morning. In high traffic areas like mine, it can take 45 minutes to an hour and a half to drive 10 miles. If I wait until after rush hour or to avoid accidents, I’ll start answering email and work from home until it is reasonable to leave.”

At Caesar Rodney High School in Camden, Delaware, athletic director Robert Beron uses a tried-andtested approach with his daily To-Do List. “It is a note pad and pen that is right next to my desk. I write down tasks that come up and need to be completed. Prioritizing the tasks is based upon a level of importance, and it is always good to get started a day or two in advance with some items, but I try to make it through the complete list.”

Mancuso uses Google calendar to help organize his day and week.

“With experience, a pattern develops,” Mancuso said. “On Mondays, I will have to confirm opponents, officials and submit check requests for the week. In like fashion, the other days have their typical responsibilities, and I try to keep the second-half of Friday open for special projects.”

Continuing with the idea of using a calendar, Arria suggests, “In addition to listing meetings, plug in time to complete routine duties. Set a time to answer email messages, schedule work for long-term projects, and establish a slot for creating game schedules for the next season. Also, even plug your lunchtime in your calendar because this is vital for your mental health, and force yourself to get away from your desk for lunch.”

Another time-saver employed by Arria involving technology is utilizing his smartphone. “As much as mobile phones can be a curse, they can also be extremely effective to post game results, to notify officials of any changes, and to deal with team transportation issues without having to actually be in the office. I can take care of needed notifications immediately.”

Beron has an effective method for dealing with intrusive and lengthy phone calls that devour valuable time in his schedule.

“All phone calls are prescheduled and planned,” Beron said. “If I don’t know the person or number, I do not answer the phone – it goes to voicemail. In this manner, I can do research and ‘prep’ for the call to lessen the impact upon my schedule. When I do call back, I indicate at the beginning that I only have 10 minutes, for example, to provide the information or answer a question.”

In addition to restricting intrusive phone calls, Beron also suggests the occasional, but well-placed use of the word “no.”

“Most athletic administrators are wired to always say ‘yes’ to requests for help,” Beron said. “When you are overwhelmed, the wisest and best response is, ‘Sorry, I can’t right now,’ and then add ‘maybe tomorrow or next week.’ But don’t keep adding items to an overloaded agenda – it will only make things worse.”

Mancuso strongly suggests that athletic administrators use a scheduling program for games, and there are a number of vendors that serve this purpose. “Many scheduling programs will not only show the postponed contest but will also notify the assigner of officials and parents if they have signed on to this medium. When you reschedule a game, it immediately goes out to all of these parties, and this is a great time-saver.”

Both Beron and Arria mentioned the possibility of delegating as an excellent way of freeing up valuable time.

“This is possible if you are lucky enough to have an assistant or an administrative assistant, but do utilize trusted staff and coaches to help lighten the load,” Arria said. “This might be difficult for some administrators, because they suffer from perfectionism and are obsessed with control.”

Beron entrusts his administrative assistant with tasks such as field or gymnasium reservations for outside groups, ordering team awards and scheduling event workers. With minimal instruction, these and other tasks can easily be delegated and will create time for responsibilities that you have to handle.

“Exercise is vital to maintain your health, and when you are less stressed, you will be able to focus and function better,” Arria said.

“I try to call my wife – even if it is only for 15 minutes – to make contact and create a small semblance of the work-family balance.” Mancuso said. “This is a reminder that there are other things more important than all of your tasks and responsibilities associated with your position.”

The life of an administrator may not be easy, and the challenge is to always find ways and approaches to operate at the optimal level to meet the needs of student-athletes and coaches.

Dr. David Hoch is a former athletic director at two high schools in Baltimore County (Maryland) for 16 years. He has 24 years of experience coaching basketball, including 14 years on the collegiate level. Hoch, who has a doctorate in sports management from Temple (Pennsylvania) University, is past president of the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association, and he formerly was executive director of the Maryland State Coaches Association. He has had more than 800 articles published in professional magazines, as well as four textbook chapters. Dr. Hoch is the author of five books: Coaching within the Education-Based Athletics Concept; The Parents’ Guide to Education-Based Athletics; Leading an Education-Based Athletic Program; A Lifetime of Memories from Education-Based Athletics: Humorous, Inspirational and Occasionally Sad; and Refocusing on Education-Based Athletics – A Call to Action. Hoch is a member of the NFHS High School Today Publications Committee.