Employees are more likely to stay with a company if they trust their manager, and trust leads to open communication, a willingness to take risks, and higher levels of accountability across the board.

When you're reliable, your team knows they can count on you to follow through on commitments, offer guidance, and make sound decisions. This consistency provides a sense of stability that allows your team to focus on their work, rather than second-guessing whether their manager will deliver.

However, reliability is not just about completing tasks – it’s about how you handle the entire management process, from time management to delegation.

Time Management: The Key to Staying on Top

As a manager, your time is your most valuable resource, and managing it effectively is critical to staying reliable. Time management isn’t just about being busy; it’s about being strategic with your energy and attention so that you can deliver consistently.

According to one survey, an average person spends less than three hours per day on productive tasks, which means that inefficient time management is a widespread challenge.

Here’s how you can sharpen your time management skills and build reliability in the process:

Prioritize Ruthlessly

Not every task on your list is equally important. As a manager, your primary focus should be on high-impact activities – those that drive your team’s performance, align with strategic goals, and contribute to long-term success.

One popular method for prioritization is Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle, which categorizes tasks into four quadrants:

• Urgent and important
• Important but not urgent
• Urgent but not important
• Neither urgent nor important

This framework helps you to identify what to focus on and what to delegate (more on that later). By consistently focusing on what matters most, you’ll earn a reputation for being reliable in delivering meaningful results.

Set Clear Boundaries

Time management is not just about what you do, but also what you don’t do. Setting boundaries is essential for avoiding burnout and keeping your focus on the tasks that truly require your attention.

If you’re always available for every minor issue, you’ll find it hard to stay reliable when bigger, more important tasks come up. Block out time for deep work, and don’t hesitate to say no or delegate when necessary.

This not only protects your time but also sets an example for your team, showing them the importance of focused work.

Use Time-Tracking Tools

Technology can be your ally in time management. Tools like Toggl, RescueTime, or Trello help you to keep track of where your time is going, and whether it’s being spent on high-value activities.

Managers who track their time are better at identifying inefficiencies and making necessary adjustments. It also helps you to communicate with your team about where your priorities lie, reinforcing your reliability and transparency.

Delegation: Share the Load and Empower Your Team

Effective delegation is the other half of the reliability equation. One of the biggest mistakes managers make is trying to do everything themselves. This not only leads to burnout but also makes you less reliable in the long run. Delegation allows you to focus on strategic tasks while empowering your team to take ownership of their work.

Research shows that managers who excel at delegating generate higher revenue for their companies compared to those who struggle with it. Here’s how you can master the art of delegation:

Recognize What to Delegate

Start by identifying tasks that others on your team can handle just as effectively as (or better than) you. This could be routine administrative tasks, parts of a larger project, or even client communications that a team member is equipped to manage. Effective delegation isn’t about dumping unwanted tasks onto others – it’s about matching tasks with the right people, so everyone can work to their strengths.

Trust Your Team

Delegation requires trust, and trust builds reliability. When you delegate a task, you are demonstrating confidence in your team’s abilities. This not only frees up your time but also fosters a sense of ownership and accountability among your employees. However, to delegate effectively, you must ensure that your team has the skills and resources they need to succeed. Training and development play a critical role here, as they prepare your team to take on new responsibilities confidently.

Provide Clear Instructions and Feedback

When delegating, clarity is key. Provide clear, actionable instructions and set realistic deadlines. One of the main reasons delegation fails is due to a lack of clarity in expectations. So be sure to check in regularly and offer constructive feedback. This not only helps the team stay on track, but also ensures that you maintain oversight without micromanaging.

Avoid Micromanaging

Micromanaging can undermine delegation efforts and erode trust. It sends the message that you don’t fully trust your team, which can lead to disengagement and lower productivity. Instead, focus on the outcomes, not the process. Give your team the freedom to approach tasks in their own way, as long as the results meet expectations.

Building Trust Through Accountability

Ultimately, staying reliable as a manager boils down to accountability – not just holding others accountable, but also holding yourself accountable. When you follow through on your commitments, meet deadlines, and consistently manage your time well, you build trust with your team. They know they can rely on you – and that trust will strengthen your relationships and enhance the overall performance of the team.

Reliability is non-negotiable when it comes to retaining talent and driving long-term success.

The Road to Reliability

Being a dependable manager isn’t about being perfect or doing everything yourself. It’s about using time management and delegation to focus on what truly matters, while building a culture of trust and accountability within your team. By setting clear priorities, empowering your team through delegation, and holding yourself accountable to your commitments, you can manage the stress and busyness of your role without sacrificing your reliability. And as a reliable leader, you’ll gain the trust of your team and foster an environment where everyone can thrive.

What's Next?

If you want more detail on time management, you can check out our article What Is Time Management? Then there’s our assessment, How Good Is Your Time Management?, which can help you to find out where you currently are on your time-management journey.

And if you need to sharpen your delegation skills, try our Delegation Skill Bite course.

Tip of the Week

Be Happier, Be Authentic

By Kevin Dunne, Mindtools Content Editor and Writer

There’s a lot to be said for being your authentic self. For a start, you can save an awful lot of time when you stop pretending you like things that you don’t.

It’s a shortcut to a happier existence, if you’re brave enough to take the route.

The good news is, it generally, gets easier to be your authentic self the older you get. Because you know your real self a lot better, and you’re more confident in that person.

I once interviewed for a job with a tech magazine in the Middle East. The allure of plenty of sun and a tax-free salary was pretty alluring.

During the interview, I was asked why I’d be good at the job. I replied that I was adept at turning turgid subject matter into something more interesting.

Uh-oh, I’d revealed exactly what my authentic self thought of working for a tech magazine. I didn’t get the role, but I’d have been bored and hated it.

These days I would never have applied; I know what I like and wouldn’t waste six months confirming to myself I was right in the first place.

For more on this subject, see our article Authenticity.

Pain Points Podcast

Why are some people so good at bringing data to life – in the images they show, and the words they say? What are the secrets to making information clear, engaging, memorable, and inspiring?

Kat Greenbrook is the author of "The Data Storyteller's Handbook," and she shares her favorite tips and techniques on this week's Pain Points. It seems you don't have to be a born storyteller to capture people's hearts and minds: you can learn how to do it today!

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News Roundup

This Week's Global Workplace Insights

Free Lunch Could Become a Thing

The cost of going to work could be seriously getting in the way of a return to the office, reports workplace news site Worklife.

Quoting an Owl Labs survey, they say that the average spend for staff in the U.S. is now a staggering $61 a day, covering the likes of paying for parking, gas or transit, along with coffee and lunch.

That rise from $51 last year is one factor driving ongoing resistance to returning to a physical workplace.

Owl Labs CEO Frank Weishaupt said, “If you’re being asked to go into the office five days a week, an additional $300 a week in expenses is really, really high.

“The long-term concern is employees are going to look for more hybrid opportunities and more remote opportunities.”

Management consultant Joy Taylor said employers need to respond. She told Worklife that parking should be paid for by an employer.

And she suggested that providing staff with more free food, and a wider variety of healthier and nutritious food (not pizza parties), is another way to help make the return to in-person work easier and cheaper.

Is the Clock Ticking on Watching?

Ever feel like you’re being watched working from home? Chances are, you’re probably right.

According to global organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry, 71 percent of employees are subject to some form of corporate surveillance – up from less than one-third before the remote-work era took off.

That has led to, according to Korn Ferry’s own research, a historic level of mistrust between employers and employees.

But, says the U.S. firm’s employee engagement specialist Mark Royal, studies show that this approach results only in minimal uplifts in productivity, as monitoring increases stress and anxiety within the workforce.

These increased levels of monitoring could also have another unwanted side effect for employers – with staff leaving to find roles that offer greater flexibility and autonomy.

Korn Ferry’s Tamara Rodman warns that leaders and managers “need to shift their mindset to focus on outcomes instead of activity.”

Trust remains, then, a two-way street.

For more on this subject, see our article Building Trust.

See you next week for more member-exclusive content and insight from the Mind Tools team!