By Clint MccClure, President & CEO of MMI

You are a professional manager in an extremely demanding service industry. The expert management service you provide is valuable. With each client, you are contractually obligated to perform routine tasks. In order to do the routine tasks perfectly you have to quantify the amount of time it will take to do those basics. Most managers have this outlined by their management companies, their supervisors, management company contracts, and some do it on their own.

Often boards request additional tasks outside of the contract, and that's ok. Help your boards understand the amount of time their additional requests will take. In a service industry, it is hard not to take it all on and add extras into your routine. However, all too often the extras take time away from the routine, causing the routine to suffer. This will lead to unhappy parties. Empower the board to make a decision as to how they want to use your time. Should they require more than the routine tasks, help them understand what that will mean. 

Save, Shut Down & Restart

Leave work at the office door. This is an exercise that requires constant practice. Establish rituals to help the transition from home life to work life and work life to home life. In the morning when you ready for work, prepare your mind for the day ahead. Think of your goals for the day and how to achieve them.

Conversely, when the office door shuts, clear your mind of your professional life and happenings of the day. Find ways to decompress before you get home, whether it be working out or quiet meditation. Allow yourself to focus on your family when you get home, giving the ones that support you the love and focus they deserve. 

Article was previously published in CACM's Vision magazine.