Karren Brady’s career advice on dealing with pressure in managerial roles
APPRENTICE star and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady answers your careers questions and meets an inspirational CEO.
Here she gives a reader advice on dealing with the responsibility and pressure of her first managerial role.
Q) I’ve been offered a new role as a financial planning manager.
It’s my first managerial role, and I’m worried how I will cope with the responsibility and pressure.
Already, my brain gets so overwhelmed with work stuff to the point that I can’t think of anything else – even at the weekends – and my family and social life suffer as a result.
Do you have any advice?
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Vic, via email
A) Congratulations on your new role – and don’t forget to give yourself credit for a job well earned.
The second thing to acknowledge is that you are aware of your concerns, which means you can take steps to do something about them.
Start by looking at how you spend your time. Create a daily schedule with time blocks for different tasks, such as emails, calls and projects.
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Organise your to-do list into four areas: high priority (action immediately), medium (schedule for later), delegate (to your team) or low priority (tasks that are not critical).
I like to start with the most difficult task on my high-priority list and try to block out any distractions from my phone or email while getting this done.
We have only so much time in a day, so know your limits and be willing to say no to deadlines you know you can’t meet.
Review your to-do list at the end of each day, so you know you are starting from a good place the next morning. Then disconnect.
Use your commute to transition from work mode to relax mode, or factor in time to go for a walk, listen to a podcast or exercise before your time with family or friends begins.
Once you start forming new habits, you will feel less overwhelmed and more present both at work and in your personal life. Good luck!
- Got a careers question for Karren? Email [email protected]
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF....
Kate Rowe-Ham, 46, is a personal trainer and founder of Owning Your Menopause. She lives in West Sussex with her accountant husband Gerry, 48, and their children Ollie, 16, Sophie, 13, and Rupert, six.
I wake up at…
5.55am, when Rupert runs in. We both take a probiotic supplement – Rupert has a rare lung condition and takes lots of antibiotics, so it’s good for his gut.
I wash my face, brush my teeth and race downstairs to make a coffee or lemon with hot water.
Then, after I’ve prepared Rupert’s breakfast, I check in with my app community.
At 6.30am, once Rupert is watching TV with a hot chocolate, I host a live app workout from my laundry room.
Afterwards, I set Rupert up on his nebuliser and we do chest physiotherapy before leaving at 7.55am to do the school run.
Then I phone my two other children who are at boarding school in Surrey.
A normal day involves…
As well as the app, I run a boutique spin and personal training studio in my garden, and three mornings a week I lead an in-person spin class for a few clients.
On the other days, I go for a run or do a gym class.
By 9.45am, I’m starving. Most days I have eggs and avocado for breakfast.
If I’m on the hoof, I make a protein shake with chia seeds and oat milk.
At 10am, I head to my office, which doubles up as a playroom. Then I start on emails and speak with brand partners.
Most afternoons, before I collect Rupert at 3pm (or 5pm if I’ve booked him into an after-school club), I pay invoices and write content.
I never schedule Instagram posts. If it’s planned, I think it doesn’t feel authentic and I like the spontaneity of reacting to a news report that’s ruffled my feathers or responding to subscribers’ questions!
The best part of my job is…
Women over 40 frequently feel like they’ve become invisible, so it’s incredible to show them that this is a time in life to thrive!
And the worst…
The solitude of working on my own.
I wind down by…
Cold water swimming or getting into a good TV drama series. I’m currently obsessed with The White Lotus.
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