Prioritizing your time is the key to avoiding burnout while remaining effective.
Prioritizing the Priorities
SBOs have a habit of taking on more and more as the demands of the job increase. But have we taken a moment to truly take stock of our primary functions? I know I haven’t done that in a long time.
The “other duties as assigned” seem to have overshadowed the rest of our job description; however, it’s important to remember why we’re in our seats. Foremost, we safeguard the district’s finances and provide a financial road map to our board of education, superintendent, and community.
Delegating is easier said than done; it’s especially true given the particular hierarchy of a business office and school district.
The amount of time and patience required to get that right and to anticipate the unknown is astounding. Being distracted by other elements in our district degrades our ability to truly focus on the budget, engage in long-range financial planning, and ensure that the district has the money to pay the bills.
Our responsibilities fall under the umbrella of compliance and adherence. Most of what we do has a law, regulation, or policy attached to it, which we must enforce. However, most of the time, staying within those guardrails can slow things down.
Communication and delegation sometimes get the SBO in a bind. Whether a lack of communication prevents others from fulfilling their assigned tasks or you micromanage and overcommunicate, striking a balance and prioritizing how and whether you should communicate are critically important. SBOs cannot do everything themselves. Hopefully, they have a competent office staff to whom they can delegate.
You Can’t Find More Time — So Shift It
A day has just 24 hours. But you can’t dedicate them all to your work. The business office and the SBO in particular seem to take on more and more. You must learn to say no. If the demands exceed your ability to do your job effectively, then something will have to give.
If you don’t set boundaries, you will most certainly be headed toward burnout. Shift your time to meet the goals that give you the flexibility to address an issue with restraint. If you burn the candle at both ends, you may end up with a dissatisfactory result. Consider the following strategies for prioritizing your time effectively:
Establish clear goals. Our jobs are mostly cyclical. You know when your audit is due and when your state filings must be completed. Therefore, write them out beforehand so you don’t scramble at the last minute. Break down your goals into short- and long-term time frames so you don’t cannibalize one for the other.
Delegate. Delegating is easier said than done; it’s especially true given the particular hierarchy of a business office and school district. However, lean into your staff’s strengths and your own. For example, if you have an Excel guru in your office who can assemble a spreadsheet with the data you need in 10 minutes, why take 30 minutes to figure it out on your own? However, you may find value in learning that program yourself.
Consider the number of tasks versus the time to complete them. List the tasks to complete and assign time blocks to each. Too often, we can be mired in the number of tasks we must accomplish. For example, if I have 15 jobs on my list today, they could seem daunting and prevent me from even getting started. But if in examining those tasks, I realize they average about 10 minutes each, then two and a half hours doesn’t seem so bad!
Recognize that technology is your friend. Using technology can significantly shorten the time necessary to complete your tasks and goals. Becoming familiar with how to use it most effectively will pay dividends in the long run.
Dedicate Your Time to What Matters
There are aspects of the job that SBOs have to do and likely want to do, but they aren’t always the same tasks. I would say that’s true with most jobs. But here, you need to dedicate your time to what will result in the greatest benefit for you and your district. It’s OK to let the smaller tasks wait while you prioritize your time to do what will truly matter moving forward. How much time do you spend sending emails back and forth in a day? That sounds like a few phone calls to me.
One of my favorite aspects of my position is long-range financial planning. I find a lot of value in the exercise, and it has helped me immensely in budget planning, negotiations, and capital project development. It’s a lot of work, but it doesn’t just happen overnight. Rather than have my calendar always open, I periodically set aside time to work on this planning process because I know it will help me in the long run.
You are an SBO for a reason. So remind yourself why you do this work and dedicate your time to those areas that bring you joy and a sense of purpose. You can’t avoid the annoying and mundane tasks, but that doesn’t mean they need to become a part of your identity as a school business official.