Planning: Rather than planning for each day the same morning, plan for the week ahead on the last working day of the previous week. Important events can be planned even a month or quarter in advance. If people are informed well in advance of meetings, they are least likely to cancel or change appointments. 

Preparation: Precious time in meetings can be saved if people are well prepared. For internal meetings, I prefer to have facts and figures beforehand so that I can skim through them and get into a meaningful discussion immediately. I ask my colleagues also to come prepared for meetings; this is non-negotiable.  

Prioritisation: List tasks in the order of their priority. This way, you can complete the most important tasks first and ensure your calendar is not cluttered with all the important tasks lined up for the same day. 

Delegation: Look at the big picture and decide where to let go. Delegating tasks that your subordinates can handle ensures that you do not end up doing their job. Besides ensuring that the work finishes on time, this way you can also nurture talent and encourage employees.  

Valuing others’ time: It is important to respect others’ time as much as you value yours. Being on time for an appointment goes a long way in ensuring that others do the same with you.