Becoming a manager for the first time is a significant milestone in anyone's career. With this promotion comes a host of new responsibilities, from supervising a team to managing projects, all of which require a set of skills that may not necessarily align with the skills that put you in line for a promotion in the first place.

Think of five people in your personal or professional network and you would be hard pressed to find any of them who have not experienced some form of stress in their lives recently. Stress has many negative connotations, yet it is often misunderstood.

As an example, imagine yourself pouring a glass of water for somebody. You would most likely fill the glass so it is almost full, allowing a small amount of space to prevent spillages. The water in the glass represents the good stuff, in other words the stress we all need in our lives which gives us the impetus to get out of bed in the morning and face whatever the world throws out of us.

The source of so-called ‘poor time management’ varies from untimely distractions, unrealistic planning on the part of ourselves and others, procrastination, being in a role that depends on the timing of others, the list is frankly never ending and varies for each of us depending on our individual circumstances.

Time management is a crucial skill that many of us struggle with, both on a professional and personal level.  Poor time management can lead to missed deadlines, increased stress, and reduced productivity. 

Many people who are promoted to a people management role find themselves in this position because they have been proven to be a subject matter expert and successful in a single contributor role.

When International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 8th, it was an opportunity to reflect on the impact that women have had on my personal career.  It didn’t take long to realise that some amazing women have influenced some pivotal moments: