Lee, who is senior associate dean for the Office of Women in Science and Medicine, coaches fellow physician-scientists in time management strategies. Her advice below is adapted from the Johns Hopkins Faculty Factory podcast series.

“When I think about producing more and not just doing more,” says Lee, “I think about time management as actually being ‘energy management.’” Her tips:

Define your priorities

Think in terms of big picture priorities. If you are getting ready to ask to go up for promotion, focus your energy and time on things that actually count for promotion. “This is how I decide what to stay ‘yes’ to and what to say ‘no’ to,” says Lee. “It also helps me figure out what is urgent and what is not. It also tells me what to take off of my plate.”

Don’t be afraid to say “no”

There are a variety of ways to gracefully say “no,” Lee says. “My favorite one is to first express gratitude: ‘I’m so honored that you asked me. Please thank the people who referred me. This is such an important project.’ And then I share the great things I am busy with and why I can’t take on this additional project.” She adds, “Remember: Our reputation relies on how well we do the things we say ‘yes’ to. And when we say ‘no,’ we say ‘yes’ to our highest priority.”

Be particular in managing your schedule

“I use an Outlook calendar and if it doesn’t fit on my calendar, it’s not going to get done. For instance, if I need to write a paper, I block out an hour or two that is only for that work. I definitely don’t squeeze a meeting in there. I don’t multitask. I do one thing at a time and then I move to the next one,” she says.

It all goes back to your priorities, Lee notes. Go through the laundry list of things competing for your time, one by one, and ask: Is that higher priority than this? “It’s crucial to get in the habit of really being intentional about how you use your time and energy,” she says.

Also, consider ways to leverage work you are already doing, Lee advises. “If you want to conduct research in a specific disease, can you run your clinical research while you are providing clinical care to patients with the same disease?"

Look for opportunities to delegate

Delegating requires letting go of how something is done, notes Lee. “But we have to be clear on what needs to be done and what it should look like at the end,” she says.

Think about what your delegatee is experienced in, and their potential for growth, Lee advises. “Then think about how many times you need to check in to see how the progress is going, to make sure the progress is looking the way you want it to look. It’s important to be really clear on what we want the end product to look like.”

Importantly, she adds, the project has to be one that you are willing to take the risk of delegating. “If it’s a really high stakes project, you have to think carefully about what part to delegate, because if it goes south, you’re the one who will need to fix it.”

Now in its sixth year, the Faculty Factory podcast reaches listeners in 94 countries.

Visit: facultyfactory.org/podcast/