Self-management – how to do it?

According to Wehmeier (1,2), self-management means “recognizing our personal development opportunities, developing our skills and meeting our own needs” – in short, managing ourselves (3). This includes motivation, self-organization, impulse control, setting priorities, continuous development, time management, goal setting, planning, decision-making and resilience to stress. Successful self-management promotes clarity, self-determination, and satisfaction (4). Especially in the face of constant change and uncertainty, the ability to manage oneself, carry out tasks, and adapt one’s own habits is becoming increasingly important.

How does that work exactly?

According to Bobach (5), leading yourself means steering your own development and not allowing yourself to be influenced by external influences or factors. It means following your own path and focusing on the things that are important to you. It means deciding for yourself what success means and what the next steps should be. And last but not least, it means taking the time to reflect on where we currently stand.

Strategic self-awareness is the basis for good self-management: the more precisely I know my strengths, goals, and development potential (or derailers, HDS), the easier it is for me to develop appropriate strategies, deal with challenges in the here and now, and adapt my behavior so that I achieve my goals in the long term. This requires both the ability to regulate oneself and ‘implementation competence’ – the ability to specifically control one’s own behavior, thoughts, and emotions in order to achieve goals, even when certain factors change (5).

Methods for self-management

The good news is that self-management can be learned and strengthened. There are various tools and methods for improving our self-management skills.

Bobach identifies three areas of self-management that have a significant impact on success: goal setting, motivation, and organization. The following methods can help with organization, structuring, goal setting, or time management in everyday life (4):

• The ABC method: helps with prioritization. All tasks to be completed are categorized into three levels of importance and processed accordingly.
• The Eisenhower Matrix: classification of tasks into less important, important, urgent, or less urgent—also helps with prioritization.
• The SMART method: for setting goals that should be specific, measurable, attractive, realistic, and time-bound — the clearer they are set, the more likely they are to be successfully implemented.
• The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule): Achieve 80% of results with 20% of the total effort; the remaining 20% would require a significant amount of time.

Practical tools for self-management

Other practical tools (5) include the following:

1. The ideal week: the better structured and planned your calender is, the easier it is to counteract stress and achieve a balance between productivity and relaxation.
2. Time blocking: actively counteract the feeling of being controlled by others by blocking out time in your calendar.
3. Focus time: a daily appointment with yourself to work on things you dream of and that help you grow personally.
4. Idea storage: write down thoughts and ideas and thus empty the “working memory” in your brain.
5. Fixed email times: instead of letting ourselves be distracted by emails, respond to emails at specific times in a self-determined and focused manner.

Mindfulness and self-management

A study by ETH Zurich (2023) also shows that regular mindfulness practices in everyday working life strengthen self-management and lead to better decisions (6). Consciously taking time to think, mindfully reflecting on the day, and integrating feedback received through feedback discussions, 360-degree tools, personality assessments, or coaching strengthens self-awareness. In the long term, all of these methods can increase self-management skills.

Curious to learn more? In December, our Personality Journal will be published for the first time—a guided tool for self-reflection that allows you to take an in-depth look at your own Hogan results, strengths, values, and areas for development!

References

1 Wehmeier, Peter: Selbstmanagement: Organisationsentwicklung und Interaktion, Sternenfels, 2001. 

2 Osmetz, D., & Grasmannsdorf, A. (2003). Was ist eigentlich Selbstmanagement?.  München. S, 1-17. 

3 Selbstmanagement: Ein Schlüssel für berufliche Performance | mind steps 

4 Selbstmanagement | 5 Methoden für den Berufsalltag 

5 Selbstmanagement – Die besten Tipps und Methoden – Lars Bobach 

6 Mit Achtsamkeit in ein produktiveres 2025 | springerprofessional.de