Although everyone struggles with time management occasionally, a recent survey performed by The McKinsey Quarterly indicates that it’s a widespread and global problem. Data was gathered from 1,500 executives around the world, and only nine people ranked themselves as being very satisfied about the way that they managed their time.

If you’re currently an executive, or studying to transition into a company leadership role, it’s important to remember that, like money, time is not limitless. You’ll be able to perform at your best once you and your coworkers take that to heart. Keep reading for four other suggestions that can help you make the most of the free hours in your day.

Depend on your Administrative Staff

Make sure to build a strong relationship with the people who manage your calendar, build travel itineraries and field your phone calls. It’s not enough to simply give a passing greeting to your secretary as you take off your overcoat and prepare to start your day.

Keep up a constant flow of communication between yourself and the company administrators. They’ll look to you for guidance on whether your schedule is truly full, or you can squeeze in one more meeting.

Decide If That Meeting is Really Necessary

Speaking of meetings, if you take a closer look at the days when you’ve especially felt that your time was running short, there’s a good chance that a meeting was responsible. They’re often notorious for being lengthy, and not always productive.

That’s not to say that you should do away with meetings entirely. Instead, wait to gather until after participants have done some of the necessary legwork. Often, meetings veer off course because they lack direction.

Make Sure That Your Calendar Supports Company Goals

Executives who consider themselves able to manage their time appropriately often note that their calendar is a crucial tool in their efforts. Instead of immediately penciling in an engagement in your day planner, or filling in the calendar field on your iPhone, pause and ask yourself whether you’re using your time in a way that supports the goals of your company.

Whether you’ve held an official strategic plan meeting for your staff members or not, you should always have business ideals in mind. When you’re more mindful of the specific ways that you’re spending time, you’ll eventually learn to be more assertive about the value of your time. Although this awareness starts from within, you can lead by example and start to encourage a higher level of time management throughout your organization.

Don’t Forget to Pause

At the start of a day, it’s tempting to feel certain that you can work for hours on end and only stop to refill your coffee cup. However, if you keep up this pace for too long, you’ll almost certainly end up feeling overwhelmed.

Reach a compromise of sorts by telling yourself that you’ll stay dedicated to a certain task for an hour or so. Then, take a short break. If your schedule won’t allow for it, switch to another, less demanding responsibility.

Time management requires diligence and awareness. You can’t develop it immediately, but by beginning to develop the skill now, it’s possible to give yourself an advantage over other executives, and feel more safeguarded against a slump in your productivity.

Catie Lindt writes for several higher ed blogs. Several universities offer MBA degrees including OU and UNC.