How in the World Does She Do It? A Time Management Q&A

As a design manager with Haskell’s Consumer Packaged Goods Group, Jennifer Suharmadji May is an accomplished architect who has significantly influenced the design industry, working with some of the world’s best-known brands.

As a member of the Jacksonville, Florida, community, she is a tireless volunteer, acting in roles from officer to board member to mentor.

May has served as president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Jacksonville, First Coast Rotaract, Mandarin Toastmasters. In addition, she has functioned as an adjunct professor with Jacksonville University, maintained active leadership with the Junior League of Jacksonville and a mentor with ACE Mentoring, United Way’s Reading Pals and Communities in Schools Achievers for Life program. 

Now she’s a new mom!

This spring, her professional accomplishments and unwavering community service recently earned her recognition as a member of the Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. It also begged one huge question, “How in the world does she do it all?”

Well, May made time (of course) to visit with Haskell.com about what obviously is one of her most extraordinary skills: Time management.

Have you always been involved with volunteer opportunities?

I've always been active. Most of the time, I’ve sought out opportunities to contribute to different organizations. They each fulfilled a different passion or personal need. 

What is your time commitment, and how do you budget your time?

At the peak of my involvement, it would average about 10 hours a week. A handful of what I’ve done is event planning, whether it was a gala for AIA or a fundraising event for Junior League. I always know my drop-dead date, when I need to stop working. Pre-planning and time budgeting is important. I also plan out the entire year. I write out the major events for each organization and if there are weekly commitments. That way, I can see the picture of how I will dedicate my time for the week, month and year.

How have you navigated conflicting commitments? 

There’s enough time if you let there be enough time. There were days when I’d go from an event for one organization to another. On the flip side, sometimes I can’t give 100 percent of my time to one organization. But if I'm able to do two things, I can learn different skill sets and be involved in both activities, but I have to split the time. 

Was there ever a time you felt, "This is too much”?

There were probably a few times I felt like this, and when I did, I would just take a step back, take some time for myself and recharge. Usually, it was just a day or two that was needed for a reboot.

You recently welcomed a new baby and are away for maternity leave. Are there any commitments you’d like to add to your list in the future, or will you pull back? 

I’m going to be more selective about how I spend my time. My new role as a design manager takes up more time and energy, and I have a family now. That’s a bigger part of my life. I didn’t have either of those things previously. Instead of making small impacts, I now want to focus on making a big impact and also what kind of legacy I want to leave.

How do you decide when to keep something on your plate or let something go?

If something takes more time than I had planned and it doesn’t work with my schedule, then I’ll relinquish it. I used to volunteer during my lunch hour to read to 4-year-olds who needed extra attention with reading. Instead of it taking 45 mins, it ended up taking an hour-and-a-half, and I didn’t have the time to take off from work. Another instance would be if something has run its course.  When I was involved with Rotaract, I spent about five years in the organization. It’s considered a young professional group. After five years, I was at the higher end of the age group, and that was when I moved on to a Rotary club. 

How would you advise someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

I would encourage them to make sure whatever they want to be involved in aligns with their passions. No one organization is going to fulfill every interest that you have. If there are two or three you’re interested in, definitely reach out. You never know what they have on their agenda or calendar. Sometimes, there are lulls when they’re not active during a season, but they are later in the year. There are benefits to reaching out to multiple organizations at one time. 

Are there any organizations you have recruited other Haskell employees to join, or who joined because of your involvement? 

I encouraged the younger architecture design associates to participate in the EDP (Emerging Design Professionals), the young professional group of the AIA: A few ended up being board members or officers in EDP. 

Why do you feel extracurricular involvement is beneficial to a person in your role? 

I have been able to develop skills that I have utilized in my career. For example, with Toastmasters, I was the district-level administrative manager. The role included taking a notes at district meetings, which were six hours long. This prepared me for my role as design manager, I have to publish meeting minutes at the end of multi-day client meetings. The training as a volunteer in Toastmasters developed my skill to concentrate, listen and take good notes.