Get Organised
One of the main
secrets of productivity is being organised.
Trouble is, this is easier than it sounds. From observing a number of entrepreneurs
(particularly in small businesses), it appears that many of them simply spend
all their time fighting fires. In some
cases this is true…
Have you ever noticed how your car is laid out in the same
way as most others (the only difference being on which side the steering wheel
is, depending on where you live)? The
steering wheel is usually positioned directly in front of the driver, with
accelerator, brake (and clutch, in manual cars) being placed where the feet
end. Whether the car is left-hand or
right-hand drive makes no difference: the clutch is on the left, the brake in
the middle, the accelerator on the right.
In front of the driver, behind the steering wheel is usually the
“dashboard” with speedometer and tachometer in the centre, and a fuel gauge to
the left or right of them.
People have worked out that the most sensible way to drive a
car is to make sure that the various parts are arranged in a certain way. You don't see cars with the steering wheel on
the left, but the clutch, brake and accelerator on the right. However, this can be the approach that
entrepreneurs take.
A disorganised boss will quickly lose the trust and respect
of their people. They don't have to be
paragons of efficiency (in fact, that would make for a bad entrepreneur in most
cases), but at least try the following:
Have a regular
“admin” day or time.
This is where you set aside time for making lists, sorting
out the desk, following stuff up. It
helps you to pause, take stock and re-focus.
Have a place for
everything:
… and everything in its place. You just waste less time looking for
things. Imagine if you had to look in a
different part of the car every time you wanted to check your speedometer.
Keep a clean desk:
Some say that a cluttered desk is a sign of a genius. However, it can also stress you out as you
don’t know where to focus, or get distracted by the mess. Have plenty of drawer and filing space. I’ve just ordered two desk drawer organisers
to help me in this. Remember, if you
have a place for everything, it doesn't have to be on top of your desk.
Don't run your
business from your smartphone:
You WILL miss things, or not read them properly if you read
email only on your smartphone. That could cost you… Smartphone batteries also have a nasty habit
of dying just when you really need them.
The excuse “Sorry, my battery died” just shows you're not organised
enough to make sure it’s always charged.
Use your diary:
Whether you use a smartphone or paper diary, make sure that
you have your meetings in it. There’s no
excuse for not knowing what you're doing/whom you’re meeting and when.
Carry a notebook:
It’s amazing how quickly you can jot down ideas, things to
do, etc. Typing them into a smartphone
takes more time and you may lose the idea as you struggle with those fiddly
little keys (I know).
Prioritise:
Some things are urgent, some are important, some are urgent and important, some are neither urgent
nor important. To really confuse things,
some may not be urgent but are still important.
Get to know which is which. What
you enjoy doing may be neither urgent nor important…
Learn to delegate:
Don't try to do it all yourself. Trust others.
Just remember, if the person isn't experienced enough, you’ll end up
wasting time, demoralising people and maybe losing a deal. Make sure people know what they’re
doing. Invest time in training them.
Know when to take a
break:
Far too many entrepreneurs suffer from “burnout”. Take time off to recharge. No one can work 24/76 forever. It affects your mind and decision making
abilities.
A disorganised boss is a major morale problem. If you can't manage yourself, can you be
trusted to manage a business?
Labels: Career, Leadership, Productivity, Strategy, Teamwork
posted by William Martin @ 10:35
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