Organization and Time Management: Frenemies?

Are you a leader who is organized by design, or do you simply watch pensively as your seemingly mundane responsibilities pile up right in front of you? For some, this can be a challenge to the point where delegation of duties to employees is the only solution to "stay on top". Unfortunately, under the direction of those leaders who suffer in this area, employees trend toward marked productivity issues. Here are some things I've found helpful so far...

TAKE IT SERIOUSLY

Most employees can navigate through their own job description and can even go above and beyond when given clear, organized direction. In this economy, your understanding that workloads are more strenuous and that the lack of organization and time management dispensing from your leadership can be perceived as aloofness in terms of clear vision and goals for the forward movement of a division or of the company is paramount. Simply stated, this perception fosters an environment where loyalty will not survive and productivity will plummet. Start small. Be proactive. Displaying your ability to organize your time, meetings, calendars, and employee engagement opportunities will increase your bottom line. Do you want to improve these essential skills?

HARNESS TECHNOLOGY

Myriad tools are available to organize your life and your work. Several include smart phone applications such as Evernote and OmniFocus for the iPhone.  For a streamlined organizational system,  Microsoft's Outlook including Task Functions, Appointment and Meeting Request Functions are available and can be used across many platforms. Additionally, several time-tracking applications abound, such as Klok.

GUT CHECK!™

Are you asking your employees to take of some of the slack for tasks that you find boring or routine? Do you find it hard to start a process of organizing your workload or tasks for which you are responsible? The bottom line is the bottom line: the more you are able to get done and the less you have to manage, the higher the profits and retention rates will be for your organization.

In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking--Sir John Lubbock