"Helping organizations build courageous leaders"
Dale Collie
Increase Productivity and Profits with a Leadership Tune Up
Successful Leader, Professional Speaker and Author
Too Much Work?
by Dale Collie
You've reached the crisis point when your to-do list is longer
than the normal work day. If you arrive early, stay late, skip
lunch, and never see your family - you're working too hard.
Here are 10 ways to get your workload under control.
1. List the tasks you’re responsible for
2. Set up a schedule to work on each task
3. Decide what you can get other people to do
4. Strategize just how to outsource or delegate whatever others
can do
5. Eliminate the low priority or unnecessary tasks that are
never checked on
6. Establish a routine for working on the tasks so you have a
system (forms are preprinted, information is automatically
accumulated on your spread sheet, decide best way to report or
distribute information, eliminate unnecessary information, help
source of information to provide it in usable form, prepare a
check list so as to avoid relying on memory to complete all of
he details, etc).
7. Eliminate redundant tasks. If you’re following up someone
else’s work to insure accuracy, find ways to make sure it is
done right the first time to avoid the redundant follow up
effort.
8. Get the proper training to make you more efficient
9. Get the proper equipment to do the job correctly
10. Categorize non-productive activities and eliminate all
possible: examples:
a. Email - check email for only a specified few minutes
at the beginning of the day, before lunch, and before
quitting time; thus requiring you to give attention to only
the highest priority
b. Breaks - time your breaks by the clock to avoid
wasting time with non-productive conversations
c. Phone calls - accept only essential phone calls; jump
off of calls as quickly as possible with the phrase, "I’m on
deadline. Is there anything else we need to discuss on
this, or do we need to schedule some time to discuss the
details?"
d. Interruptions - ask fellow employees to schedule their
time with you to control interruptions
You'll burn out at the rate you're going, so grab the step that
makes sense to you and give it a try.
Copyright 2007 - Dale Collie
Dale Collie - "Working with organizations that want to build
courageous leaders and businesses." Selected by Fast Company
magazine as one of America's Top 50 innovative leaders.
Professional speaker and author of Frontline Leadership and
Winning Under Fire (McGraw-Hill) www.couragebuilders.com
Permission is given to publish this article on line or in print
if you include the author's byline. You may edit for space and
audience. Collie@CourageBuilders.com
by Dale Collie
You've reached the crisis point when your to-do list is longer
than the normal work day. If you arrive early, stay late, skip
lunch, and never see your family - you're working too hard.
Here are 10 ways to get your workload under control.
1. List the tasks you’re responsible for
2. Set up a schedule to work on each task
3. Decide what you can get other people to do
4. Strategize just how to outsource or delegate whatever others
can do
5. Eliminate the low priority or unnecessary tasks that are
never checked on
6. Establish a routine for working on the tasks so you have a
system (forms are preprinted, information is automatically
accumulated on your spread sheet, decide best way to report or
distribute information, eliminate unnecessary information, help
source of information to provide it in usable form, prepare a
check list so as to avoid relying on memory to complete all of
he details, etc).
7. Eliminate redundant tasks. If you’re following up someone
else’s work to insure accuracy, find ways to make sure it is
done right the first time to avoid the redundant follow up
effort.
8. Get the proper training to make you more efficient
9. Get the proper equipment to do the job correctly
10. Categorize non-productive activities and eliminate all
possible: examples:
a. Email - check email for only a specified few minutes
at the beginning of the day, before lunch, and before
quitting time; thus requiring you to give attention to only
the highest priority
b. Breaks - time your breaks by the clock to avoid
wasting time with non-productive conversations
c. Phone calls - accept only essential phone calls; jump
off of calls as quickly as possible with the phrase, "I’m on
deadline. Is there anything else we need to discuss on
this, or do we need to schedule some time to discuss the
details?"
d. Interruptions - ask fellow employees to schedule their
time with you to control interruptions
You'll burn out at the rate you're going, so grab the step that
makes sense to you and give it a try.
Copyright 2007 - Dale Collie
Dale Collie - "Working with organizations that want to build
courageous leaders and businesses." Selected by Fast Company
magazine as one of America's Top 50 innovative leaders.
Professional speaker and author of Frontline Leadership and
Winning Under Fire (McGraw-Hill) www.couragebuilders.com
Permission is given to publish this article on line or in print
if you include the author's byline. You may edit for space and
audience. Collie@CourageBuilders.com
Dale Collie
877-826-5543
Collie@CourageBuilders.com
877-826-5543
Collie@CourageBuilders.com