7 things productive managers do in XXI century
As time goes by, managers strive to be successful in a time when technology goes faster than they can learn. In addition, business methods and theories proliferate and spread online like wildfire. Business influencers in world media bomb managers with new ideas and experiences. With so many new knowledge, software and devices, being productive and not get drowned in all of it, loosing your strategy and your opportunity for success, it can be challenging. You can try 7 productivity hacks that most efficient managers never forget:
1)Time management. This one is obvious, is it not? You have around 8 hours to do all your work everyday, so following a daily schedule, pre-booking time for sudden issues or forecasting delays on others deliveries. Before you leave the office every day, take a few minutes to see what is left of that day and what you have scheduled already for the following day. When you arrive in the morning to your desk, review it and adjust it if necessary. Leave your calendar screen open though minimized in your laptop/Ipad/mobile so you can follow up. Send invitation to block time in your agenda when you accept a meeting or a task.
2)Manage priorities wisely. You may already be doing list of priorities in your outlook as tasks or marked e-mails, but this is not enough. You can use OneNote or EverNote or a similar program to make proper lists of your priorities, even if you only have an internet link as a reference. Having common sense in prioritizing means as well coming to terms with available resources, planning and communication. Take always a few moments to analyse all the ins and outs on why that task must be prioritized. Some very effective managers even have a checklist and work based on a priority list, they keep crossing out when accomplished.
3)Stick to Schedule during meetings. It is always nice to have meetings and talk about things but only when it is necessary. Most effective managers start and finish their meetings on time, because they have a tight agenda. This also forces meeting attendees to focus in the matter at hand so they can all come back to their desks and keep doing their work.
4)Rely on the best available software/technology. The more automatized your business processes are, the faster and better you will do your work. It is a very simple principle: do not spend 1 hour preparing or reading a report. Just click a button and they generate a report or a graph that allows them to evaluate data and take decisions. And if you can do that in your mobile at the airport, even better.
5)Network online more and go to less events. Productive managers go to networking events only now and then. They use social media to network and invest time for out-of-the office events only when strictly necessary. And when they go, they already know everybody online.
6)Evaluate and address urgencies in 10 minutes. When you have to stop doing your work to attend an urgent sudden matter, use a couple of minutes first to evaluate how urgent it is and integrate it into your open priority list. Use the rest of the time to solve it. If it cannot be solved in ten minutes, then schedule time to arrange a solution later that day.
7)Disconnect. With sport or any other activity, at least 1 or 2 hours a day you must disconnect from work and business so you can reconnect tomorrow and keep on being productive. The worst productivity killer is stress, so it is absolutely necessary you schedule time-out of business every day.
