Recently, I had a lesson that I tell my kids are teaching moments.  My oldest daughter has unintentionally burned into my brain just how important having a parent in a child’s life is to them.

Just the other day I decided that I would look into finishing my degree, which so far has been a twenty-year process.  Being a sometimes-diplomatic person, I called a family meeting and announced my plans and wanted to know how everyone felt about it.  To my amazement my soon to be sixteen year old said, I guess that means that you will be gone even more.  From all outward appearances I thought she preferred that I would be gone ... so much for that assumption.

The areas that this article will concentrate on will be those areas that will allow you more time to do the things that are really important to you.

• Organization
• Creating a support network

We all have met the well-organized individual.  This is the person that’s able to put their hands on the information they need in just a moment or are just a phone call away from having it.  Even more noticeable is the individual who knows they have it, but just can’t seem to put their finger on it, and then spends the next two hours searching for it.

Below are three sure-fire ways to organize your work, enhance your performance and free up your precious time.

Buy a Planner

For years I ran around with note cards and sticky notes.  These were put in and stuck to just about everything.  When I was in construction it was not uncommon to see me even running around with a piece of wood with notes scribbled all over it.  Now that I’m a property manager; I’ve learned to use more sophisticated methods to keep my workday on schedule.

Now I used a leather-covered planner.  These personal organizers are available in a wide selection of styles and sizes ranging from $5.00 to over $100.  The mid-price organizers offer essentially the same features as the higher priced one’s.  Here are some of the more useful features:

• Daily appointment and work activity logs.
• Fold out year long calendar for quick reference of major events.
• Things to do list.
• Address Book

Get Your Files Organized

So you can find things and the people you work with can find it also.  “File don’t pile” should be your credo, especially if you’re a road-warrior.  There are many ways to do this, and available to you is a large selection of products designed to get you organized quickly.

Develop a Support Network 

Of all the traits of a successful manager, the ability to fully use the capabilities and resources of co-workers and business contacts is the most crucial.  Knowing who to call when you don’t know the answer or when you are overrun with responsibility can save you plenty of time and make your job much less stressful.  No matter how hard we try, we are dependent on each other and simply cannot be proficient in all areas.  It is truly amazing what you can accomplish by relying on the abilities of others.  The team building benefits will not only enhance your career, but also build morale in your organization.

 January 2005

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