5 Tips to Prioritize your Work

There are times, when each and every work seems like a priority. It looks difficult to figure out where to begin with. All this confusion quite often impacts productivity at the workplace.

Having too many responsibilities at the same time can become stressful. However it is all manageable if you learn to prioritize your work. Check out these tips to prioritize tasks on day-to-day basis:

1. Create a list

First thing in the morning, create a to-do-list of all the tasks that need to be done that day. Rank your work according to their importance or urgency. Ideally, you should put client’s work over internal work. Delaying client’s work may hamper your delivery schedules and hence it should be checked off first.

2. Set realistic targets

When you set your priorities, be realistic. Estimate the time each task will take. Be practical about how much work you can finish within that day or week. Setting unrealistic deadlines will lead to frustration and stress.

3. Don’t be a slave to e-mails

Don’t rush to check your e-mail every time other minute. Mobile devices, iPhones and Blackberry’s have enabled you to carry your office with you. However, they also have ensured that you unintentionally develop a habit of checking your email every few minutes.

Unless you are expecting some urgent mails, do not keep tapping into your inbox frequently. Check your emails at preset regular intervals. Or else not only will your emails take up more of your productive time, they will push other urgent matters behind.

4. Multi-task wisely

Some people like doing a number of things all at the same time. And the result is less productivity because none of your work gets your undivided attention. Multitasking is good but it should not affect quality of work.

Ideally manage different type of tasks in a day but at one time, give your attention to a single task.

5. Tips for managing urgent tasks

How would you handle two equally urgent tasks? Figure out which task will be more time-consuming. Ideally choose the task that will take less time, so that you can finish it off and then focus your mind on the rest of the work.

For the CEO, prioritizing work can become difficult at times. If you are finding it tough to set your priorities, consult with other CEO peers at a CEO peer group or CEO association. In such CEO clubs, you meet experts and other CEOs from non-competing industries.

A CEO club provides an easy atmosphere where you can share your fears with the experts openly and get in-depth insight into dealing with a particular situation.

Effective Internal Communication: The Glue that Binds Organization

Internal communication within an organization mainly comprises of official and unofficial communication. Official communication refers to the transfer of information pertaining to operations, policies and any business or company related news while unofficial communication includes exchange of ideas, opinions and expression which aids in development of personal relationships.

Though unofficial communication does not have a direct impact on business, it may spread a sense of commitment or even dissatisfaction among employees. Especially when unofficial communication is triggered through the official communication (policy or notification) which has not found acceptance among the majority of employees, it can create unnecessary friction. For instance, a company policy which is biased in favor of some employees can transmit a wave of annoyance through unofficial communication through a large section of employees.

This makes it very important for the management and HR department to promote effective internal communication within the organization to maintain harmony in the organization.  

  

Aspects of effective internal communication:

·        The work force should get timely information regarding their targets and turn-around-time.

·        Employees should be made aware of all policies related to their rights and responsibilities.

·        Employees should know what is expected from them at work.

·        Help people with feedback and suggestions regarding their performance.

·        Help your work-force with new ideas and requisite training when needed.

·        Make sure they are aware of your concerns as a company for their family and life.

·        All your policies should be transparent and should not reflect favoritism or biased approach to any individual

Benefits of Effective Internal Communication

Improves Productivity – The seamless flow of information through effective internal communication improves productivity of employees. It also helps an organization to respond promptly and efficiently to emergencies and other situations when it requires a quick action plan.

Makes Problem Solving Easier – The effective internal communication makes problem-solving easier as it provides everyone with a platform to share their ideas and opinions. Internal communication also promotes an atmosphere of openness within the organization where everybody has the right to voice his opinion hence resolving internal conflicts and misunderstandings.

Develops a Sense of Ownership – When everybody is aware of his responsibilities, sense of ownership comes naturally. Sense of ownership among employees decreases the need of supervision and follow-up which in turn enhances both productivity and quality.

To know more about the importance of internal communication within organization you can go for corporate executive coaching at a renowned CEO peer group including the Brain Trust, which “is a group of CEO’s who are committed to each other’s outrageous level of success”. CEO groups help you with requisite guidance pertaining to different segments of business ranging from managing funds to exit planning.  Being a member of a reputed CEO club or CEO association will help you get deep insights on managing communication strategies and deriving the best results from them.

Tips to Conduct a Business Meeting Effectively

Meetings are essential but not all meetings are always successful. You may have sometimes got a feeling after particularly stretched out meeting, “What a sheer waste of time. Now let’s get started on work.” Meetings can go off the track if you don't plan well in advance. As the CEO, you need to be thorough and well-prepared to chair a meeting. Here are some tips to help you conduct a meeting which is effective and leads to some fruitful results:

Set a time limit

Set a time limit for the meeting. And make sure to inform everyone attending the meeting about the start-time and end-time. Be precise and try to cover all the topics within the set time. Don't stretch the meeting for too long. It gets boring and is wastage of time as well. Stick to the topics you need to cover in a meeting within a set time limit. This helps you to be more productive as well. You can take inspiration from CEO peer groups or CEO clubs where exact topics are discussed and solutions are provided by the experts within the set time.

Set an agenda

Be sure what you want to discuss in a meeting and set a clear-cut agenda for that. Send a mail to the attendees informing them about the agenda of the meeting and the planned start and end time. This will save unnecessary time of explaining to attendees why they are in a meeting and what needs to be discussed. Besides everyone who has to attend the meeting will get an idea about the topic and can prepare or review any stuff that is to be discussed.

You need to prioritize things. If certain topics can be discussed later on, you should postpone such things till the next meeting.

Be clear about the objective of meeting

Having a discussion on a subject is not enough. As a CEO, you need to clearly outline the objective of the meeting. A meeting is futile if you just discuss about the issue. You need to emphasize what goals need to be achieved and the results you are expecting from the attendees. Assign responsibilities to certain people and set deadlines for them.

Invite executives who are crucial to meeting

Don't invite everyone to the meeting. As the CEO or a senior executive, you need to figure out which people are actually required for the meeting. Calling employees for a meeting who don't have any role to play in the meeting is a sheer waste of time for the employee and the organization too as a whole.

Sum-up

Summarize the meeting by reviewing the actions that need to be taken and targets that need to be accomplished. Besides, identify once again who will be responsible for which task.

Generally for CEOs and top-level senior executives, a good amount of time is spent in meetings, making strategies and in discussions. How you utilize your time in a meeting influences your organization's future and growth.

As a CEO, you need to keep improvising and learning new things to stay ahead of competition. You can join a CEO club or a corporate executive coaching where you can share your ideas with the other experienced CEOs from the non-competing industries and get practical solutions. Being in a CEO corporate association would help you understand how to conduct a meeting effectively and get maximum results.