Prioritise Your Day - Keep Focus

Home
>
Business Management
>
Prioritise Your Day - Keep Focus - Win!

Prioritise Your Day - Keep Focus - Win!

Whether you run your own business or manage a team, there are times when things don't go to plan. Like:-

Your key people don't show up.
A deadline shifts.
Your boss turns up unexpectedly.
You get really busy beyond expectations.
...and more.

How do you get clear on the priority of the day?

Value it - that's how!

So, if you run any sort of business, consider what the most important thing would be to your business, if you were down to the barest of bones in personnel numbers, for just one day, what would you do?

Here are some thoughts...

Be honest with yourself, and very, very realistic - in fact, plan what you can achieve and then less! It is far better to be great at less, than poor at too much.

Be honest with your people and get them on board - appeal to their emotional side, "I need your help", usually works.

Think damage limitation - what would do the most harm to your business - and resolve that first (hint - think Customer).

With customers, be honest and realistic with them - usually, they will be very understanding if you are clear about it being a bad day - they will not forgive inadequate information and poor performance.

Plan short-term solutions on the run - by making space for thinking time (see 1 above) to resolve where your problems are today, so you move on tomorrow.

Celebrate success with your people. Back to basics and succeeding against all the odds builds teams - utilise the opportunity to let it sink in - together!

Learn and make changes - so that there will not be a next time. Your clients and your own staff have only so much generosity when things go wrong - so make sure it doesn't happen again. Fire-fighting happens! So, when you need to have a day doing just the top priorities for your business, let go of everything else. Have the courage to be honest with yourself, park not-necessary-now stuff and enjoy your day truly in the business. Be honest with your people and welcome them on board the firetruck! Finally, yet most importantly, be honest with your customers and clients, forging new, mutually supportive relationships with them too.

If you need to do this too often for comfort, you need a rethink - then is the time for some real 'source' problem solving (see the "Solving Problems with Whys" article at www.ezinearticles.com - checkout 'Expert Authors, sort by name, Martin Haworth)

Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com (Note to editors. This article may be edited for use in your publication or newsletter as long as a live link to the website is included)

...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

In The News:

Top Korean Bank Taps Teradata for Customer Relationship Management
MarketWatch - 4 hours ago
"SCFB is a leader in customer relationship management and the first bank in South Korea to utilize a full customer-focused marketing approach. ...

This is Money
Gulf oil and gas producers give Ike a serious look
The Associated Press - 1 hour ago
... production following Hurricane Gustav are now starting to take precautions for Hurricane Ike," the US Minerals Management Service said on Sunday. ...
Producers Say 88% of Gulf Oil Output, 74% of Gas Idled by Storm Bloomberg
Riders on the Storm: Stopping and Restarting Offshore Oil and Gas The Oil Drum
Shell stops returning workers to Gulf due to Ike Reuters
San Diego Union Tribune - Bloombergall 151 news articles

The Associated Press
Statement by Press Secretary Dana Perino
MarketWatch - 5 hours ago
The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts ...
Gustav Victims Urged To Contact FEMA, Register For Disaster Aid WDSU
Statement by Press Secretary Dana Perino PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
FEMA may cover hotel costs for hurricane evacuees The Associated Press
Houston Chronicle - Pittsburgh Tribune-Reviewall 428 news articles

Telecommuting means change in management style
San Francisco Chronicle, USA - 19 hours ago
And some owners are discovering that allowing employees to telecommute can require a different management style, and some basic trust. ...

Management enters divine domain
Times of India, India - 54 minutes ago
AHMEDABAD: Spiritual leaders spouting cool management jargon at discourses is obsolete. With temples mushrooming across the country, and their coffers ...

The Age
Shelter is battered...Haiti sees setback...Under new management ...
KXMC, ND - 3 hours ago
AP NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) On an island in the Bahamas, dozens of people who took shelter in a church from Hurricane Ike have been listening to the wind ...
Video: Raw Video: Ike Pounds Turks and Caicos AssociatedPress
Eyewitness: Waiting for Ike BBC News
Tropical storm watch issued Cay Compass
CBC.ca - Reuters UKall 4,548 news articles

RGE Monitor
NEW YORK, Sept 06, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Pershing Square ...
MarketWatch - Sep 6, 2008
September 5, 2008 The Honorable Henry M. Paulson, Jr. Secretary United States Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, ...
Gottliebsen: Fannie and Freddie's salvation Business Spectator
Big intervention should assure America's recovery Times Online
all 36 news articles

Waste Management bidding for parent of local No. 2, Saguaro
Arizona Daily Star, AZ - 6 hours ago
Houston-based Waste Management Inc. wants to buy Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Republic Services Inc., parent company of local trash hauler Saguaro ...
New Trash Collection Company May Come To Putnam County WOWK
all 5 news articles

Linked-In Essentials for Executive Career Management Focus of Next ...
PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - 2 hours ago
The Experts Connection teleseminar series for executive career management is sponsored by NETSHARE® (www.netshare.com). Linked-In has rapidly grown into the ...

Houston Chronicle
MBA programs at Houston universities are attracting more ...
Houston Chronicle, United States - 17 hours ago
"I want to promote myself to management," he said. Business schools explain the increased interest from students outside the country in several ways: The ...
Biggart to step down as dean of UC Davis management school Bizjournals.com
UC Davis Business School Dean to Step Down MarketWatch
UC Davis business school dean to return to teaching Sacramento Bee
Bizjournals.com - Sacramento Beeall 21 news articles

management - Google News

Prioritise Your Day - Keep Focus - Win!

Business Management