Alpeon Magazine Alpeon | Page 59

PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS | personal development || — What useful business contacts have I gained? — What was I in command of today, and where was I all at sea? — What did I learn to do, and what interesting ideas did I come up with? The sort-out will take five to seven minutes and help you map out the work sequence for the next day in an- other few minutes. A set plan establishes a good work rhythm from the very beginning of the new workday. Keep your desk clean. The best paper management policy has always been, “Do this… Delegate that… Throw this away...” Pieces of paper will bury the best of us until we resolve to “take no prisoners.” If in doubt, throw it out! If you’re inclined to play it safe, ask yourself what would happen if you threw out this or that piece of paper. If the answer is on the level of causing injury to someone—keep it. If not, get rid of it! Learn to delegate. Delegating means organizing division of labor and responsibility among staffers. When subordinates begin sensing responsibility for an entire sector of work, their personal initiative is aroused and their faith in the per- manence of work relationships and their dedication to the firm are strengthened. To correctly distribute duties, you need to envision the result you want to gain from execution of the assignment. You have to give precise 57 instructions and set concrete deadlines for completion. After your subordinates have been familiarized with the assignment, ask them to tell you what they plan to do and how. Dispel doubts and deal with questions that come up at the very beginning of the job so that every- one is clear on what is expected. After that, you won’t need to be constantly bugging people or checking up on them. You’ll ask about results when the time comes. Use a time organizer, a printed daily planner or electronic analog with capabilities for calendar planning. Enter dates and times of scheduled a