Business Priorities

We all know that time management is a simple concept that can make or break our productivity on any given day. Here's a simple tip to help structure your priorities.

Make a list of the action items that you would like to see accomplished. Day, Week, Month, quarter, 12 months.  For this article's sake, let’s work on a day.

Prioritize based on what’s going to contribute to your bottom line, and in conjunction what current deadlines that cannot be missed.

You have three options. 

1. Ignore it – wipe it off your should do list, it does not contribute          

2. Delegate it to someone else, or find a way to automate it.

3. Do it yourself and do it well, without the baggage of nagging, undone chores for the day. The sun will rise again tomorrow

For example, you have two important phone calls to expedite the order process. They will determine your workload for the remainder of the day. Make those.  You have a bid deadline tomorrow morning at 10 AM for a significant piece of business at a large potential account. Get it done.

You have a report due to senior management that not due for 10 more days. You need to make some progress, but the more pressing priorities require it to be pushed back.

You have fallen into the habit of reading the world financial news every morning, it contributes nothing to your business success factor. Save that energy and concern for a weekend effort or wipe it completely off your must do list.

Gary D. Seale - MBA Trucon Communications and 

Consulting   www.truconbd.com