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Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” This quote has stuck with me for many years because of its simplicity and truthfulness.
As a manager, whether you manage a training department or another team or department within your organization, it’s important to stay organized. There’s always something unexpected that comes up, quite often at the most inconvenient time. When you’re in reactive mode, it’s easy to feel like you’re one step behind. We don’t want to end our day feeling like we were on the treadmill with nothing to show for it.
Here are five tips to help you stay on top of your game:
Use Time Blocking
Take at least 15-20 minutes to review your schedule at the start of the week. Use a print or electronic calendar and block the time for the meetings and obligations you know about. Make this schedule available to your team, so they know when you are available (and when you’re not).
Make Lists
At the beginning of each day, list tasks that need to be completed and prioritize them by importance. Check them off as you complete them. If you get sidetracked for any reason, you’ll know exactly where to pick up again.
Standardize Your Process
Whether you’re tracking the products/services you offer or providing feedback to your direct reports, create templates to track what is important to you and your organization. This is essential and will ensure your department’s alignment with your organization’s overall mission.
Schedule Monthly Team Meetings
Meeting with your team regularly keeps them informed on any important changes or new projects and allows them to inform you of any updates on their tasks. This will help your department run smoothly and ensure everyone has the same information.
Provide Feedback Regularly
Meet one-on-one with your members at least once a month to discuss their progress and the challenges they face. This allows you to provide relevant feedback on their work and discuss next steps. These short meetings will keep your department on track to meet its objectives and show your team you are there for guidance and support when needed.
If you’re a manager looking for useful tips and tricks and performance improvement tools, Langevin’s The Successful Training Manager and Evidence-Based Management and Leadership workshops are a fantastic place to start!
