A cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, or so they say. Well, a cluttered business is the sign that a business isn't as profitable as it could be, so why not take the time to organize your business as efficiently as you'd organize your desk? Commit to uncluttering your business by prioritizing your own time.
Action Item #1: What is your job? Clearly define what your job is and what it's not. Learn to delegate tasks that others can do just as easily as you can, you don't have to manage everything yourself! If you're the boss and you find yourself continually sorting the mail or cleaning the bathroom, it's time to reorganize the job descriptions in your office! Similarly, if there are small jobs that can free up your time for more important things by assigning them to others do it!
Action Item #2: Where are you most valuable? Take a look at all your job responsibilities as if it were a big pie cut into slices. What piece is the single most important thing that you do? What is the area in which you are the most necessary to your business? That's your top priority. Are you spending enough time making sure that it's done right? If you're slighting the areas in which you're the most productive because you have too many other jobs on your plate, it's time to clear the decks.
Action Item # 3: Is there something that someone else can do for you? Is it possible to have someone sort through your papers or set up that new account? Consider that pie that we talked about. When you get down to the last few slices in the pan, consider whether you can assign those jobs to other people. You probably can, and it will give you more time to work where you're need most.
Action Item #4: Is your workspace well organized? Remember that old chestnut about the cluttered desk. Think about how much time you spend walking down the hall to get supplies or make copies, or how many hours you lose each year searching for files in that towering pile. That goes for your entire business are your employees working smart, rather than hard? Are projects planned in a fashion that makes them easy to finish, or is there an unnecessary middle-management bureaucracy that makes everything more complicated than it needs to be? Find ways in which you can simplify tasks in every area of your business. Ask your employees and co-workers how their jobs could be made easier you might be surprised by what they suggest.
By assessing the unnecessary clutter of your business, figuring out what's not working and committing to your priorities, you'll find you save yourself time, money and aggravation. Think about why things got into the state they're in and do what needs to be done to make it work better! By taking control of your job and your business, you're refusing to be a victim of chaos. You'll be more confident and more productive as a result.
