Failing To Plan Is Planning To Fail | Real Deal Technologies

Failing To Plan Is Planning To Fail June 26, 2009

8 Tips For Proactive Planning

All too often we get caught up in the constant flow of tasks and as a result, resort to reactive planning. This results in falling behind on work further and does not allow any time for innovative ideas to come into play. Managing your time by proactive planning can help you regain control of your workflow as well as open up time to be innovative and creative.

The 8 Tips For Proactive Planning Are:

Review Your Typical Workday - Look at how you currently spend your time. Write down the time you spend on each task for at least a week. This will give you a realistic picture of how you really spend your day so that you can begin to implement change.

Make A “To-Do” List - Set aside about fifteen minutes at the end of the day to prepare your task list for the next business day. When you do this, you might want to check your calendar to keep abreast of upcoming events and deadlines. Write down what you need to do the following business day and when you plan on starting it. Allow flexibility for unforeseen tasks and time for things that take longer than projected.

Prepare Yourself - If you have a presentation or a meeting you will be attending the next day, get your things together and go over your materials.

Evaluate Your Choice Of Tasks - When you start a project, ask yourself, “Why am I doing this right now?” This will help keep you on track in case you are procrastinating a project that should be a priority.

Be Efficient - Organize your day as well as your tasks to be completely as efficiently as possible. Grouping your tasks together will help save time.

Delegate - If possible, delegate work to others who may be more efficient or proficient at it.

Identify What Tasks Have The Highest ROI - Once you have identified this, you can spend 90% of your time doing the tasks that give you the most return on your investment of time, and as a result this will give your organization a better return on investment in dollars.

Reward Yourself - Set your own personal goals to reward yourself for big achievements. Motivating yourself with a vacation, special treat or just some downtime at home will help you stay focused to get more accomplished at work.

Click Here For An Article On How To Prioritize Your Work

The 5 Competencies Proactive Planners Have:

Vision - Proactive planners are future-oriented. They develop an exciting picture of what could and what should be, regardless of what is, for themselves and their organization.

Results Oriented - Proactive planners are passionate about winning. They are dedicated to achieving win-win solutions to situations.

Decision Making - Proactive planners obtain and understand the facts, weigh the risks, and objectively prioritize alternatives that result in decisive action.

Management Controls - Proactive planners are able to exercise necessary management controls to ensure the integrity of the organization’s processes.

Leadership - Proactive planners drive business results by aligning the vision, mission, and values to enhance business value. They are able to enlist the willing cooperation of others, while tapping into their highest skills and abilities, to achieve desired results.

Summary: Planning your day allows you some control over your day, rather than letting your day control you. You will leave feeling like you accomplished a lot, which will lead to higher job satisfaction.

“One hour spent planning is worth four hours execution.” - Crawford Greenwalt, DuPont