As we have discussed in previous blog entries and articles, un-controlled chaos has the power to suck the profitability right out of a small business. In the world of small business, time is always at a premium. As a business owner, manager, or employee, the last thing you can afford to do is spend precious time and energy coping with chaos. A chaotic environment is more stressful, more wasteful, and much less pleasant to be in. For that reason, today I’d like to share seven quick hitting steps you can take to keep the chaos under control in your business.
1) Keep your workspace clear. It’s important to keep your immediate workspace as clear as possible. Not only does this give you a practical place to work comfortably, but the psychological impact of a cluttered workspace can be significant.
2) Prioritize. As a small business owner, it’s a given that you won’t get everything done each day. There is simply too much happening and too little time to get it done! So make a point of prioritizing. And if tasks arise during the day, don’t automatically drop everything and get them done. Stick to your top priorities.
3) Define accountability. Lack of clarity among employees and team members is a significant cause of wasted productivity and confusion. Make sure that employees understand which tasks they are responsible and when they are due. This ensures that even when things are moving a hundred miles per hour, there are no “grey areas” with regards to areas of responsibility.
4) Identify circumstances that create chaos and address them. We have all been there – the day starts off just fine, but then something happens and it turns to chaos. The next time you experience this, take note of what caused the situation. Perhaps it is a certain employee failing to meet his or her responsibility. Perhaps a specific client is difficult to deal with. Identify these problems and do your best to mitigate them!
5) Don’t let tasks pile up. In a fast-paced environment, you can’t afford to fall behind. It doesn’t take long for a to-do list to become overwhelming. So fight the urge to procrastinate, and instead make a habit of addressing tasks and projects as soon as you can.
6) If you don’t have one, create a filing system. This sounds obvious, but I am always amazed at how many businesses have no system for organizing and filing important information. This inevitably leads to stress and wasted time as employees search frantically for information that they need. We’ll talk about this issue in depth in future articles. But the bottom line is… you need a system!
7) Get the rest and relaxation you need. Finally, you as the owner or manager must be in the right frame of mind to make quick decisions and handle stress. And that means being well-rested. Get the sleep you need, pursue hobbies, and take enough time off of work that you can perform at a high level while you are in the office.
Questions or comments? Contact me today if you’d like to learn more!