Teamwork Makes It Easier by Robert Finkelstein

Let’s start this off with a line from one of my favorite childhood movies, Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang…
“Teamwork, can make a dream work, if we all pitch in and try.” I couldn’t say it any better.

So how do you foster teamwork in your workplace? Here are a few suggestions that will definitely help.
1. Create team problem solving sessions.
2. Respect everyone’s ideas and opinions.
3. Help others whenever it’s appropriate.
4. Increase time for the team to be together inside and outside of work.
5. Lead by example.
6. Improve your communication with the team.
7. Take interest in the team, aside from just business.
8. Reward progress and teamwork.
9. Anticipate concerns and problems. Be proactive.
10. Have fun!

“It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” That’s what teamwork is all about.

If you have any questions or comments,
please write them below or email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com.

Getting Steamed? by Robert Finkelstein

No ifs, ands, or buts…work can be very stressful. Can be…that’s the key.

If you find certain tasks stressful, make a note of them. If at certain times of the day, you feel your blood pressure rising, make a note of them. Bottom line here, whatever is getting you steamed, identify it. And when you identify it, you’re halfway to the solution.

I’m going to keep this short but sweet. Read my previous blogs. If the problem stems from something at work, one of the time management tools should help. If it’s a personnel issue, sit down with that individual and work it out. Well, save these details for another blog. In the meantime, you must create a well structured day, with a manageable workload. And one more thing. Take time out for yourself.

So in the future, if there’s any steam in your office, let’s hope it’s only coming from your relaxing cup of tea. Ahhh.

If you have any questions or comments,
please write them below or email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com.

Do It All or Delegate by Robert Finkelstein

Are you drowning in work? If the answer is yes, it’s your fault. Time to delegate.

Here’s what I recommend….

Take a look at the tasks you need to work through on a daily or weekly basis. Of those tasks, which ones can you delegate to others? Once you establish which ones they are, see if anyone will volunteer to take them on. Acknowledge anyone who does. If you’re not so fortunate, you might need to decide who on your team you think would successfully carry out the task. Take into consideration experience, skill sets, and match the tasks appropriately. Remember, when you delegate, set that person up to succeed. Give them clear and specific instructions, expectations and deadlines. Once you’ve established this, step away. Let them go to work. You can determine how much monitoring is required – maybe a little more at the beginning, elicit questions, but don’t forget, the idea here is to free up your time to do higher level work.

If you have any questions or comments,
please write them below or email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com.

Decide Not To Decide by Robert Finkelstein

How many decisions do you make at work that probably could have or should have been make by someone else? If you’re dedicated to managing your time more efficiently, then it’s time to let some decisions go.

If you’ve assembled a strong team, then you need to empower them to make most of the decisions. Establish their guidelines and limitations. Once those are in place, step away. Remember, “don’t sweat the small stuff.” Delegating projects that require a minimal amount of your attention can be placed in the team’s capable hands. They’ll come to you when they need to…I can assure you. Assuming they’re doing a good job, then gradually, they’ll do that less and less.

Use the additional time you now have wisely. As with all the time management tools I’ve suggested, the intention is to improve your business and the balance in your life.

Remember, make it clear what decisions still rest in your hands. The big ones – perhaps financial targets, policies, hirings, promotions, business strategies and alliances. You know your business best.

You decide…what to decide.

If you have any questions or comments,
please write them below or email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com.

Take Time For You by Robert Finkelstein

Are you a workaholic? And proud of it?
Don’t be.

You have to find the balance between work and play. To be honest, I’ve struggled with this for years. I’ve come up with excuses why I can’t leave work early or take time off. Whatever the reason, there’s got to be a solution.

I’ve touched on some very simple time management tools, that when applied, will free up some time. With that new found time, yes, some of it can be put toward projects that were temporarily shelved, but more importantly, it can be time for YOU. Your batteries need to be recharged. I’m suggesting on a daily basis. Take a lunch break, get out of your office, and clear your head.

Meditate, read a book, call a friend, exercise…blog. Whatever you need to do…do it. When you get back into your work, you’ll be more productive and focused. Make it part of your schedule – no calls, no emails, no interruptions. Now, for an even greater challenge. Schedule a vacation…even if it’s months from now. Get it on the calendar. Something to look forward to.

Personally, I think reading my blog during your daily breaks is an excellent start.

If you have any questions or comments,
please write them below or email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com.

SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION by Robert Finkelstein

Along with hundreds of inspirational quotes, beautiful images, recommending reading, and my own personal and business blogs, at “Behind the Scenes / Virtual COO” you will find the writings and videos of those whose intention is to inspire, motivate and push us to think outside the box.

SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION by Robert Finkelstein

I would be hardpressed to come up with anything more important than appreciating your team. Gratitude comes in all shapes and sizes. Surprisingly, a simple “Thank you” carries a lot of weight.

Does your team know how much you appreciate them? I hope your answer is a resounding YES. If not, why not?

Here are some suggestions.
1. Say THANK YOU!
2. Take notice of the work being done, the dedication, and give praise.
3. Spend time with your team – take a sincere and genuine interest in them and their families.
4. Bring some humor to the workplace. Don’t be serious all the time.
5. Buy gifts from time to time. Don’t show favoritism.
6. Try to be flexible with time off.
7. Give bonuses – CASH. Even small ones can be very meaningful.
8. Gift cards for restaurants and movies are usually a hit.
9. Do team building activities outside of the workplace. Schedule fun places to go together and, if it’s financially feasible, allow families to come along.
10. Throw holiday parties – potlucks are always popular.
11. Take the team to lunch or dinner. Another option is to bring in treats – fresh donuts, cookies, bagels, candy, etc.
12. Hopefully, your company can provide the opportunity for growth, promotions, new learnings. Without it, employees can feel stuck.
13. An education allowance or fund is great. Support their decisions to further their education. Let them learn tools that they can use at work and in the their personal lives.
14. Encourage the team to stay healthy by paying part or all of a gym membership…so long as it’s used.

“Thank you” for reading my blog.

If you’re interested in a complimentary 30-minute business strategy session with Chief Operating Officer, Robert Finkelstein, or for more information, please refer to Behind the Scenes Consulting. If you have questions, please email Robert at Consulting@RobertFinkelstein.com. Your comments are welcomed below. Thank you.

Pareto’s Principle by Robert Finkelstein

The 80/20 Rule. If you look at your business, do you find that 20% of it really accounts for 80% of the results? Give or take a few percentage points, that’s probably the case.

Prioritize! I mentioned that before, but how are you determining what’s more important than something else? Ask yourself this question. Make sure you are focusing on the tasks that will yield the greatest results for your business. Don’t abandon the others. Prioritize wisely.

Work smart on the right stuff.

If you have any questions or comments,
please write them below or email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com.

Open Door Policy by Robert Finkelstein

It’s great to have an “open door policy,” but it might hit you on the way out. As one who has managed teams of 5 to over 500, I highly recommend taking a look at how available you make yourself throughout the day. I used to have a constant flow of people in and out of my office. One person jokingly suggested I install a ticket dispenser at my office to help manage the line that often existed.

It’s one thing to prioritize…it’s another to schedule your day. Take into consideration your “prime time” and what you need to be doing during that time. Make sure you take that into consideration when planning your day. What I’m suggesting is designating times during the day to do all that you’re responsible for. By focusing on one area at a time, and not allowing distractions to interrupt your attention, you will definitely help you complete it much quicker.

Here’s a short list, in no particular order, of some of the things you might want to consider scheduling:
1. Read and respond to emails
2. Open letters
3. Meet with you team
4. Work on projects
5. Make and receive phone calls
6. Conduct meetings in your office
7. Have meetings outside the office
8. Take time for yourself / Breaks

Having an “open door policy” to your work day will severely reduce your productivity. Take into consideration that when you implement structure to your day, your team may not like it at first. If they felt that they always had access to you, they may initially be put off by the change. When it’s that time of your day when you’re available to your team, make sure you are. Trust me, once they see how productive you’ve become, how focused you are, they’ll want to do the same. Work with your team to create a structure that works well for everyone.

Now get back to work. Reading blog time is over.

If you have any questions or comments,
please write them below or email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com.

You’ve Got Email by Robert Finkelstein

“You’ve got mail. You’ve got m–. You’ve got–. You’ve g–. You–. You–.” Luckily, my computer doesn’t talk to me, because if it did, it wouldn’t get the chance to finish the sentence. I used to get well over a hundred business emails a day. Add in the personal and the span, and the number more than doubles. Let’s just consider the business ones, shall we? Short emails, long emails and a whole lot of attachments. So if I receive 100 emails and spend an average of five minutes on each, including reading and digesting the attachments, and formulating a response…that’s 500 minutes!! Doing the math…YIKES…we’re talkin’ 8 hours and 20 minutes. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that doesn’t leave much time for anything else…and that will drive you CRAZY!

So how do you manage your emails? Do you manage it at all?

I’ll cover different aspects of managing your daily emails in more detail in future blogs. Here are a few thoughts to get you started, in no particular order.

1. Can anyone screen your emails for you? If so, I recommend having them printed.
2. For emails with ongoing concerns, write them on your To Do List.
3. Try not to read the same email more than once.
4. Explore programs like iDictate to record emails.
5. When you’re done with an email, move it to a subfolder (which you should create for each incoming email contact). Don’t leave it in your Inbox.
6. As an Outlook user, you can select a color associated with a particular email contact. When you receive an email from that person, the font will be colored. Helps in prioritizing.
7. Train those who write you. If you don’t, people feel like they have permission to write you all the time, and for the most inane things. Educate them on how the subject line should read, how frequently they can write or cc you, and what to consider a priority,
8. One of my most important suggestions, after you consider the ones above is to manage your time on emails. Designate specific times during the day when you do emails. Create an auto-responder that lets everyone your availability…and stick to it.

“You don’t have mail. You’ve got time to do other things.”

If you have any questions or comments,
please write them below or email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com.

Break It Apart by Robert Finkelstein

So you’re energized and you’ve prioritize…now what? You have to get started. Some of the items on your To Do List might be very simple and quick. If possible, take care of those right off the bat. Gotta love crossing items off that list. But that only lasts for so long…and then comes the big project. Well, as my title suggests…break it apart. Some call it the “Swiss Cheese Process.” Poke holes in it. Cut it into manageable, bite-sized pieces…or smaller sub-tasks. You might find that these need further prioritizing. This will help make the project far less daunting. As you eliminate these smaller tasks, you’ll gain momentum and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Start chipping away at that iceberg, and you’ll soon have just a bunch of cubes.

If you have any questions or comments,
please write them below or email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com.