Beyond Organisation: Task Management Skills For Daily Life

As business owners, we all understand that tasks have to get done on time and to the best of our abilities. But, what you might not fully realise is that the same skills that keep your business moving can also be used to create harmony in your everyday life. Here are a few examples.

Delegation

As we continue to climb out of the worst of the pandemic, we are learning that work has piled up. If you have yet to master task delegation, now’s your chance. Push some mundane or specialized projects onto your team, or hire help in areas you need it most; QA services, administration, content writing, and customer service are a few examples. You can do the same at home by outsourcing yard work or minor home repairs and setting up a chore chart for your family.

Teamwork

Being a team player is important, even when you’re the boss. When you have the mindset of pitching in picking up the slack, everyone wins. The Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness explains that good team players embrace collaboration, hold themselves accountable, and are flexible. 

Leadership

Effective leaders commit to their teams and understand that tools are often necessary to effectively manage projects at all levels. They are people-focused, however, and know how to do more than just bark orders all day. The Systems Thinker asserts that great leaders understand the balance between working harder and longer and working towards sustainable productivity. As a business leader, you must learn to recognise that overworking yourself and your staff can sabotage your efforts at business success.

Traits You Can Refine

In addition to skills, there are a few personality traits (which are sometimes referred to as soft skills) that you can refine as well. These include:

• Detail-oriented. You can build your ability to pay attention to details by blocking out distractions, learning how to create a work plan, and by simply getting enough sleep and exercise.

• Cautiously optimistic. A positive attitude goes a long way toward encouraging your team to get their pieces of your project puzzles done. Be optimistic in your interactions with your staff, but be careful not to over-promise to your customers or make your employees feel as though you are pressuring them to meet deadlines, particularly on their off days or hours.

• Adaptable. Being adaptable means that you don’t get overwhelmed when things don’t go quite as planned. This has a lot more to do with mindset than practical actions. Adaptability is a trait you can elevate by focusing on your problem-solving skills and changing your mindset to respond enthusiastically to changed plans.

Ultimately, the behaviors and personality traits that you learn to refine today will help you find and maintain success as we navigate a post-pandemic society. Knowing how to delegate, work as a team while remaining a leader, and maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity set the tone of your organisation as a whole.