Ensure efficiency with a complete checklist
You doubtless know very well how much managers have on their plates.
You are required to wear a lot of different hats.
You have to lead, guide, teach, delegate, strategise, and much more.
There can be so much to consider that it’s hard to know what to focus on.
Do you prioritise the day-to-day running of your business or take a more long-term viewpoint?
Creating a to-do list could be the solution.
This article will look at what makes to-do lists powerful and useful, and what yours might look like.
Why create a to-do list?
While jotting down your tasks may not seem like it can help you to complete them, creating a list is a powerful tool from both an organisational and a psychological standpoint.
Firstly, dividing each day up into short spells with different focuses can be an effective way to split your time.
You won’t get mired in the daily firefighting that being a manager requires and neglect the higher-level thinking.
Nor will you be so fixated on the future that you forget to look after the present.
Instead, you can hope to strike a balance that provides clarity on your aims and responsibilities while tying into your business’s overall goals.
Dividing your day into specific slots will help you with time management, so that single tasks don’t end up running away with all your energy.
Prioritisation is also far easier when you have your tasks written down in front of you, can evaluate them in the context of each other and your business environment, and decide where your focus should lie.
And of course, it’s also important not to overlook the accountability and focus that simply having a to-do list can provide. Even if your to-do list isn’t public, its presence will have a psychological impact on you, bringing your focus back to the tasks at hand.
How to build your own to-do list
Creating a truly effective to-do list is a little more complex than simply jotting down every task you can think of and hoping to make sense of them all.
In order to give yourself a sustainable workload, building your to-do list needs to be a planned, repeatable process that delivers consistent outcomes.
One of the best ways to do this is to structure your day as phases in the process of managing your to-do list: planning and creating it, carrying out the tasks on it, and reviewing your progress.
Use time in the morning or the start of your shift to review key tasks and take stock of the day ahead. Is there anything that needs to be done today, that’s holding up other tasks, or that requires specific expertise from you or another member of staff?
What are you going to tackle directly and what can be prioritised? What is essential to keep the business running and what are the ‘nice to have’ achievements that would be bonuses if carried out?
Once you have a clearer idea of where your focus should be, you can prioritise tasks accordingly and move onto the next phase.
Check in with your team and assign any actions that you are delegating. Findmyshift's in-built notice board can be the perfect home for these tasks.
It's also key to make sure there is nothing blocking your employees from achieving their own responsibilities. Sometimes clearing blockages is the most effective thing you can do.
Imagine you’re catering a big event and your cooks are ready to get started, but they’re waiting on a key ingredient that needs to be collected.
For that, you’ll need the company van, which is awaiting maintenance. The employee in charge of maintenance has a long list of jobs that day, but once you realise that, asking them to prioritise the van can ensure that everyone else can carry on with their own work.
Once you’ve worked with your team to get jobs assigned and keep the way clear for anyone facing obstructions, you should be ready to tackle your own tasks.
Carve out a dedicated block of time for you to get on with the key tasks you’ve set yourself that day.
The best way to do this is to allocate a consistent time where you don’t have other notifications, reminders, or heads popping around the door with a quick question to distract you.
You can even set this as its own shift with just a few clicks using Findmyshift,
Once you’ve completed that, round off your day with a review of what’s been achieved, what needs to roll over to tomorrow, and any new actions that have arisen. If you can, find time to celebrate a win or a positive contribution from among your team.
Recognition and reward are a key part of communication within your team, and can also boost employee morale.