There are two distinct attitudes to work. The first is that it is noble and defines character. The second is that it pays bills until that winning Lotto ticket comes along.
Whichever view you adhere to, it’s safe to say working for a living is a type of exchange. You work in exchange for a salary. You work in exchange for a career or sense of purpose.
To make the best of this exchange, one of the things you need to do is stay organised. To continue to be paid, or to have your sense of purpose, you need to get the work done when it’s required. Otherwise, you’re going to be out of a job.
Understanding this, it’s a good idea to find ways to stay on top of your workload. Here are some suggestions as to how you can do this.
Delegate/Share/Negotiate
There’s no way around it. Modern workloads are insane. And it appears that there is no end in sight to the work pile up. Post pandemic economic constraints mean that more companies will be sending workers home while sharing their duties among those who remain.
If you find yourself in this position, the first thing you need to do is talk to your colleagues. Is there any work you can help them with? In exchange, is there anything they can help you with? In this situation, you will really have to be your brother’s keeper. You can keep your workload manageable and thus easier to organise this way.
If you’re a manager, are there any of your duties you can delegate to subordinates, to free up your time for the work that really matters. You can focus on those core duties that really make you an effective employee as opposed to spreading yourself thin over inconsequentials.
Talking to your boss about your workload may help as well. Bosses need employees to be effective to keep the company afloat. If a shift or reorganization of work can be proven to do this, they’re likely to listen.
Use A Time Tracking App
Many employees balk at this one since no one wants “Big Brother” to monitor what they do with their time. This can be a mistake though.
There are many benefits to having your time tracked, especially with modern working time models that allow for flexi-time, part-time and remote arrangements. For starters, you now actually have a tool to show your employer how long it takes to do the work assigned to you properly when they ask what’s taking so long.
Secondly, it allows you to be more accurately compensated for the work that you do. At the very least, it will open dialogue on whether you’re under-compensated for the amount of work you do and the time you can get it done.
Thirdly, it enables your employer to better calculate things like your vacation leave, time off, sick days are taken, and overtime. No more arguing with HR over lost paperwork. It’s all being digitally recorded.
Use the tracker to set a time limit for your day-to-day task and move from one to the next when your time limit is up.
Have A To-Do List
This one is an oldie but a goodie. Break your day-to-day tasks up into a list of things to do. The goal is to have as many things on that list done by the end of the day as possible.
As you continue to employ this technique you’ll begin to notice something. Things are actually getting done because this list is holding you accountable. You now have another way to track how much you’re getting done. You can also examine why certain tasks remain undone and come up with ways to combat this.
Find Out What Are The Deadlines You Are Working With And Prioritise
These two go hand in hand. Most times in a work setting, a manager will give you a deadline. A colleague needs help with a project. They will give you a deadline. Someone in another department needs a piece of information from yours to complete a project. They’ll give you a deadline too. The deadline is usually yesterday.
You need to ask for specific deadlines and let each party know if their request can or can’t be fulfilled by that deadline. When you prioritize projects by due dates like this, it allows you to deal with the truly urgent immediately and everything else afterward.
Organization at work doesn’t have to be hard. But it is important. Use these tips to help you be better at it.