Assess Time Management Skills to Create Team Synergy

Have you ever wished your team could all be moving in the same direction?  Could a lack of focus and alignment be preventing your team from accomplishing your most important priorities?

One of the biggest challenges we face today is the fact that we are all moving at lightening speed.  Technology has made us instantly accessible anywhere we go, 24/7.  But the downside is that it is making everything urgent.  And when that happens, the truly important things can easily get lost.  When your team is clear about its priorities and direction, and everyone understands the impact of time management on team performance, your team productivity will significantly improve.

To help your team use its time most effectively, ask yourself how your team is doing in the following seven areas:

1. Goals
   Are the goals of our team clear?  Do we know what our key objectives are?
   
2. Priorities
   Do we know what our priorities are for the year, month, and week?  Do we create a plan to accomplish our most important tasks each week?  Do we structure our day to focus on those priorities?
   
3. Meetings
   Do we run our meetings well?  Do we have a clear agenda, start and end on time, clearly identify tasks and responsibilities, and follow-up on action items?
   
4. Interruptions
   Do we interrupt each other unnecessarily throughout the day?  Do we have a lot of unnecessary distractions?
   
5. Delegation
   Is delegation handled effectively, or do we just "dump" on each other?
   
6. Written Communications
   Do we handle email effectively, or do we send too much email when it's really not necessary?
   
7. ProcrastinationDo we meet our deadlines?  If not, how is this impacting other team members?