Uncategorized

Poor time management is a problem in many organizations and personal lives. In fact, if time were managed better, many organizations would see more than an increase in productivity. People would see improvement in their home lives. There would be more space for work-life balance and effective breaks throughout the day. By examining all of the mistakes employees make in their management of time, it is easier to make changes to enhance performance and effectiveness. What is Poor Time Management? Many people feel as though there are not enough hours in a day. In truth, this is a sign that you’re either a) too busy or b) have poor time management skills. Fortunately, both of these things are fixable with some improved habits.   Habits are a major component of managing time because they are often what fill your time, whether they are good or bad. For instance, scrolling social media for three hours is a bad habit resulting in poor workload management. Taking control of bad habits can improve how you manage your time. What Causes Poor Time Management? While distractions like social media result in poor time management, they may not be the primary cause. According to science, the human brain is designed to cycle attention, which is critical to survival. It allows humans to be aware of their surroundings while focused on a task, like keeping an eye on children and being aware of street traffic simultaneously. However, the modern world offers more stimulation than ever before, thus resulting in more challenges in managing time.   Over the years, the human attention span has gotten shorter and shorter. In 2012, it was estimated to be about 75 seconds. Within the last several years, that time has shrunk to 47 seconds. Fixing the problem may begin with a complete grasp of why it needs fixing. Why Do I Need to Fix Poor Time Management? If it’s the brain’s natural cycle, why do humans require improvement in this area? Although distractions are many, it is not necessary to always give in to them. If we allow distractions to rule, productivity tanks. Fortunately, there are numerous strategies for improving how you use your time. Finding a strategy that works for you is vital to beating the issues at hand. Strategies to Avoid Poor Time Management Many methods for improving your time management have been proven to work. Choosing the right strategy is based on personal preference and habits. 1.    Pomodoro Technique The Pomodoro Technique is a popular strategy for remaining focused for a short time and then taking a short break. Set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on a single task until time is up. Then, take a five-minute break. Working in this way allows the mind to focus and rest at an interval. 2.    Time Blocking Time blocking is a scheduling method that only requires one tool: a calendar. By grouping like tasks together into chunks and assigning them a block of time, you can be more productive. Consider using 30-minute to an hour chunks to get started. 3.    Pickle Jar This method requires imagining filling a jar with rocks, pebbles, and sand. The sand represents the little distractions throughout the day, the pebbles are tasks that need to get done but are not a priority, and the rocks are the vital tasks that need to be completed. By organizing your task list with the rocks at the top, then the pebbles, and then the sand, you can ensure the most important items get checked off first. 4.    Eat that Frog The Eat That Frog method sounds odd, but it does make sense. By tackling the hardest task first, the rest of the day will go more easily. Eat That Frog begins with listing all tasks and identifying the one you least want to do. Every other task will feel simple after completing something truly challenging. 5.    Eisenhower Matrix Finally, the Eisenhower Matrix is a strategy meant to define each task and its priority using four categories: do, decide, delegate, and delete. Categorize “do” items as the most urgent tasks, “decide” as those that have importance but no urgency, “delegate” as those that are lacking importance but have urgency and can be passed to someone else, and “delete” should be reserved for the tasks that have no importance and no urgency. Conclusion Defeating the beast that is poor time management doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task on top of all the others. In fact, by simply leaning into the options available in the world of task management, it is possible to tackle more items on your to-do list. Even better, you don’t have to do it alone. If you need a little extra help, Right Fit Communications LLC is ready to give you the boost you need.

There comes a time in many leaders’ careers when wondering how to build an effective team plagues the mind. For many, team building is complicated and seemingly impossible. Research shows that approximately a quarter of the value added to a team comes from less than 5% of the employees. Increasing team effectiveness could make a genuine impact on the business as a whole. While building an effective team is not easy, it can be made simpler by implementing five simple steps. Step 1: How to Build an Effective Team with Proper Hiring When hiring new employees, leaders often look for specific qualities in candidates to fill the role. However, many miss a critical aspect: hiring to round out the team. Hiring should be embraced as a way to contribute to the team, not solely to the role. In the same vein, hiring is not the only way to build a team. Hiring and building on current employees’ skills should both be considered important. Additionally, hiring should be considered a group activity. Traditionally, a candidate has an interview with a leader, is hired, and then inserted into the team. Involving the team in the hiring process can make it easier to build an effective team. Consider having a team member in the interview, introducing candidates to the team before making hiring decisions, and getting feedback from existing members. Step 2: Focus on Open, Clear, and Transparent Communication One of the biggest components of an effective team is fantastic communication. Team members must have access to leadership and other departments to share information, provide feedback, and ask questions. Leadership should be able to mediate when necessary without taking sides. Doing so can effectively build trust, a crucial aspect of effective teams. Trust is also built on transparency. When communication is used to bury truths or side-step details, it becomes more harmful than beneficial. Encouraging transparent communication among team members and leaders will help to establish a firm level of trust. If you truly want to know how to build an effective team, you must think about how you share messages. Communication should also be clear and direct. When messages or statements lack focus, use complicated jargon, or present too much information at once, clarity is lost. The team’s goals, vision, and roles must be made completely clear to all on the team. Step 3: Value Each Team Member Equally Often, the highest performer is the most valued member of a team, and everyone in the office knows it. While it is good to have a high performer, it can be alienating to focus all energy on a single player. Every employee has value and should be treated as such. This begins by valuing the opinions and feelings of each person. It also requires identifying the team’s strengths and gaps. Recognizing the strengths a team member has will allow the team to appreciate their contribution. Another aspect to include in valuing team members is to spend quality time together. It can be difficult to develop an effective team if everyone on the team is a stranger. Team building should not stop at first introductions or occasional awkward activities. Continuous growth is always necessary to be the most effective, and team building is a big component of that. Never stop building. Lastly, if you want to know how to build an effective team, value and encourage each person’s creativity and individualism. A team filled with carbon copies of one another is not much of a team. Diversity, on the other hand, allows for new levels of innovation and better business results. Encouraging creative thinking and individuals’ ideas introduces a whole new light to the work at hand. Step 4: How to Build an Effective Team with Empowerment When a leader empowers team members to accomplish tasks to the best of their abilities, there is a certain level of trust involved. Yes, a team member might make a mistake. However, far more benefits come from extending that trust to each team member. Restricting abilities only results in more work for someone else. Granting individuals the power to take risks shows that they are trusted. Plus, those risks can become positive gains. Step 5: Encourage Cooperation Over Competition A 2024 study suggested that cooperation and competition offer similar results in business success. However, a major difference lies in employee well-being. A competitive environment increases stress and the physiological burden. Alternatively, a cooperative environment improves performance without the added stress. Conclusion Learning how to build an effective team begins with knowledge. However, it cannot stop at reading a “how to build an effective team” article. To actually build that team, you must take action. Contact Right Fit Communications to set up a consultation and determine what comes next.

In honor of Black History Month, we want to highlight a few leaders from the National Archives and other sources. Please feel free to think about some of the countless others we can emulate. Our voice is more important than ever. Stay curious, find the data, and share informed messages using your voice. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) Image by WikiImages from Pixabay Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most important and influential Civil Rights leaders in the 1950s and 1960s. The cornerstones of his activism were based on non-violence and civil disobedience, both of which were inspired by his Christian faith and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. His words live on today. Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) https://www.history.com/articles/madame-c-j-walker Creating a line of hair products geared toward Black hair propelled Madam C.J. Walker to be the first African American woman to be a self-mad millionaire. According to Oprah Daily, “rst African American woman to become a self-made millionaire after creating a line of hair She created the first, Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower, in 1905. A Netflix series based upon her life, Self Made, premiered in March 2020.” George Washington Carver (1864-1943) Image by OpenClipart-Vectors  from Pixabay George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who wanted to increase the profitability of peanuts and sweet potatoes. His experiments in 1896 (revealed in 1914) led to 518 new products from the crops, including ink, dye, soap, cosmetics, flour, vinegar, and synthetic rubber. He is also known for giving us peanut butter. There are others, Barack and Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, Shirley Chisholm, Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, Malcolm X, Stevie Wonder, Jesse Owens and others too numerous to mention. There are countless others who created our past, present, and future. Salute them all! Honor them all!  #BlackHistoryMonth