Top Five Ways to Get off the Treadmill
January 8, 2015
All of us at some time or other find ourselves on a treadmill. ...that we wish desperately to get off. But how? Is it even possible?
No. It is not!
If you are alive and involved, you are on the treadmill of life BUT it’s about controlling the lever! And you can do it! You can control the lever and thereby set the pace and keep your balance.
Here are the five top ways to start the process.
First: Schedule a meeting with yourself.
Block off one hour to three hours on your calendar. Nothing interferes! No cancellations! Go to the local coffee shop.
Take a deep breath. Sip your drink slowly. Get to know yourself. Who are you in the organization? Why are you there? What are you trying to do? What are you doing right? What needs to be done? What will make you, and thereby, the organization better at what it does?
You should schedule at least one of these meetings with yourself per month so that you can review....uninterrupted ......what you are doing. (More on this at a later time)
Second: Prepare the year's calendar of events.
Every organization has a rhythm. You need to make sure that, not only you, but everyone associated with the organization understands that rhythm! Like the conductor of an orchestra, you are directing the ebb and flow of your organizations activities. To make music, the individual musicians must read from the same sheet music. Your organization’s calendar of events and its associated task list is your sheet music. All involved must know it intimately if you are to coordinate effectively. (More on this at a later time)
Third: Establish a priority list.
The only way to prepare for the unexpected is to prepare a base. Your priority list is your base. When an unexpected need occurs, you evaluate it against your priority list and re-order the list accordingly.
Fourth: Delegate! (.... And Follow up! Follow up! Follow up!)
Staff: Every job description should have the last line saying "and other tasks as
needed."
Make sure that you are assigning appropriate tasks and never hesitate to
add new ones if they fit the talent pool.
Volunteers: Grow a pool of talent and willing hands that can do anything from filing
to specialties such as marketing.
Board: Fund raising and board recruitment
Fifth: Find a professional soulmate!
This is your "one on one" support group! Everyone can use a professional peer with whom to share a mutual respect and with whom to candidly and confidentially discuss what's on your mind about your job. You should be available to each other and only a phone call away. This requires verbal conversations since text or email are usually successful only for reinforcement messages.
You can make 2015 different for yourself and your organization.