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I had a different post topic picked out for this week but I’m going to save it for next week. The reason is that inspiration hit this morning in a conversation with a colleague. He called me and said, “Dave, I’m drowning. I dropped the administrative ball and now I’m reaping horrible results.”
I’ll confess that administration doesn’t come easy to me. In other words, I don’t have the spiritual gift of administration. (Just a note… this is a great article on the gift of administration by Pastor Mark Driscoll)
However, I will also state that I think I’m more adept at administration, mostly because I have a long list of failures. I’ve learned a few things along the way. With that in mind, I’d share the three things I shared with my colleague this morning. Read on for three quick tips to sharpen your administrative skills:
- Return emails within 24 hours
I know we are overwhelmed with email but this one is huge. One of the main reasons is that if someone sent you an email they are usually awaiting a response. The sooner you get back to them the better. Now, I’m not abdicating that you stay connected to email 24/7. Set aside some time each day to fire up your email and crank through it.
- Write it down
Our brains are pitiful memory storage devices. I heard someone once say that our brains are like RAM. We can only store so much at one time before information begins falling out and we simply forget. Think of your time-management system as your hard drive and your brain as your RAM. You’ll be able to focus on what you need to do in the moment and let your system hold the rest of it. Don’t even get me started on time-management systems… But, if you’re looking for one to get you started I recommend AutoFocus. It’s incredibly easy to start and you can begin with a 97 cent notebook.
- Review, review, review
This isn’t just for students. Once a week set aside at least an hour to look over your lists, check your calendar for upcoming events, and allow some time for brainstorming. This is the hardest point for me to implement but it’s probably the most important.
There you go… 3 tips to sharpen the edge of your administrative prowess. Even if administration isn’t your main thing, we all can practice and do our part to lead where we are.
Til next time,
DP