Bryan Duncan

I found that tracking work to have a two-fold impact. One is that each employee is able to see their output. A leader can show this output in group meetings to help validate employees' feelings on current workload. It also enables the leader to assess workload over broader time domains to ensure adequate staffing.

Today, there is no shortage of work. The artful piece is knowing when you have completed enough work to keep your productivity high. Stop worrying about getting everything done because you don't know what work will come your way tomorrow. As leaders, we must have consistent touch points with our staff and other tools to know if our teams are reaching capacity. This enables us to staff appropriately. Cross-training staff also enables employee development and increased flexibility when a short-term bubble of work arises that doesn't warrant a full-time employee.

When working from home/remote, conditions can be modified more. Working from a cubicle environment restricts your ability for full optimization. One of my best techniques was to have headphones/earbuds/ear plugs to reduce noise. I also enforced, through respectful conversation and repetition, that impromptu conversations will occur when I reach a stopping point. As a leader, I reinforced this technique with my staff.

Prioritizing tasks should include removing potential distractions. There is no shortage that waste time. Removing notifications (Outlook, Teams, phone, etc.) are a critical step to maintain focus. Leaders must instill trust that employees know how best to accomplish their tasks and will respond to new requests. We should be available for escalation from others to allow employees the freedom to maintain focus.

As a leader overseeing several functions, each has different priorities. It was important to create tools that allowed my staff to determine priorities themselves. This approach develops their critical thinking abilities and empowers them to make trusted decisions.

As the meeting organizer, you should ensure a summary email is sent to the attendees/invitees. The email body itself should briefly highlight discussion points and action items. If you need to communicate further details, attach a document. It is also your responsibility to follow up with action owners before the due date(s) to remind them of their commitments. This is also where you can use gamification to drive on-time or early deliverables. Most importantly, thank the individual or team that completes their action item.