Organisational Skills for Managers
Organisation is often the unsung hero of a manager’s toolkit.
When we think of management skills, we often think about things like performance management, motivation, and conflict resolution as the important areas to develop.
However, getting organised is the key to excelling in every other area.
Dedicating time to becoming a more organised manager is time very well spent.
In this article, we look at 3 important points:
- Key organisational skills for managers
- 4 benefits of being an organised manager
- Equipping yourself with management organisation tools
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For more details on how to get organisational skills with management training, download our PDF brochure.
Key organisational skills for managers
Although the required skills can vary depending on the kind of management role you hold, we have found that the following skills are needed by all managers, supervisors, and team leaders:
Time Management Skills
Time management is a skill we all chase. Within the scope of a manager’s organisational skills though, it is crucial.
Without good time management skills, the day can run away from you, leaving the items on your to-do list unchecked.
Task Prioritisation Skills
This is especially relevant for managers who run very busy or very large teams.
Task lists can pile up quickly. It’s important to have a system for recognising and prioritising what tasks add the most value – and are most important – for your business.
Delegation Skills
It is often said that a good manager knows how to delegate. This is very true.
Avoid overloading your own task list and creating a bottleneck to productivity by learning how to delegate effectively within your team.
Goal-Setting Skills
Knowing how to set realistic, achievable, and valuable goals for your team – and yourself – keeps focus, motivation, and productivity high.
Communication Skills
Communication skills are an important area to master in their own right, but we have included them here as they contribute massively to better organisation.
Managers who can communicate with clarity and listen attentively get more done.
They get their message across, create a culture of clear, consistent communication, and digest information provided to them by their teams.
How Can You Get These Skills?
Our 3-day QQI People Management Course can support you in gaining all of these skills.
Download our PDF Brochure instantly, or click "learn more" to visit the QQI People Management course page.
4 Benefits of being an organised manager
As we have mentioned in previous articles, the skills required of good managers are many.
It can be difficult to stay on top of everything you need to know. Many managers feel overwhelmed by what their role requires of them.
Happily, introducing good organisational skills to your toolkit can help you take control of your management role.
When you acquire organisational skills specifically for managers, you will:
1. Get the Most from Your Day
When you begin to implement organisational skills correctly, you get more done.
A little time and effort training and then implementing in the beginning pays off quickly.
2. Have Better Working Relationships
Good delegation, consistent goal-setting, and improved communication support you in building positive working relationships with your staff.
In addition, being more organised means that you can allocate time to check in with your team members for 1-to-1 sessions, supporting them in their own roles.
3. Be Able to Plan Ahead
Rather than just reacting to situations that arise every day and rushing to catch up with yourself, strong organisation creates the structure and time you need to plan ahead.
You will be able to set achievable goals for your team and your own productivity.
4. Have Lower Stress Levels
Taking care of your wellbeing at work is so important.
Management is a challenging role and can be very stressful at times. Any steps you can take to lower your stress and look after your own wellbeing should certainly be taken.
Like building resilience, developing organisational skills is a way you can reduce the amount of stress you encounter within your management role.
Equipping yourself with management organisation tools
How can you begin to take charge of organising things within your role?
Step 1: Get Expert Advice and Proven Techniques
Our popular QQI People Management Course runs every month and is delivered by professional trainers who share the benefit of their years of management experience on every course.
On every QQI People Management Course we run, we include a focused module called “Organisational Skills & Planning”. This module covers:
- Managing your time
- Goal-setting: short, medium, and long term
- Using the SMART goal-setting approach
- Prioritising tasks
- Delegation skills and work allocation
It also includes a module solely dedicated to Communication & Assertiveness, where you can begin building a versatile set of communication skills.
Our Tip:
Download the PDF Brochure to learn more about our 3-day QQI People Management course and get dates to hold your provisional place on an upcoming date.
Step 2: Keep Up the Momentum
Once you have acquired your new organisational and communication skills, make a commitment to action them as soon as you return to work.
We always feel motivated and enthusiastic at the end of a training course, but the key is to maintain that momentum by implementing your new knowledge as soon as possible.
Our Tip:
On the evening you finish training, take 10 minutes to write a few action points you can take on your next day at work. Even better, schedule them into your calendar!
Step 3: Continuous Improvement for Best Results
You will begin to see the benefits of your new skills instantly.
We recommend taking a continuous improvement approach to keep improving your organisation and productivity over time.
If you can, add a recurring event to your weekly calendar. This can be just 10 – 15 minutes of self-reflection.
Evaluate your week, noting what could have run more efficiently or any obstacles to productivity you encountered. Of course, also note what’s working well in keeping you organised!
Our Tip:
Keep your eyes open for useful articles, training events, and advice that can enhance your existing skills.
Finally, it’s important to note that any consistent effort to improve your organisational skills will yield good results.
You can always learn more, but it’s encouraging to know that from the start, you will see improvements and benefits.
