We’ve all said that we could get more done if we had more help. The truth is, if we do not implement crucial leadership skills, having more help would merely multiply our frustration, not our productivity!

When you watch one of those home makeover shows and see masses of people involved in rebuilding a home in just a few weeks, you are witnessing one of the most amazing leadership skills at work.

Of all the traits possessed by leaders, prioritizing may be needed more consistently than any other! Prioritizing is the one skill that brings all the other leadership traits together when seeking to keep an operation running smoothly. Prioritizing saves time, keeps costs in line, reduces frustration, and accomplishes more than what seems humanly possible. Four years ago, upon moving into a new facility, we faced the daunting task of remodeling over 25,000 square feet of building space. The big catch was that we only had two weeks. It looked like an impossible task, but we did it. With several crews, working several shifts, we remodeled all the needed space right on schedule. The reason it happened was not just that we had a lot hard worker and skilled people. Most importantly, everyone was working tasks in just the right sequence.

It happens in the workplace everyday. You have a job you want to do and you may even have it planned. But when the team shows up, you realize that you don’t have the proper tools or supplies. A entire crew of workers stands around and waits while one person makes a supply run. If you’re doing this with a paid crew, you’re losing thousands of dollars every hour. If this happens with a group of volunteers, confidence sinks and people get frustrated. Eventually, they will stop showing up. After all, they’ve got better things to do than stand around and wait on us to figure out what comes next!  Read Entire Article