Communication+Management

Managers are responsible for helping employees meet business-related targets, but good leaders also want the people who report to them to achieve personal development goals. Doing so builds stronger workers and better teams, and seeing your employees succeed is one of the joys of middle management. However, just as a manager needs to help employees create and follow through on career development plans, it’s also vital that managers do the same for themselves. Especially if you’re in middle management, your boss may not have the time to help you do this, so you need to take the initiative and make your development a priority. Here are a few ideas to help: Spend time thinking about your short- and long-term goals . What do you want to accomplish in the next quarter, the next year, and the next five years? What are other people in your position doing to advance in their careers? Think of someone who sets an example you would like to follow in your professional or personal life and conside...

As a manager, you spend hours every day juggling your own projects while trying to stay on top of what your team members are doing. Some days, keeping up with everything seems impossible. With so many demands on your time, you must eliminate distractions. That starts with getting organized. Organizational systems are not one-size-fits-all. Different plans work for different people. However, as someone who has been told he is almost too organized, here are a few tips that have worked well for me. Make a task list and use it . This should include tasks you need to complete for your own projects and for your team. Update this list every morning before you get started on your day and again in the afternoon as you wrap things up. If possible, include the expected duration of tasks, as that may help you plan your day. Keep your desktops clear . This might not work for everyone, but I store important emails in clearly labeled email folders and relevant documents in a small number of folders o...