PRESIDENT'S CORNER

"MISSION POSSIBLE" EVERY DAY

Mike kolbe headshot border
Composing this column from home during a sick day (I'll spare you the details), I'm reminded how important it is to function as a team at work, and how lucky I am to have solid back-up when needed. It's not a surprise that things are under control during our busiest day of our week (Monday), because we communicate well every day and trust each other's abilities. No matter who is missing in action, our mission of delivering quality news and advertising will again be possible.

Today also reminds me why it is important to NOT put off until tomorrow what can be done today. While not 100% successful, I tie up as many loose ends as possible at the end of each day, especially on Friday. That way I, or whoever is covering for me, is not encumbered with "left-over" tasks to begin a new workday.

In this case, I asked my colleagues to take care of a couple of tasks this morning that had developed over the weekend and needed immediate attention. Because we are all well versed in each other's day-to-day tasks, little direction was needed. It's a good feeling to know my Tuesday morning will be relatively uneventful.

Another important practice that helps when a staff member is out of the office is organization.  I try to keep my physical desktop and my computer desktop as clutter-free as possible so that anyone needing to access information, forms, ads, email, etc. can do so with relative ease. This allows others to spend as little time as possible attending to my work, and more time attending to their own. Respecting one another's time is appreciated by all.

We all should continue to hone our efficiency in the office, so please begin improving your communication, procrastination and cross-training skills toward task management. If successful, you and a few of your staff members will be on solid footing while attending the MFCP Spring Conference April 4-5 in Mankato, MN. Click to Register!

If you are not successful in this endeavor, you REALLY need to attend the conference and network with others about how to keep on top of your game. The theme of the conference is "Mission Possible". I hope you choose to accept this mission and join us.

Mike
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