How Do I Know If I Need An Assistant?

September 10, 2009 by Simon

Using Microsoft Excel as an example;

Type in every idea, project, task and to do line by line until you Clear Your Mind

Look at the items on your desk, your cork and white boards, do a search on your computer and look over the titles of all the documents that you have created in the last 30 days, look through all of your inbound and outbound e-mails, look over your project files, client management system to do list, yellow sticky notes, scraps of paper, notes on your iPhone or Blackberry … the lot

Next, review the following categories and ask what other ideas, projects, tasks and to do’s come to mind and add them to the list; administration, computers, systems, customer service, financial, marketing, office management, planning, product development, production, sales, team building and training.
Next, sort the ideas, projects, tasks and to do’s alphabetically.
Next, using another column in Microsoft Excel, label each item with the category that it relates to
Next, sort the categories alphabetically
Next, using another column in Microsoft Excel, prioritize by A+ – must be done / life and death and then, by A, B, & C priority
Next, using another column, identify what can be delegated – this will tell you if you have enough work for an assistant
Next, schedule your A priorities in Time Blocks and delegate for action and take action