Organizational skills are essential for not only a project manager, but anyone working in any business environment, as when done correctly, it maximizes your productivity and allows you to complete tasks in a timely manner.  Below are some helpful organizational skills I use to help keep myself organized and on top of projects:

1)      Plan Each Day’s Projects:  Every morning, the first thing I do is review my calendar for that day, so I can set a game plan on what all I need to complete.  On Monday mornings, I always look at the entire week’s schedule, so I have an idea what the week’s schedule will look like, what meetings I need to prepare for, and allocate the appropriate time to complete my tasks.

2)      Create a Daily To-Do List: I use one notebook binder and write down my daily to-do list at the beginning of each day and my plan of action.  This helps me during the day, as I receive calls/e-mails that need my attention and may not have been on my daily list, so this helps me to get back on track. I also keep this notebook with me all day, so as something may come to mind in a meeting or just pop into my head, I can quickly write it down. 

3)       Have a Master Project List: I like keep a list of all of the projects I am managing, then breakdown down each one with the action items (to-do) list of what you want or need to do, so I have a one-stop information packet resource.

4)      Block Time in your Calendar for Projects: Many of us could be booked all day in meetings, so exercising time-boxing techniques by blocking out time in your calendar, this helps to make sure you allocate time to get stuff done

5)      Make a Folder/Binder for your Projects: I create either a folder or binder for each of my projects that contain the project plan, meeting agendas, meeting minutes, calendar, and to-do list This is extremely helpful when you receive a call or have to attend a last-minute meeting, to grab the one folder or binder and be able to have all documents at your finger-tips in minutes.  I do have these documents also on my network drive, so I can bring my laptop and have the electronic version also ready to search from.

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What Organizational Tips Do You Use To Help You As A Project Manager?