5 productive skills you need to consider to get ahead

Continuing on from 3 week we have covered: 5 key planning skills, 5 creativity skills, 5 key communication skills, here are 5 key productivity skills you need to consider to get ahead:

Productivity

1. Time management - I once had a boss who could never get to a single meeting on time. He would always turn up ten minutes late, red-faced, unprepared, looking like he had slept in a bush. He had a growing collection of excuses and apologies. Time management reduces stress and increases your respect.

2. Meeting management - Most of us hate meeting but they are a fact of business life. There are many tricks from firmly sticking to the agenda through to holding meetings standing up just before lunch. Whatever works for you if you can get meetings to be productive and under control you will get ahead.

3. Leadership - In business it really helps to be able to take the lead. Can you get people to follow you? Are you able to get people to do things they don't want to do for the good of the team?

4. Systems - If you are repeatedly re-inventing the wheel there is something seriously wrong. Effective systems bring consistency, efficiency and reduced costs. Learning how to create and implement both human and automated systems can go a long way to being more competitive.

5. Personal Productivity - What are your rhythms, when are you more sociable, detail-oriented, creative or lacking energy? Where do you excel and which areas are a struggle? Before you can lead anyone else you need to work out how to get the best out of yourself.

Bonus
You may have noticed 20 key skills identified in this list. But the bonus and most important of them all; the ability to switch off! It is so easy for the stresses and strains of business life to burn people out so you must develop the ability to relax and unwind.