The Together Leader: Get Organized for Your Success – And Sanity!

Description

This book is focused on helping you think about your own time–and your people’s time–as a manager. This book is about developing tools, habits and systems to effectively and efficiently lead a team. This book is about creating plans for expected work, so we can deal with the unanticipated when it inevitably arises. This book is the nuts and bolts of effective time management in a leadership role: how to weigh the urgent call that comes through against the need to revise staff orientation, how to plan purposefully for a meeting and then follow-up. This stuff matters–and no one is teaching it–Until now! This book is unique because it’s designed for leaders in mission-driven settings. Mission-driven settings may be a school, a district, or a nonprofit. Why is mission-driven work so different? It’s because the goals are ambitious, the To-Do lists at never ending, and the passion for our work is enduring. And mission-driven leaders carry a second layer of duty as well: to CARE DEEPLY about the work and its impact. It’s personal. We are fighting the good fight, and any second not devoted to our mission can feel wasted or callous. This book can work for you if you are a new manager. Or perhaps you’ve shifted careers from the corporate world into the nonprofit sector and you’re thoroughly confused about the culture. Or maybe you’ve made the move from teaching to school or district leadership, or you’ve quickly realized your MBA didn’t prepare you to really lead and execute. You might be trying to get your own mission-driven work off the ground. You might have unlimited vision and passion, but require finer execution skills to make your dream a reality. Regardless of who you are, let this book be your guide for managing your time, your energy, your people’s work, your meetings, your project plans, and your stuff. If we ourselves are not Together, we will not get the results we want for those we seek to serve. But if we are…big and meaningful change CAN happen Acknowledgments xiii Website Resources xvii SECTION ONE: SET THE STAGE 1 Chapter 1: Leading in a Mission-Driven Context 3 What Do You Mean by Mission-DrivenWork? * What Do You Mean by Togetherness, Anyway? * Why Togetherness Matters Even More in Your Context * My Own Togetherness Journey * Why This Book Is Different * How This Book Is Organized * How Each Chapter Is Organized * How to UseThis Book * Notes on Terminology and Methodology * Togetherness Is a Means to an End Togetherness Talks: Shawn Mangar Chapter 2: Take Stock: Assess Your Togetherness Level 15 Overview and Objectives * Togetherness Levels * The Tools You Need * Reader Quiz: Togetherness Tools * Routines Rule * Mind-Sets Matter (More Than Anything) * Build the Habit * Don’t Go on an Organizational Binge * Let’s Jump In Togetherness Talks: Natalie Rubio SECTION TWO: GET CLEAR ON Y OUR PURPOSE 27 Chapter 3: Set Goals: Define the Direction 29 Seen and Heard * Overview and Objectives * How Do I Set Yearly Goals? * How Do I Set Quantitative Goals? * Create a Time Line for Goal Setting–and Put Someone in Charge * Reviewing Goal Progress * Start Strong See It In Action: Goal Setting Start to Finish Chapter 4: Break Down the Goals: Create a Priority Plan 63 Seen and Heard * Overview and Objectives * Jen’s Priority Plan * Kari’s Priority Plan * How Big or How Small–AreThese Giant Leaps or Baby Steps? * The Routine * Getting a Team Onboard * My Priority Plan Isn’tWorking for Me * Start Strong See It In Action:Wrist, Elbow, and Shoulder Chapter 5: Align Your Meetings: Make a Meeting Matrix 95 Seenand Heard * Overview and Objectives * The Model * Build Your Own * The Mechanics of a Regular One-on-One Meeting * Nailing the Content * The Routine * Meeting Follow-Up * A Long-Term View * Start Strong Common Challenge: The Crisis SECTION THREE: GET YOURSELF TOGETHER 129 Chapter 6: Get Macro: Design a Comprehensive Calendar 131 Seenand Heard * Overviewand Objectives * Create Your Comprehensive Calendar * Articulate Your Priorities * Sketch an Ideal Week * Impose the Ideal Week onto Your Digital Calendar * Let’s Get Consolidated * Zoom Out to View a Year * Start Strong Togetherness Talks: Vince Marigna Chapter 7: Strategic Procrastination: Design a Later List 151 Seenand Heard * Overview and Objectives * The Model * Build Your Own * The Routine * Start Strong Common Challenge: The Calendar and To-Do List Collide Chapter 8: Reconcile Your Time and To-Dos: Create Your Weekly Plan 177 SeenandHeard * OverviewandObjectives * TheModel * Task-Driven, Time-Driven, or Blended? * Build Your Own * Little Things Make a Difference * Some Other Sneaky Calendar Tricks * But, Maia, What about Things That Just Come Up? * Keep It Alive:The Routine * Start Strong Common Challenge: Too Much to Do! Chapter 9: Keep It Together: Routines and Checklists 209 Seen and Heard * Overview and Objectives * Weekly Routines: Clean Up and Look Ahead * Ensuring Weird Weeks Don’t Take You by Surprise * Monthly or Quarterly Practices * Other Useful Checklists * Need a Few Trackers? * Start Strong Common Challenge: A New Job Chapter 10: Hold That Thought: Save It for Later! 231 Seenand Heard * Overview and Objectives * The Model * Build Your Own * The Routine * Start Strong See It in Action: What Should I Carry? Togetherness Talks: Shawn Stover SECTION FOUR: GET YOUR TEAM AND ORGANIZATION TOGETHER 255 Chapter 11: Keep E-mail in Its Place 257 Seen and Heard * Overview and Objectives * Conduct an E-mail Audit * Get Your In-box Set Up for Success * Write Clearly and Efficiently * Process Efficiently * Creating Routines:When Do You Check Your E-mail? * Managing Communications as an Organization * Start Strong Common Challenge: E-mail Emergency Chapter 12: Project Design, Planning, and Communication: More Than Just Spreadsheets! 289 Seen and Heard * Overview and Objectives * Set the Stage * Detour: Don’t Forget to Merge with your Personal Organization System! * Start Strong Togetherness Talks: Erica Phillips Chapter 13: Become a Dynamic Duo: Maximize Your Assistant 323 Seen and Heard * Overview and Objectives * Evaluate Your Current Relationship * Hire the Right Person * Train Your Assistant Well * Use Your Assistant to Manage More Than Your Scheduling * Leader and Assistant Communication Structures * Start Strong See It in Action: The Management Memo SECTION FIVE: PUT IT ALL TOGETHER 365 Chapter 14: Keep Track of Stuff, Space, and Knowledge 367 Seenand Heard * Overview and Objectives * Deal with Your Own Stuff * Make the Most of Shared Office Space * Track the Inventory * Manage the Knowledge * Start Strong Common Challenge: On-the-Go Office Chapter 15: Create a Culture of Togetherness 393 Seen and Heard * Overview and Objectives * Define Togetherness in Your Organization * Select the Right People * Showcase and Model Togetherness at the Onset * Create an Onboarding Overview * Up and Running: Observe and Coach * How to Observe Togetherness * Maintaining Togetherness in Your Organization * Agreeing on Standard Together Team Tools * Start Strong Togetherness Talks: Stephanie Patton Chapter 16: Conclusion: Keep It All Together 413 Seen and Heard * Overview and Objectives * Remember theWhy * What to Tackle First * Explaining Yourself to Others * What HappensWhen You Fall Off * Transferring Togetherness to the Home Front * Why the World Needs Together Leaders Bibliography 421 Index 423 How to Access the Website Resources 439 About the Author 441