Why Productivity and Time Management are important as a Commander pt2.

This week, I’ll expand on my first point “1. First things first.” In a perfect commander day, (no UCMJ or emergency Soldier issues that requires immediate attention) I first devoted time to my commander’s priorities.  I asked my 1SG and myself, are we prepared for the next big training event?  Have we scheduled adequate training and resources for the next range or BDE/ BN event or inspection?

Next (or concurrently), I focused on leader development. There are many opportunities to teach, coach and mentor.  From early morning PT sessions to company training meetings, I always asked myself “did I empower someone today?”  How can we empower the most junior Soldiers?  I also tried to dedicate time to different leaders or groups of leaders in the company through having lunch or having PT sessions. Committing time, fencing it on my calendar, was a key way to managing my time and my priorities.

Lastly, and I could have done better at this some week’s than other was self-development and reflection.  More on this on part 3 of “Why Productivity and Time Management are important as a Commander”

Discussion:

1. What are your “first” things or priorities?
2. How did you keep yourself focused on these priorities through the commander chaos?
3. What things did you try to avoid or not commit to?