Organizational skills encompass the ability to use your time, energy, resources, etc. effectively so that you can accomplish the things you want to achieve. Self—discipline and organizational skills are crucial for success in any profession and can be vital to harmony in your personal life.

Companies need workers who possess communication skills, computer skills and organizational skills. These are all transferable that an employee can utilize in all professions. An individual who can stay focused on projects at hand are valued by employers. Managers must also organize the work of their employees. The lack of organizational skills will hamper a manager’s move up the ladder in any organization. Chaos occurs without it and things simply don’t get done on schedule or completed as planned. It can be a career limiter.

Some of the specific skills needed to manage duties well include the following.

1.  Planning — Planning is important in order to arrange and set out tasks to be completed and approach these tasks with intention. If you operate without specific plans you need to develop the ability to become a good planner. It takes training, commitment and work.

2.  Prioritization — This is integral in developing strong organizational skills. Organizing activities is pointless unless you prioritize the tasks. You can be more effective by completing the most important tasks first and optimize productivity for yourself and any others involved in a project.

3.  Time Management — Time management is necessary to make the best use of your time and to accomplish the most possible during a particular time frame. Using a scheduler or planner, whether on paper or your iPhone or tablet,  will help you to outline the best use of your time to get the most value from it. Stick to it if possible but be willing to adjust when unplanned hiccups occur.

4.  Detail Orientation — Paying attention to details is synonymous with organizational skills. It will help you avoid distractions and oversights in your effort to complete tasks. Minor errors of commission or omission can cause major problems.

5. Communication — Good communications is essential for success in being well organized. Giving and receiving instructions, delegating to others and follow up requires good speaking and listening skills. Interaction with others can make the difference in your efficiency and effectiveness. It is very frustrating to others who are working with you when your communication is not clear and succinct. Teamwork can break down.

6.  Decision Making — The ability to work with little supervision and the ability to make decisions are two critical facets of the successful organized worker. Often decisions must be made quickly. It is best to get all the facts to make a good decision but situations will sometimes require quick action. Don’t get paralysis of analysis. This trait alone is one of the most common derailers in otherwise successful managers.

7.  Utilization of Resources — A person needs to know how to use internal and external resources to his/her advantage. These include people resources, financial, technical, operational, marketing, etc.  A knowledge of the talents and abilities of your team and other people can make the difference in completing a successful project. No one is good at everything. Don’t be guilty of trying to handle a big project all on your own. Also remember to give credit to others for their contributions.

8.  Meeting Deadlines — With all the other aspects in order, not being serious about meeting deadlines can spiral a project into failure. It is one of the most vexing pieces of the puzzle but not handled properly can be detrimental to a career.

Achieving objectives in your personal life and your work life can be very satisfying and fulfilling. Having good organizational  skills can set you apart from the pack and be a key factor in your career reputation and open doors for the future. There is training available to develop these traits but a strong self—discipline is necessary to succeed. If you develop these skills you will be seen as a person who can manage your duties through wise planning and optimization of time with a focus on results. It will pay off for you in your quest for success.

Becky Vaughn-Furlow retired from Trustmark Bank as executive vice president and  human resources director. She can be contacted by emailing bvaughnfurlow@gmail.com