With the approach of Thanksgiving I’ve been thinking about what makes it easier for me to work efficiently. Here’s my top 5 list for today’s organized executive:

1. Skilled colleagues who take initiative. Having team members you can delegate to with confidence puts your mind at ease. When their skills complement—rather than duplicate—your own you have a stronger organization. And when those people also look forward and take care of things before those concerns even reach your radar, every day is easier.
    
2. Shared online calendars. I rely heavily on shared calendars for my work and family. With those calendars and alerts on my smartphone, I never worry about schedule conflicts or forgetting an important commitment.
    
3. Instant messaging. Over the past year I have been using IM a lot and find that often it is better than a phone call or email.
    
4. Email rules. The Outlook rules that I have set to automatically filter messages into folders ensure that the number of messages in my inbox is never overwhelming.
    
5. The Delete key. I find great satisfaction in clearing messages and documents, removing the digital clutter.

What organization tools are you thankful for?

The BMG blogs will be back to our normal posting schedule next week, but until then, be sure to check out these other great posts in celebration of Thanksgiving:

• “Be thankful you aren’t the speaker who …” on the American Speaker Blog
    
• “5 employees to thank your lucky stars for” on the Bud to Boss Blog
   
• “Express gratitude year-round” on Workplace Survival
   
• “The Nitpickers’ Thanksgiving list” on Nitpickers’ Nook