To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult." -Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Many businesses find themselves continually in "scramble mode", taking no chances to slow down and think of ways to get OUT of it.
As is often the case with money, it takes time to make more time.
And it takes the willpower to allow certain other things to (perhaps) fester, while you and your team focus on the most-important tasks.
So, I'm taking some of MY time to give you ideas for how YOU can take more of YOUR time ... to save more time. Got that? Here we go...(who's on first?!?!)
- Choose Your "Focus Times"
Every employee, yourself included, has a different style they like to work in -- we all also have times of the day when we work best. Only your team will know when "focus times" should occur, but I highly recommend intentionally setting these blocks of time in place.
Discuss with your team about which blocks of time, throughout the week, can be blocked off for individual work and individual work ONLY. No meetings, just focus time.
- Time Tracking
Your business might already have a time-tracking system in play.
There are simple tools like Toggl or Nutcache to help you and your team examine where time is going throughout the day. And rather than using these tools as a way to shame others for how they might be spending (wasting) time ... use time tracking as a way to GET BETTER.
The goal is to see week-by-week gains in an area we all need help with. Time tracking will help expose what needs to go, and how you can improve productivity.
- Don't Accept Pointless Meetings
According to research from the University of California, it takes an average of 25 minutes to regain focus after your first distraction.
Unfortunately, meetings tend to cause that initial distraction for you and employees.
Research abounds about the ramifications of unimportant meetings. An Inc. Magazine article I saw recently (highlighting a survey from Doodle.com -- which is also a great team scheduling app, by the way), cites the following survey responses:
- "Poorly organized meetings mean I don't have enough time to do the rest of my work (44 percent)"
- "Unclear actions lead to confusion (43 percent)"
- "Bad organization results in a loss of focus on projects (38 percent)"
- "Irrelevant attendees slow progress (31 percent)"
If your team is guilty of time-costly meetings, start a routine of saying "no" if you think it is unimportant to success. Not only will shedding meetings help your productivity, it will inevitably help the whole team save time as well.
- Accept Help From Others
As for myself, I've learned to trust the people around me and their input instead of constantly spending my energy and attention on tiny details.
It's easy to think of delegation as burdening others. But this is why you work alongside others in the first place. Even solopreneurs can seek outside help -- through contracted workers or volunteers -- all to increase productivity.
You have people that care about you, and the best productivity sometimes looks like not doing it all on your own.
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Small Breaks
Social media is NOT what I mean by "small breaks" here.
Working a few, "non-work" breaks into your business routine can greatly increase productivity. AS LONG AS the breaks are purposeful and consistent.
Maybe every day at 10AM your team takes a walk outside around the block. Maybe everyday at 2PM you water the office plants. Something to keep your mind sharp without mindlessly drifting into cyberspace -- only you will know the perfect activities to fill these breaks, but I highly encourage a regular mind refresh so that you're as productive as possible.
There are many ways to optimize our team's time, and not all of these will work for every team.
But this is a start ... and I hope you'll think about implementing at least a couple. I just got a new 120-minute timer for my desk.
And let me know how things go for your business when you do.
BE THE ROAR not the echo®
Warmly,
Janet Behm
Utah Real Estate Accountants
(801) 278-2700