Save Time and Win Back Your Evenings
9th May 2023True story. A client recently shared that they would very much like a day in between Saturday and Sunday, as they were ridiculously busy and juggling a lot of work related tasks. While we could create the extra day they needed, what we could do was to brainstorm really helpful, easy to use strategies in order to save time and therefore help them to win back some of their evenings and weekends.
For many business owners, if they have one consistent issue, it would be that there is simply not enough time in the day to achieve all the things that need to be done. Have you ever got to the end of the day, having worked your “socks off” for the entire day, and asked the question “what on earth have I done today?” So, what can you do to free up some time for productive and focussed activities? Or some well-earned R+R!!
Six Straightforward Suggestions To Save Time
1.Do Not Disturb!
By far and away the simplest technique to create time is to ensure that you set time aside for you to carry out the tasks on your “To Do List”.
We have all heard employees announce, “I have so much to do; I am working from home tomorrow”. This is an example of putting yourself into a DND mode to allow you to complete tasks that are on your “To Do List”.
Why is this so? – All too often we come into our business premises with a list of tasks that we intend to complete. The telephone rings, customers and suppliers want time, fellow employees come into your office also seeking your time, and emails and correspondence continues to flow onto your desk – Is this a familiar feeling?
If you meet with your team and agree with them that this is the case for many of them, then it makes sense to agree we need to do something about it.
The recommendation is to switch the office into a DND mode for typically 1 to 2 hours every day.
The DND mode includes no external telephone calls coming through to employees, no internal telephone calls, no disturbing employees internally, and a discipline to switch off emails other than for those relevant for the “To Do List” of the individual employee. Many businesses rotate their DND time amongst their employees.
The net result of this is that people get more of a sense of achievement at the end of a day, and this often results in a feeling of satisfaction and far less stress.
2. Delegate to save time
Have you ever found yourself thinking “it would be easier to do it myself” ? Then maybe try and discipline yourself not to do so and delegate (and, if necessary, train) where at all possible. See the long term gains you will achieve by releasing control and delegating. If you feel uncomfortable, delegate small tasks to begin with and build from there. Trust in the team and you will reep the rewards.
There is a fine line between delegation and abdication – supervision is required when one delegates, and feedback is helpful so you can keep control of the process.
3. The Nike Principle (Just Do It)
If you have asked somebody to do something there has to be an assumption that this will be done unless you have been told otherwise. It is a mistake to allow anybody not to tell you if they can’t do something that has been agreed to be done. This may sound obvious, but the research is quite clear; there are too many occasions where things just simply do not get done despite requests, and it can be very time consuming to redeem the position.
Explain the task, make the expectations and time line clear. Check they understand what they are doing and let them get on with it. Nobody likes a manager who resembles a helicopter as it can erode trust. Make sure you foster an honest, fair and approachable aura so team members who are not certain about their task feel confident enough to ask and double check.
Also, consider the methods you use to reward and compliment team members. They don’t all need a sticker chart, but something to motivate and for those times when you want to make a positive example out of a member of staff. A member of staff who does go above and beyond and who does get things done. So much time can be wasted chasing people, checking that they have done what you have asked. Stop chasing and save time.
4. Managing emails
We all receive too many emails and the methodology that may work for some employees is to have emails sent to another supporting source, whose job it is to read all emails with the following three outcomes:
- Delete emails because they are not relevant;
- Forward onto the relevant employee with the words “Please read but no action required”; or
- Forward onto the relevant employee with the words “Please read – action required”.
5. The “One touch” only rule
In the ideal world the best efficiencies come from reading an email or letter once and dealing and responding directly to the customer. To have to re-read is generally considered inefficient. Win back your evenings by implementing this time saving tip.
6. Beware of the chair
Don’t laugh, but if you have a chair in or around your desk, people will naturally sit in that chair. If your colleagues choose to sit in a chair the discussion will take longer than if they are standing – so, do you want to have a chair for people near your desk?
By adopting some or all of the ideas listed above, you, as an employer, could create an additional amount of productive time which may also improve employee confidence.
If you would like to explore ways that you could save time, call a member of our team, who would be more than happy to explore this topic with you in more detail.
