Time management is a challenge for most people, but it becomes more significant when you have a team depending on you. Your employees can only be as efficient as your system allows. If you’re not finding time to delegate work to them in an organized fashion, they will struggle to reach peak productivity.
As a leader, you set the example for organization and time management. Your performance within your business travels downward, so you need to start by looking at your habits and identifying places for improvement.
Here are a few ways to manage time wisely within your company to ensure everyone is at their best.
Create a staff manual
If better time management is your goal, you need to first look at the organization of your existing systems. How streamlined are your ongoing processes? Are they consistent across the board? A staff training manual is key to creating efficient workflows that will save time for everyone on your team.
First and foremost, a manual simplifies the onboarding process, which initially saves you time training new hires. When your business is growing, you need to hire new people, but it can be difficult to sacrifice the time it takes to bring them up to speed.
A manual provides employees with a go-to resource that outlines expected procedures step by step. This extends beyond the onboarding process, too – it becomes a useful tool for consulting when someone needs a refresher. Your team becomes empowered to find their own solutions without having to consult with you or another employee.
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Use a time-tracking app
As your team expands, it becomes harder to keep track of how each employee is spending their time. Consider investing in an app, like Toggl, Harvest, or When I Work, that allows each staff member to allot their time to specific projects.
Review the reports to identify where time is being wasted; how can you help your team to become more productive? Are there tasks that are taking longer than necessary? Knowing the big picture is the first step to efficiency, so it helps to have an app that puts the numbers in front of you.
Limit meetings
Believe it or not, you don’t need to schedule a meeting for every little thing. Instead, plan to have a status meeting every week or two to ensure everyone is on the same page. Request one-on-one meetings as needed, but keep your company-wide meetings to a minimum to increase productivity.
Beyond that, take advantage of collaborative programs, like Slack and Asana, to remain in contact virtually. Most questions can usually be solved without gathering the whole team and taking them away from their work.
For many business owners, implementing new processes can seem like a daunting task — especially with a team. While it does require an investment of your time, rest assured that the increased efficiency on the side will pay back tenfold. Your company will produce more work in less time, which empowers your team and allows you to take on more clients.
Growth will always involve stretching yourself to find new ways to do old things. So, understand that it’s temporary and commit to creating the leanest business possible. You won’t be disappointed.
