We waste a lot of time in the office. When billable hours are involved, this becomes a huge problem for profitability and efficiency. In the second of two articles, Bryce Sanders outlines time-saving steps manages can take to create an extra hour in their work day.
In the first article I discussed how to save working time from your day, but managers spend their time differently. How can they save extra minutes? Here are a few ideas:
Start meetings on time
There’s always someone who is late getting to the training session. They’ve usually got a great excuse. Respect the time of the people who arrived on time. Start meetings promptly.
Time Saved: Starting meetings promptly saves at least five minutes each time.
Delegate
Managers often feel they have a unique understanding of a problem. They rationale they are the best person for the task. They spend time working on one problem instead of supervising a group of people who can work on multiple problems. Review work afterwards and suggest improvements.
Time Saved: Approximately equal to the amount of time it would have taken to do that one job yourself. Resist the urge to micromanage.
Limit breaks during meetings
“We are going to take a 15-minute break.” They are always longer because you need to corral people standing in the corridors and lobby. Either shorten the break to 10 minutes or start calling people back into the room five minutes early.
Time Saved: In a meeting with two breaks, saving five minutes each time gains you 10 minutes.
Q&A after the meeting
Either shorten Q&A time for platform speakers or let the audience know the speakers will be available afterwards for questions. Questions asked from the floor might not be of interest to the entire audience. Some people like to grandstand.
Time Saved: Limiting Q&A saves at least 5 minutes from each presentation slot.
It’s impossible to be productive 100% of the time. However, saving a few minutes here and there can add up to an extra hour in your business day.
Do you have any tips that have saved you minutes, or even hours, every week?