1) Are you organized?
Do you spend valuable time trying to find files or do you know exactly where everything is? This is important in assessing one's productivity because a lot of time is wasted due to disorganization. This includes piles of unfiled papers, excessive sticky notes, disorganized daily planners and messy desks. Aside from walking into such a mess each morning, your motivation and production quickly take a dive when you can't find what you need in order to complete the task. This frustration quickly mounts into a negative and stressed attitude. By taking the time to organize yourself now, you are saving valuable time for the future.
One also needs to look at the overall environment to make sure it is organized properly. Common files in the computer system should be labeled correctly and filed appropriately so that any staff member can find it. The management of the computer files should be delegated to one specific person so that a consistent organizational method is followed at all times. By giving all documents to this person for filing, you are ensuring that consistent standards are being met, saving valuable time for everyone.
The administrative department plays a crucial role to the overall productivity of the staff. Forms, contracts, etc. should be kept up to date so that the employees are consistently using the correct forms. Filing should be completed daily to assure everything is in its correct place and is current.
2) Are you following an effective routine?
Once you have adopted an effective system - be sure to use it consistently. When it becomes a routine, you save time by focusing on the project versus wasting time focusing on the means to accomplish it. Don't feel you need to reinvent the wheel when adopting routines. When you find a way that works - keep it - and make sure all staff members do the same.
3) Do you have a structured schedule?
Following a somewhat structured schedule is best in order to stay focused on your tasks and goals while also measuring your achievements. By keeping a daily log of these, you are able to review the week's progress and assess how successful you are towards accomplishing your goals. You will also be able to see where you are wasting valuable time if you log everything that you do in a day. By doing this for a week, you will quickly see where your time is challenged. It's quite common to set out wanting to accomplish 5 goals for the day. But at the end of the day, you see only 3 goals accomplished and feel like a failure, wondering what happened with your time. The culprit can be due to other tasks that evolve, taking precedence over your original goals. By logging these "unexpected occurrences", you will have a clearer picture of your time management and will then feel more productive. It's also wise to allocate time for these occurrences if they happen regularly. By scheduling out time on a daily basis to manage the unexpected tasks, you will feel more in control and less reactive.
4) Are your employees working to the best of their abilities?
Many companies make the mistake of delegating tasks to employees who are overqualified for the project. When delegating jobs to employees, it is important to take into account the person's role within the company and their pay scale. It isn't good business sense to be delegating a $10.00 per hour task to a $25.00 per hour employee. Time is a valuable commodity that needs to be treated appropriately in order for you to get the most "bang for your buck". When you organize the employees in this way, you will be better equipped to work at 100% capacity.
5) Do you offer a healthy balance of work and down time?
While I don't recommend structuring your work environment in a hard core style, it does need to be structured enough to achieve maximum productivity. One of the common mistakes in work productivity is in having a workhorse mentality. There is a delicate balance between working to capacity and working to death. The most productive workers are those who are balanced with social, relaxation and work time. When you take the time to eat lunch, socialize with co-workers and accomplish your tasks, you feel a sense of achievement and will be more motivated to work. Employees who work long hours without breaks and/or social time will quickly feel drained and burned out with their work and will be less motivated to tackle projects.
By focusing on the steps above, you will be able to better understand how effective your staff is in managing their time and working at maximum capacity.
Continued Success,
Renee Kennedy-Edwards, MS President - Executive Coach
www.LeadMeToSucceed.com
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