Few things are more frustrating than a frantic work day which seems to result in very little measureable achievement.
Tracey Foulkes, speaker at the Business Excellence Forum & Awards and co-founder and CEO of multinational company, This Is Productivity, terms this “getting caught up in the busy business of busyness”.
She says that by getting caught up in doing fruitless tasks, business people can sabotage themselves and limit their capacity to do great work.
Foulkes has four simple strategies for regaining control of time in order to become happier and more productive professionals.
Start with a Power Hour
Begin the day by tackling high value tasks rather than planning them in for later in the day. This way, if the day gets in any way derailed, at least something has been done towards a high value task.
Delegate
It’s tough to lead effectively without delegating, so it’s good practice to keep doing it. Good things to delegate include all repeat tasks that someone else could do just as well, or even better.
Effective delegation gives leaders a consistent favourable result, so it’s important to question the importance of, and who needs to be responsible for, each new task that appears.
Create Boundaries
Try not make it a norm nor an expectation to work after hours by avoiding taking work home. Restricting a work day into a defined time frame forces prioritisation, which produces effectiveness as there is less time for procrastination.
Plan Ahead
Spending 5-10 minutes at the end of each day planning for the next will provide a sense of purpose at the start of the next work day and is a good use of time when energy levels are low, saving high energy/high focus mornings for taking pre-determined action.
To learn more about effective time management, and to hear other industry experts present on the various aspects of running a successful business.
Visit www.thebusinessexcellenceforums.com for more information or call 012 665 1015.