On having a quality team
I really believe that your team is one of the most important factors in helping you to maximise your time effectively.
You can have the most efficient time management systems in the world, but if you don’t have a strong, skilled and competent team to which you can delegate tasks you are always going to be called away from your core focus to fix issues and address problems. I’ve learnt that the stronger my team, the more effective I will be.
On getting ahead
I start the day very early, at 4am so I can drive from Pretoria to Johannesburg, miss the traffic and get to office by 5am. I use this quiet time to get admin out the way and pay attention to the more complex emails that need addressing.
On being clear about expectations
I start all meetings and calls making sure the objective of the meeting is clearly stated and that everyone is up to the same level of understanding on whatever issue is at hand.
I also clearly outline for all parties what is expected of them and when they need to deliver by. Without these elements, meetings can become a fruitless waste of time where people talk and nothing happens.
On punctuality
If a meeting runs over time I generally stop it. I believe it’s a sign of great disrespect to the other people I need to meet during the day if I am late for their appointment because a previous meeting ran over time.
Likewise, I take great exception if someone is late for a meeting with me. I believe it tells one a great deal about that person and the level of quality and care you can expect from their work.
On work’s biggest time-waster
I really believe that one of the biggest time-wasters in the work environment is people who come up with complaints and problems without thinking about a way to address them.
Obviously you want your team to come to you with problems, but I expect them to have given at least some thought to how the problem can be solved. They are generally speaking closer to the area or function than I will be, and will be in a better position to identify possible solutions.
Vital Stats
- Player: Jacques du Toit
- Company:Vox Telecom
- Claim to fame: CEO of one of South Africa’s leading telecoms operators.