If you are a business owner, manager, or supervisor, you have very little time to address a large number of different topics. That’s why it’s important to learn how to manage your time effectively. You’ll notice that I specified “learn” because time management is learned. It is not congenital. It is often a taboo concept because people who want to advance in this area often interpret it as being disorganized.

It’s different for me. Just like in industrial production, efficiency standards have been introduced: Lean, Sed, JAT, Advanced Production, Pulled Production, One Piece Flow, Industry 4.0, etc. Office work can also be improved with simple and effective techniques. However, they will require some changes in habits.

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This article was written by the editorial team of the entrepreneur blog sav35.fr.

Capture Your Ideas and Save Time

As a leading entrepreneur, you often need to think about improving or solving existing problems. Your brain is wired to generate a lot of ideas. Unfortunately, you are very busy and do not always take the time to record them. Sometimes you do, but on a flyer, a sticky note, sometimes a text message, in a notebook, etc. You don’t have a single medium, and you lose them.

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So, what is the solution for gathering your ideas?

I personally use the Evernote software and app, which allows me to write down all the ideas that come to me on a computer or smartphone. Both media sync automatically, and the software is free.

In short, here’s what Evernote can do:

  • An audio memo
  • A text or handwritten note
  • A photo
  • Very fine sorting options that allow you to always find your ideas.

You will be able to explore the different solutions that this application provides for yourself. Now let’s move on to the overall organization of the company, which focuses on time management.

Time Management Based on Your Business Vision

You stand out from 90% of SME leaders when you reflect on your business vision. It allows you to set a course; it is the North Star you will follow, no matter what happens.

The business vision gives you clarity about what you want to achieve over the next 3, 5, or 10 years. Once you know where to go, it is easier to follow the path. Additionally, you avoid wasting time in directions that are not related to the business vision.

For your company to realize the vision you have set, you need to communicate your vision with each department. In other words, you need to build the objectives of the departments that make up your company so that they align with your vision.

The procedure is as follows:

  1. Business vision
  2. General objectives by department
  3. Roadmap, positioning of general objectives on a timeline
  4. Annual objectives, that is, if the vision is over 5 years, then, for example, you will achieve one-fifth of the way each year.
  5. Listing concrete measures to achieve the annual objectives.
  6. Setting up concrete actions on a timeline, as you will not be able to do everything at once. For example, you can set sub-objectives by semester, quarter, month, week, etc.

Remember to set SMART objectives so that your teams can quantify their achievements themselves. We now turn to a proven method to successfully complete what you start.

GTD Method

The GTD method stands for Getting Things Done. It is a working method that ensures that everything started is completed and nothing is forgotten. It has allowed me to increase my productivity fivefold. When used well, it is very powerful and relevant for a business manager.

It is a sequential method that asks the right questions at the right time and tightens measures to increase their effectiveness.

For example, it advocates making all planned calls one after the other. It also advises setting aside 2 moments during the day to handle emails. This way, you avoid returning to limiting interruptions and gain time to focus on substantive actions. These are the actions that move your business forward, not the “firefighting” actions that we deem important.

The sequencing is as follows:

  1. Incoming information
  2. It is in an inbox like a mailbox, Evernote, paper notebook, etc.
  3. Thematic analysis
  4. Is it possible to accomplish it?
  • a. No
    • File
    • Trash
    • For later
  • b. Yes
    • What is the next action?
      • Does it require project management implementation?
    • Less than two minutes?
  • “Yes, do it now.”
  • No
  • Outsource
  • Postpone

I encourage you to read David Allen’s book Getting Things Done for more information. We will now look together at a key element in your time management: delegation.

Use Delegation to Save Time

Delegating means assigning a task from a project to someone so they can execute it for you. You explain the context and define the expected outcome. Then, you just need to have regular check-ins to ensure that the project is moving in the right direction and staying on schedule.

Some good reasons to delegate:

  • You have no more time. As a business owner, manager, or supervisor, you are always pressed for time. Weeks fly by without you seeing them come. Sometimes, you even have to intervene in your social and family life. This is a signal that you are doing too much.
  • Your lack of time will become a bottleneck for the business if no decision can be made without you. Are you becoming a threat to yourself?
  • You are not skilled in all areas, which is why you have also hired specialists.
  • Some low-value tasks take up your time, and you use delegation to accomplish more high-value tasks. For example, I can mention customer management, cleaning, writing press releases, order preparation, invoicing, accounting, etc.

It is important to learn to delegate because you generally have people on your team who are more skilled than you in specific areas. That’s why you hired them. You will thrive in your business if you give them the freedom to operate. Logically, these people should achieve better results than if you did it yourself. If you want to learn more about management, you can find a special article on situational management here.

Task automation saves even more time. It is the ultimate level of delegation. Excel data files are perfect for starting automation. All you need to do is create a few macros that you record while performing the manipulations so that you can repeat the data processing indefinitely. If you have an ERP, you should be able to create transactions to generate automations. After all, on this subject, there are many applications for smartphones and PCs that help automate many personal tasks. This ranges from reminders in calendars, home automation planning to customer data management.

The last part of delegation is external. You may need to entrust your work to consultants, a specialized agency, a vendor, or even a freelancer. You just need to be vigilant to avoid outsourcing your business.

Organize Your Personal Work

To conclude this article on time management, I offer you a short list of best practices.

I recommend making a list of things you want to do either in your personal or professional life.

Next, it is important to know how to avoid interruptions (unavailable, inaccessible) so that you can focus on your work.

Additionally, I advise you to perform one task at a time and avoid multitasking, which is counterproductive. If you allocate time to a task, you will find that you can organize to finish on time. This simple tip will save you your precious time.

After all, take 5 minutes each evening to plan your next day. You will follow all these recommendations and start with the most challenging tasks. Their completion at the end of the day will be all the easier.

Managing Your Time Effectively as a Boss!