Kelly Louro — August 23, 2019 — August 23, 2019
Do you ever mistake hyperactivity for productivity? Trick question – everybody does! But if you’re sacrificing true productivity for the day-to-day busy work, you are not fulfilling your role as the business owner.
And we’re here to help. It isn’t easy delegating – you may feel guilty or uneasy – that’s why it’s a process, and one we are going to walk you through right now.
Here are our 5 favorite tips and tools for leveraging your time and boosting your productivity:
- TRAIN YOUR STAFF
Handing off responsibility can be anxiety-inducing. But it doesn’t have to be. This is why we are protocol-junkies. Sure, we have protocols written out in documents with screen shots and all that, but what we really love are videos. Our favorite software, Active Presenter, is a free tool that allows you to record your screen while also providing voice-over and easy animation.
Or, if you prefer training in real time and having your admin create the protocol themselves, tools such a Zoom or Join.me allow you to share your screen in real time and walk through the process as it happens. Ensuring proper training is the first step to peace of mind, so don’t coast through this step.
- GET ON THE CLOUD
Training your staff and removing yourself from your ball & chain (aka your desk) is all for nothing if you can’t get your work done remotely. Having ease of access through remote accessibility is necessary. Period. Don’t shackle yourself to the office.
Using Cloud softwares such as Office 365, Dropbox, or Google Docs is a surefire way to allow you to be productive from anywhere. If your staff is in the office and you’re out at client meetings and they have a question, don’t blind yourself to their dilemma – with remote access, you can check in, view, and even work on any and all documents you have saved. Trust us, it’s just a way of life now.
- KEEP TABS
Just because you’re out of the office doesn’t mean you have to be out of the loop. There’s a ton of great tech out there designed to help you stay informed and keep tabs on the work being done in your business.
To view open projects and tasks that you and your staff have on their plates, we recommend Asana – a project management software that allows you to create teams, assign tasks, and keep up to date on all team work.
Wondering how long your team has been working on a project? Try T-Sheets – a time-tracking software that helps you and your team keep track of time spent on work. You can categorize, group, and of course connect the time-tracking with your QuickBooks for easy-to-create invoices to your clients.
Not sure what’s going on in the social media world? We recommend Hootsuite – a centralized hub where you can view and manage all of your social media channels. Schedule posts, view analytics, and even reply to comments and messages. Social media is probably one of the biggest time-suckers we’ve encountered. This is surely a program you want to try out.
- STAY CONNECTED
Just because you’re not in the office doesn’t mean you need to be out of the loop. There are a ton of great ways to stay in touch with not only your clients, but your staff as well. Some of our favorites?
Zoom is a great platform for virtual meetings. Conference calls work fine, but there’s something a little *extra* about a face to face meeting, and Zoom has the clearest quality, best customer service, and easiest interface that we’ve experienced yet.
Want something a little more low-key? Try Skype for Business. Our whole staff is on and able to message each other for phone calls, questions, or even just to say hello. It’s a nice way to stay connected without it being cumbersome, plus it’s a fun throwback to the old days of AOL instant messenger (who thought that’d ever make a comeback, huh?)
- TRAIN YOURSELF
Procrastination. Excuses. Busy work. All these things are productivity killers, but they also feel pretty darn easy to do in the moment, right? Before you can ever hope to achieve a streamlined schedule, you need to train yourself. This includes throwing out the excuses, ditching the procrastination, and clearing your desk (and mind) of the busy work. The first step we recommend is working on your MBA – no, not that one. We mean “Management By Absence” – the act of literally removing yourself from the situation as to better ascertain what truly is work you need to do, and what can be delegated.
Once you’re able to recognize and prioritize the necessary from the extraneous, you need to set boundaries. Schedule time on your calendar to be unavailable. Set expectations with clients and staff early. You are not always available at their beck and call – and that’s ok.
Productivity is the goal. Always. And it can be difficult to get there.
You can’t control time, but you can become an expert at leveraging it to boost your productivity.
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