How a time management tool helps small businesses master the art of time management
- “The key is not spending time, but in investing it” – Stephen R. Covey
We as small business owners often think time management is just a skill, but this is not true. Assuming that time management is a single skill is just like assuming that a match of cricket can be played with a single player instead of the whole team, which is not the case, correct? To win a match, efforts are required from every player. And time management is just like your cricket tournament, you have to be careful regarding every aspect because the proper summation of all the skills enables you to manage your time properly.
Good cricket coaches have mastered the art of player management. They can easily figure out which player’s performance doesn’t justify his/her capability. The coach gives that particular player a little push and some extra motivation to help him/her up their game. The concept of time management is similar to man management only. You need to ensure that all your skills are on point and if there are some aspects that are putting you down then you need to brush that up. A time management tool will enable you to attain expertise on these skills and manage your tasks properly.
Which time management skills you require to excel in business
Time management is a gradual process and the journey is apparently different for every business. You need to identify what works the best for you and to learn which skills you need to attain expertise in make sure to read on;
1. Setting your priorities
This skill may sound apparent, but it is important for you to do this exercise every day before you begin. There are many instances when due to poor planning important tasks take a back seat and you miss on deadlines.
How a time management tool can help: You can use the To-Do list feature which is now available with multiple CRM solutions and is present in Quiddity also. When you have the list of To-Dos in front of you, you are more likely to remain focused and conclude the To-Dos on time.
2. Grouping similar kinds of tasks
Batch the tasks as per their urgency and your working pattern. For example, if you have a blog release in the next week, complete all its content related activities one after the other. Focusing on the same kind of task allows your brain to set a tempo and you churn more creative ideas improving the quality of your content.
How a time management tool can help: You can use the most basic feature of the time management tool that is setting alarms for every task. Program it in a manner that the software sends you notification of the remaining time allowing you to plan in a better manner and complete the tasks in the defined time limit.
3. Dividing the work
In my previous blog (Five Time Management Tips for Small Business Owners) I highlighted the importance of dividing the tasks amongst the team members. Doing the same is a time-saving skill since in this you need to identify the forte of your members and then have to take the decision.
How a time management tool can help: Many CRM solutions offer you the flexibility of making the task and assigning it. Quiddity offers the same functionality. Furthermore, Quiddity is equipped with a stopwatch functionality using which you can easily monitor the amount of time spent on a particular task and once you stop the stopwatch the time is automatically logged in the timesheet as well.
4. Completing a task at a single instance of time
Multi-tasking might be an attractive fad but to ensure that you deliver quality work within set limits you need to avoid this. Multi-tasking actually decelerates productivity because of the inability of the brain to concentrate on multiple things at a time. If you have several tasks to do, then prepare a list and complete the tasks one after the other instead of completing them simultaneously.
How a time management tool will help: You can make a list of the deliverables in the software. Some solutions offer you the flexibility of arranging the task according to their priority to enable you to plan the day efficiently. You also have the option of generating reports which gives an overview of the progress of tasks which again enables you to stay on track and ensure completion of projects in a timely manner.
Skills that don’t require a time management tool
Time management is a gradual process and the journey is apparently different for every business. You need to identify what works the best for you and to learn which skills you need to attain expertise in make sure to read on;
1. Finding some leisure time
Mastering time management skills also mean that you need to find a few minutes for yourself. Utilise these minutes to strategise the upcoming tasks or interacting with your team members and share/receive knowledge.
2. Focusing on yourself
Every employee has a different working method, and everyone has some time slot in which they are most productive. While working you need to give a little time to yourself and observe the conditions in which you work the best.
The above-mentioned skills are not about being perfect and keeping all the blocks of your small business appropriately. It is about a journey where you will learn certain time management skills that will help you enhance your business processes and help your employees boost their productivity as well. Don’t rush or get overwhelmed with the amount of efforts required to master these skills, take baby steps and you will be at the desired destination. And, Quiddity will back you up in the entire journey. Apart from being your reliable time management tool, it also offers a line of features such as project management, task management and more which helps you automate a multitude of processes and generate business opportunities. To register for a free trial, click here.
Brendan works as a Product Manager at Quiddity, an amazing workflow and customer relationship management tool for small businesses. He has a passion for design and problem solving and loves to share knowledge and collaborate with others.
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