Tuesday 16 February 2010

Time management for staff

I often meet employers who are frustrated that their staff spend time on things that are not important to the detriment of really important tasks. However as in all cases of perceived under performance of staff the first question an employer should ask is 'what is my responsibility here?'
In this case the answer is usually that the staff do not understand what you are trying to achieve in the business. Spending time communicating your vision of the business to staff is always time well spent.
One very efficient way of doing this is to write up a business plan that is purely for staff. The plan could include a history of the business, your priorities now and where you want to be in 5 years. Sitting down with staff once a year and setting targets is also a good idea.
Another good idea is to talk to staff about the 80/20 rule. Explain that 20% of the tasks they perform have a major impact on the performance of the business. Then help them to identify those 20% tasks.
The employer's actions have to be congruent. For example, if he/she says the aim is to have a lost cost system and then spends money on expensive kit that is not essential, the staff are naturally sceptical of the employer's real priorities. Therefore employers have to set an example.

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