KEEPING UP TO DATE

Three easy ways to free up your time at work

For many business owners and leaders, finding enough hours in the day to get things done can often feel impossible. The competing demands of clients, team members, and a busy inbox don’t leave much room for working on the business. Here are three ways to free up some of your time so you can work on achieving your strategic goals:

Eat the frog

Mark Twain once said “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

Eating the frog means doing the one thing you have on your to-do list that you have absolutely no motivation to do and that you’re most likely to procrastinate on. Once that task is done, you’ll be starting the day with both momentum and a sense of accomplishment.

Get comfortable with delegating

Delegating can take more effort in the beginning but will save you time in the long-run and allow you to focus on the bigger, more important aspects of your work. Sharing responsibilities will also help you build a more productive, competent, and confident team. Here are some tips for getting started:

• Start with a task you feel comfortable delegating and build from there
• Pick the right people – play to your team members’ strengths
• Use open, clear communication throughout
• Check-in but don’t micro-manage
• Be appreciative, acknowledge effort and outcome

Take control of your Inbox

Unless you put some structure around how you approach emails, it can start to feel as though your day is being driven by the perceived urgency of the emails landing in your inbox. Here are some tips for taking control of your inbox:

• Schedule time to check and respond to emails
• Turn off email notifications on your phone
• Close your inboxes when you’re not using them
• Use labels and rules to stay organised
• Schedule time on your calendar for inbox maintenance e.g. cleaning out, applying new filters, getting organised

If you’d like to learn more about how you can free up your time by learning the art of delegation, please get in touch with the Impact HR team, or register to attend our free webinar Mastering the Art of Delegation on 6 April 2022, 12noon-1pm.