Effective use of your time

Over a year ago within Tricordant we implemented a new system of recording how we spent our time. Using the word ‘timesheets’ is not necessarily the most popular word around senior level people, nonetheless we did it.

We did it just before we got into lockdown mode and of course all our worlds changed. Suddenly every day in our home office, more internal projects and client projects online rather than face to face – no travelling time.

A new paradigm was created, this wasn’t just a few weeks, but months then a year and now almost a year and a half.  

So what about timesheets. Well the honest answer is some are better than others and even those of us that are good at it, have our off days or weeks. But a picture emerges.

I carried out a couple of ‘last 6 months’ analysis on my timesheets and was intrigued to see just how much my work pattern and content had changed from what I know it was beforehand.

So that’s my picture and I won’t bore you with any more of the details. My purpose is to ask you to reflect on how you use your time, and how did that change during the pandemic?

There will be very few people for whom their use of time did not change during the pandemic and the challenge now as we come out the other end is how we make the change back; if of course that is the right thing to do.

One thing I have learned over my 40+ years of management and leadership is that given the chance people grow the job they want and manage to develop the ability to create their own niche. This means doing the work they want to do and creating the need to employ someone else to do the work they don’t want to do.

I am not suggesting this is the case with you, but I am certainly examining where I am in this.

In the world of improvement there is the Pareto Principle which states we should focus on the most important 80% in any area we need to improve.  

My question then regarding effective use of time is do you know what the most important 80% of our job is and will be in the coming months? The second question then is do you have a plan to transition your current work pattern to fit with what it needs to be?

Successful managers and leaders will ensure they spend at least 80% of their time, and their team’s time, in those areas that make the biggest contribution to the success of the business or organisation. Don’t be caught napping and spending too much time on the 20%.

Can I just finish this piece with a big thank you and well done to those many readers of this piece who have gone above and beyond in the work you did during the pandemic. I have no doubt that for many of you your 80% may have been more like 200% for many many months. Thank you.

All the very best

John Taylor

P.S.  If you would like to discuss this or any other work challenges then please schedule a FREE consultation meeting to talk with myself or one of my Tricordant colleagues. Book your time using this link https://www.tricordant.com/free