When we want to get more done, most of us will simply work longer hours, move deadlines around, and multi-task. How effective are these solutions though?
More and more, employers are using tools, specifically time tracking software, to assist them in tracking the true productivity of their employees – both for their work hours in total and to measure time spent on each project or client. In today’s economy, managers and employers need solid information on employee productivity, time actually spent on revenue-producing and revenue–supporting tasks. This excludes all time spent on unstructured activities and personal issues.
Some blocks of time may be productive for some team members, but not for others. For example, being on Facebook and Twitter is a productive time for social media managers, and it is unproductive for others. Also, it’s worth asking, as an owner or manager, how productive are employees when spending time away from the computer? Employees themselves are often unsure where their time goes. There is no objective measure for time; we can measure the outputs and deliverables and estimate relative productivity.
The big elephant in the room is productivity. A restaurant might calculate productivity by taking the Gross Sales for a specific time period, divided by the total hours of all employees worked, during the same period. Productivity to the owners might be directly linked to inefficiencies. Each industry, and even each company, can strategize their own formula for determining their maximum productive time vs. less – or even non-productive time. At the core, however, time tracking software provides key information.
As we said earlier, most of us, when we want to get more done, work longer hours, move deadlines around, and multi-task. These strategies can provide some short-term results, but they are not sustainable in the long term. No matter how well an individual, group, or even an organization is performing right now, they can almost always improve productivity. When they’re more productive, they contribute strongly to the overall success and profitability of the business.
There are many ways to improve productivity, and they all start from a simple analysis of “Times Tracked”. For example, to an individual, productivity will be measured by how much he or she accomplished – not how busy they were. A Time Tracking Analysis could provide information on the importance of the tasks accomplished and answer the question if any of the tasks could have been delegated. The analysis will provide us with additional information on non-productive times which decrease productivity.
The analyzed and timed activities will highlight key elements of possible improvement. The analysis will provide the needed data, right down to the types of the activities and the way they were accomplished. For instance:
- Do the organization and/or the groups follow the guidelines communicated for maximum productivity at work?
- Was each individual’s recorded work time spent productively?
- What else do you need to know about what is demanding attention?
- Are all team members and leaders organized?
- Do all employees practice prioritizing tasks and follow successful delegation?
Using Time Tracking will help you increase productivity and effectiveness. You can boost your profitability over the next few weeks.
Donna Marie Thompson, PhD
Creating your best profit solutions is my highest priority.
http://www.ExpertProfitSolutions.com
PS: For more information please click on the link to get my Special Report: “3 Profit Pitfalls and How To Avoid Them.”
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