Hmmm…
Work less and get more done? That sounds too good to be true.
But if you look at your team’s “to do” lists, how much of their is actually spent on high-value, high-return activities? And how much more productive would your employees be, if you could completely eliminate “busy work” – and the distractions it causes?
Let’s explore those ideas.
When employees have a “time cushion” to get work done, one of two things may occur:
- Parkinson’s law (the idea that work expands to fill the time allowed for its completion) may kick in, leading employees to procrastinate and engage in “busy work” (which diminishes productivity).
- Employees may take on more work than they really should (or need to) do, which increases stress and undermines job performance.
Both scenarios are detrimental to employees and your business. So what might happen if you cut out the “time cushion” – and asked employees to work a little bit less?
If they used their work time wisely, they may actually wind up accomplishing more in less time – IF they work smarter, that is.
That’s where you, as a manager, can make a big difference. Here are a few things you can do to keep your team focused and productive (so they get more done in fewer hours):
Help them determine high-value activities (HVAs).
As their name suggests, HVAs are critical tasks that help employees meet short-term and long-term goals. In contrast, low-value activities (LVAs) do nothing to move employees toward hitting performance goals – yet they often eat up hours of each employee’s day. Work with employees to:
- Track how they spend their time, and then determine the core tasks for which they are responsible.
- Examine the list and identify the top three responsibilities that add the most value to your organization.
- Determine which of the remaining tasks are essential, as well as which are LVAs (and should be eliminated or outsourced).
Offload LVAs that can’t be eliminated.
Consider offloading low-value (but necessary) activities to a qualified staffing agency like Wood Personnel. We can provide support to handle customer service tasks, basic accounting and payroll tasks, production activities, clerical tasks, and even time-consuming tasks related to hiring.
Get more out of your Middle TN employees!
Contact Wood Personnel’s Nashville staffing agency for a free workforce analysis, to find out how we can give your direct staff more time to focus on HVAs. We can help you increase efficiency and productivity, while reducing the stress on your team.
