Protecting Time
Protecting time starts with defining roles and expectations and ends with increased productivity. Everybody in the company should be clear on the allocation of their time to each of their roles. This clarity eliminates time wasters and improves staff retention and satisfaction.
It is nearly impossible to keep business flowing and clients satisfied when you aren’t allocating enough time to each of the 4 main areas of the business: (1) Sales and Marketing, (2) Managing the Business, (3) Mentoring, and (4) Client Service. Each area should start in balanced 25% increments, ensuring your work week touches on all major areas and keeps the business moving forward. And if you are a manager, it is in your best interest to help each team member understand how their time should be divvied up among their roles. A simple pie chart added to their job description document is a great start. It provides them with clarity and comfort and it allows you to impose your expectations on them in a positive manner.
If you feel you can’t protect your time, consider posting the Energy Map (Lesson 1) on your office door for all to see. Or share it with your manager and team a few times a year and remind them that when your time is respected, they can expect better work and results from you.
Benefits
There are endless benefits from protecting your time. They range from improving your health to work product. A few key benefits are:
- Reduces loss of energy spent on deciding where you should focus your attention
- Improves self and team members’ efficiency and effectiveness
- Prevents important business activities from being neglected
- Ensures that all major aspects of the business are moving forward
Exercise
Download the template below.
Insert the name of each C-level executive and top-level professional into the column headers.
Email this chart to each top level professional and ask they fill in their own column AND the column of others.
Compare the responses and notice the different expectations.
Address the differences and expectations in a collaborative meeting; aim to eliminate the differences by coming to a common understanding.
Once the differences are eliminated, copy each person’s column into their Life Career Mission Statement document (aka. Job Description)..
GOAL: To set clear expectations on focus and respect each person’s roles and time allocations. To also productively discuss adherence to time allocations during the quarterly Life Career Mission Statement Review meeting with each staff person.
Reflect and Prioritize
Protecting time is about getting clarity on time spent on each major role, starting with your own roles. This exercise prevents poor work results, loss of productivity, confusion, and items falling through the cracks. And if done properly, the documented time allocation can be revisited and refined as the business grows and roles shift. You owe it to yourself to respect and protect your time and that of of your peers. It is a crucial component to managing a successful, growing business that is known for its work culture and service.
Please remember to add any new epiphanies and ideas to your Master Plan of Ideas and Initiatives.