What to Stop Doing. Solutions for Time-Wasting Processes in Your Organization

The Solution: transform your meetings to be optimally productive by:

• Establish meetings purpose and agenda and share with attendees in advance

• Carefully select a leader and attendees

• Set and stick to meeting time limits

• Stay focused on the agenda and table tangential topics and conversations

• Encourage participant feedback

• Clarify action items and takeaways

Learn More: Best Practices for Productive Meetings

2. Multitasking

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Many of us fall into the trap of trying to do multiple tasks at once. The truth is that most of us cannot multitask effectively, and when we can, it is confined to simple duties that do not require deep thinking. Research, data crunching, writing and other forms of work requiring complete concentration should not be attempted while juggling other tasks.

In the long run, the split focus leads to mistakes that can eat up more time to correct than whatever perceived time-savings there were.

The Solution: help your team prioritize.

Multitasking is often a symptom of poorly prioritizing work. When we look at a lengthy task list and cannot recognize the order of importance, it is tempting to perform tasks in tandem.

Help your team prioritize by encouraging them to use software tools that categorize and calendar tasks. Work with them in identifying responsibilities that are urgent and/or aligned with personal and organizational goals. Achieving this is one of the key solutions for time-wasting processes of all types.

Learn More: Six Tips on How to Prioritize for Control Over Your Work (and Life) 

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3. Too Many Emails

Email revolutionized the way we communicate, but when not used effectively, a black hole emerges that drags us into reading and responding to emails at the expense of performing value-add work. Managers and employees alike complain about email volume and the hours wasted reviewing emails of little importance - an estimated 3.5 hours a week on average.

The Solution: respond to emails at certain times of the day and rely on other communication tools for certain situations.

Attempting to respond to emails as they arrive in your inbox is highly distracting. Instead, designate specific hours for email triage - read, file, and if needed, respond.

Just as importantly, many situations are more suited for other methods of communicating. A quick question to a colleague or a team check-in on a project are better sent on messaging apps. Consider in-person conversations, video chat or meetings to clarify and plan certain projects, rather than hitting send on yet another email that may go ignored by your team.

Learn More: How to Manage Too Many Emails 

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4. Unorganized Workflow

You likely know what being organized looks like - diligently filing away documents, maintaining task lists, and calendaring all work and meetings. There is a good chance that your team is following these principles. So why do tasks fall through the cracks? Why is information lost or unutilized? Why are there miscommunications? In other words, why do you not feel completely organized?

The Solution: establish team processes that maximize the power of digital organizational and communications tools.

It’s become trivial to say that the modern workplace moves faster than ever before but is a cliche for a reason. The speed at which events quickly shift, market forces move and disruptions undermine plans requires a superlative level of workplace agility.

Learning all of the nuances of software like Microsoft Suite and incorporating the knowledge into your workflow is a massive asset in staying organized and resilient. Every behavioural improvement you can identify adds up to time savings. Streamlined information-sharing, document collaboration, task tracking and other workflow efficiencies create the opportunity for your team to be optimally productive.

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Your Training Solution for Time-Wasting Processes

Now that you know what to stop and start doing, you are likely wondering about the best path forward. Yes, you can initiate these changes yourself.

But deeply ingrained routines are difficult to overcome on an individual basis, much less a group one.

This is where having a training partner that is fully committed to helping steer your team toward lasting and measurable behavioural advancements is immensely valuable.

Priority Management has been helping teams realize drastic improvements in their workplace for over forty years. Find out why so many organizations around the world trust us to make them more productive.

Priority Management is a worldwide training company with 55 offices in 15 countries. We have successfully trained more than two million graduates in Priority workshops. Our programs help companies and people be more effective and manage their workflow in and out of the office by providing tools, processes and discipline. Simply put - A Better Way To Work! Clients range from Fortune 500 companies, small-to-medium businesses and government/military employees.

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Click Here to learn more about how Priority can help you and your team WorkSm@rt, develop essential management skills and the competencies to....make life and work better and happier!