As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate. You're managing your business' value in the marketplace on a daily basis while at the same time striving to maintain superior customer service and employee satisfaction. There's a lot on your mind and the minds of your employees, too.
Some days, it feels like nine a.m. becomes five p.m. in a heartbeat. At times like this, you spend most of your time just trying to keep the ship afloat.
Of course, you also want your employees to feel accomplished and productive at the end of the day. Professional success is largely a mental game, after all. If you believe you are getting things done and doing good work, then you will probably get things done and do good work! The following are 4 steps you can take to ensure that your team is put in the best possible position to effectively manage their time.
(1) Provide them with tools to manage their time
A great way to help your employees organize their time and increase efficiency is by providing them with a tool to do so. The digital age has created various software solutions capable of managing everything from employee calendars to contacts and customers. With the right system, employees can plug important data into their daily and monthly schedules — like meetings and engagement reminders.
Once an employee finishes a sale or solves an issue, they can record the data from the interaction so that it is easily accessible the next time they need it. Managing time with the right software solution can help your small practice grow by allowing your employees more time to engage with new and existing customers.
(2) Make sure there is clear communication
Effective communication plays a critical role in managing the time of employees at any small business. If employees are able to seamlessly share and communicate vital organizational and customer information, they will have a clearer understanding of the big picture in any given situation.
Whether dealing with a customer complaint, a partnership agreement or an internal process issue, getting the right information into the right hands is essential to a timely resolution. A siloed approach doesn't bode well for effective time management in a small business environment.
There are too many moving parts and it's too easy for things to fall through the cracks. Maintain an updated database of shared customer information, hold weekly team meetings and set the tone by regularly communicating directly with each member of your team.
