If you're like most business owners, you've probably lost track of how many times you've uttered the phrase, "There's just not enough time in the day."
It's only through experience that we develop our own unique methods for being more productive. During a recent time management workshop hosted by the Union County Economic Development Corporation, I started thinking about the habits I've developed in search of those elusive extra hours to get more done. Try these four communication-related productivity techniques and see if they might work for you as well:
Don't use a phone headset at your desk simply out of habit.I love my headset — it frees up my hands to take notes during phone meetings and conference calls. But when I forget to remove it at the conclusion of a meeting and use it for even brief calls throughout the day, I find those calls last longer on average. Why? Because I'm comfortable and not juggling an annoying handset, I'm unaware of the amount of time I'm spending on non-essentials like personal calls.
Never go into a meeting without an agenda you've circulated in advance.Even a brief outline pays huge productivity dividends. It helps you to organize your thoughts, not catch meeting participants off guard, and avoid time-wasting misconceptions like, "Oh, I didn't realize we needed to make a decision on X today." When everyone — clients and staff alike — knows exactly what's on the agenda in advance, it's a lot tougher to make excuses or to show up unprepared.
Use an "action items" list to keep the meeting momentum going.Whenever appropriate, I follow up on the majority of meetings with a quick email recap. It includes an outline of what was discussed, agreed-upon next steps, action items assigned to particular participants, and timeframe(s) for response. Clients appreciate your going the extra mile, and it's an easy way to ensure that everyone's on the same page moving forward.
Check your spam folder.This may seem counterintuitive, but it's actually a timesaver. By scanning — and then emptying — your spam folder once or twice a day, you'll catch the vital communication that got caught in error. This way, you can avoid that frantic, "Didn't you get my email?" client call and maintain control of your daily schedule, rather than having to put out a suddenly urgent fire.
We're never guaranteed a smooth workday; inevitably the unexpected will rear its head. But by taking a proactive approach to identifying opportunities for more productive communication, one day you may find yourself looking at the clock and realizing that you've accomplished everything you'd hoped, with time to spare!
