Communication is the key to….

…efficient use of your time.

I thought a well organised day, where all tasks were completed and time was efficiently used, was reliant on the effective use of diaries, project planning tools, motivation and a strong protestant work ethic. Until I learnt something from a recent client who mentioned how stressed she felt by her day. As I asked questions and we discussed where the stress originated, it became clear that it stemmed from her belief that in order for her team to feel empowered and supported, she needed to be available to them whenever they needed her. And for her clients too. If she wasn’t, she didn’t feel that she was honouring the culture she wanted in the business, or providing the service they were proud of. But it wasn’t working for her…….

So, we imagined the perfect day. How would she like to organise her time so that she was available and also had dedicated time to focus on her tasks? Did she need to be checking emails as they popped into her inbox? What would happen if staff knew that when her door was shut, it meant she wasn’t to be disturbed? We discussed how they managed if she was with a client, or out of the office. We imagined emails as letters and decided people were not expecting an immediate response. Generally, nothing was as urgent as her approach allowed for. All she needed to do was communicate her availability to her team. Adding a footer to her client emails would communicate the likely response time and offer an alternative form of communication if the request was urgent. Blocking out time in her diary communicated to the team what she was doing when she was in the office and an open door was an invitation to pop in while a closed one wasn’t.

Is this a familiar scenario for you? Would you benefit from a more structured approach to your office time? Let’s talk. Communicating your needs and what best meets the needs of the business, may be the key to a whole host of efficiencies you hadn’t imagined. Let me help you imagine your perfect day.