Boosting Staff Productivity
in a Leaner Team Through Time Management
By Paul McDonald
ust about every financial team is charged with Also recognize when it’s useful to offer employee training.
J
“doing more with less” these days. To meet objec- Some knowledge can be picked up on the job—for example,
tives while having fewer colleagues to call upon for familiarities with common departmental procedures—but other
help, it has become even more critical for employ- skills are learned more efficiently through dedicated instruction.
ees to manage their time effectively. As a manager, If your firm can’t afford to provide formal training, consider
you can play a key role in helping your staff maxi- using mentoring programs as a way to transfer expertise within
mize productivity. Here are some strategies: the organization.
MAKE yOUR PRiORiTiES CRySTAl-ClEAR RETHiNK ‘All-HANDS-ON-DECK’ MEETiNgS
Are you confident employees are beginning each day Do your part, as well, to give employees the focused time
with a to-do list that accurately reflects the most urgent necessary to complete their work. Schedule meetings sparingly and
projects? It’s not just your average or struggling staff members make sure there is a compelling reason to hold them. In a survey by
who may have time-management issues. In fact, your best per- our company, executives polled said 28 percent of formal discus-
formers may be the ones the most challenged at prioritizing tasks sions are a waste of time. Moreover, almost half—45 percent—felt
because they have likely volunteered for or have been assigned employees would be more productive if their companies banned
more work than other employees. Make sure you’re meeting meetings one day a week. When you do plan meetings, limit the
with your staff regularly to discuss how they should be allocat- invitation list and note people as “optional” if their presence isn’t
ing their time, so there is no doubt about your expectations. required so they can decide whether to attend.
BREAK TASKS DOWN ENCOURAgE BREAKS
Understand that when you’re operating with a leaner team, you Even in difficult times, all work and no play is not a winning
need to be sensitive about setting realistic objectives. While it’s formula. When the pressure is on, people are likely to skip their
certainly appropriate to have high standards for your employees, breaks or work at their desk during lunch, which can be coun-
unachievable directives can lead to frustration and cause people terproductive as their energy level declines. Remind employees
to procrastinate. Break larger assignments into smaller goals so of the importance of short stretches away from their cubicles or
they are less overwhelming, postponing or eliminating compo- offices. Also encourage staff to use vacation days. Getting away
from the office can
WHILE BUDGETS HAVE SHRUNk AT MOST COMPANIES,
give them a fresh per-
iNVESTiNg jUDiCiOUSly AND
spective and they may
return with greater
SElECTiVEly iN TECHNOlOgy
focus and motivation.
UPgRADES CAN PROViDE SigNiFiCANT BENEFiTS.
You may want to
take time-management
guidance to the next
level and invest in spe-
cial software or classes
nents that are lower priority. This also allows you to focus on that help employees stay on track and productive. Whichever
specific aspects of an initiative and discuss potential obstacles to techniques you choose, giving people the tools to regain control
their completion. over their schedules and focus on the tasks at hand can help
them contribute more fully. It will also give your firm a com-
PROViDE THE NECESSARy TOOlS petitive edge.
It is also important to make sure people have access to basic
resources to stay on schedule. For instance, if employees must work
with outdated technology, it may take them substantially longer to
complete tasks. Asking an individual to produce 25 hard copies of
a financial report and distribute them to key decision-makers may

Paul McDonald,
be a time-consuming request if the employee is relying on an old
Executive Director of Robert Half
financial application and a temperamental copy machine. While
Management Resources
budgets have shrunk at most companies, investing judiciously and Menlo Park, CA
selectively in technology upgrades can provide significant benefits
in terms of time management and productivity.
10 NPA Magazine February 2010
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