Managing time effectively is essential in any small business—it’s the key to staying productive without burning out. You’re a business owner, though, so you probably already knew that. But let’s face it, mastering this skill isn’t just about clock-watching; it’s about making smart, supportive changes that help everyone on your team feel more organized and less stressed.
Just as you can’t have the whole team wearing multiple hats, you also can’t have them wasting time; it basically causes a domino effect. But with that said, it might be a bit easier to focus on teams time management from person to person. How can you do that collectively with a whole team, though? Well,
Here are some warm, practical strategies to help improve teams time management:
1. Get a True Understanding of How the Team Works
First up, you’re going to have to figure out where the time actually goes. Do you know what they do? You don’t have to micro-manage or anything, but what would help would be looking into having everyone track their time for a week. Truly, this isn’t about micromanagement—it’s about understanding. There are a lot of different tools and software out there, and some are even industry-specific, like cleaning management software for your business if you’re a janitorial-based business.
Of course, there are other niche ones, but there are plenty of broad ones, too. Whether you pay or use a free tool, it’s best to see what’s gobbling up your team’s time and where you might streamline tasks. It’s like detective work but way more fun, and it sets the stage for smarter work, not harder work. Again, sometimes poor teams time management can lead to this domino effect, and so everyone suffers when the whole thing can be avoided.
2. Prioritize with Purpose
What’s urgent? What’s important? Knowing the difference can make a huge impact and will help a lot. Understandably, some folks prefer to do the easy stuff first, but it shouldn’t always be like that. Instead, you’ll need to chat about these priorities over coffee; keep it light and make sure everyone’s aligned and feeling good about what’s on their plate.
3. Focus On Creating a Rhythm
Everyone thrives when there’s a clear rhythm to the day. While some people might have a different rhythm than others on the team, it’s about getting everyone in sync. Think about it like a band. They all do different tasks, and each musician might have a bit of a different rhythm, but they all need to be in harmony to make the song work—that’s the best analogy for it.
So, you might want to consider establishing a schedule that includes time blocks for focused work, collaborative projects, and, yes, those all-important breaks. Set realistic deadlines and share them upfront so no one is caught off guard. A structured teams time management can ease stress and boost productivity—it’s like setting up a groove to which everyone can vibe. But again, not everyone works the same, so there still needs to be some wiggle room.
