Time is our most precious resource, but the pandemic has forced us to revisit the most traditionally-effective approaches to time management. Today, managers who augment their old tactics with lessons learned over the past two years are well-equipped to lead their teams into the future. Here are three areas where you can do the same.
Meetings
Staff meetings have always been regarded as a necessary evil in terms of time management. Yet, despite imposing agendas and time limits, many companies struggle to conduct tight, productive face-to-face meetings.
Virtual meetings are an advantage in that regard. Participants only log on to an app at a particular time to begin. Moreover, it is more convenient to log off with one click than standing up and walking out of a room. This makes it easier to adhere to both start and end times. However, virtual meetings also make it easier to “switch off,” particularly in the case of no-video meetings.
Most managers realize that the best solution consists of three steps:
- Minimize meeting duration.
- Limit the number of participants.
- Compel each participant to engage.
This all-around approach saves time while still extracting the best from everyone present.
Workplace Interaction
Prior to the lockdowns, workplace interaction consisted primarily of oral conversations. Face-to-face meetings, be they formal meetings we touched on above or informal chats in hallways and over cubicle walls formed the crux of our information exchange.
While in-person conversations are helpful in that they also involve non-verbal cues, they are certainly not essential. Such interactions tend to veer off-topic and can even become a hurdle instead.
In the post-Covid world, real-world results should be the measure of interaction success ahead of face time. Focus on what is achieved with each interaction. This outcome-driven gauge should revolve around organizational objectives, not individual tasks.
Skills Development
Diversification of skills and adoption of new technology have always been associated with resilient and agile companies. However, at the start of the lockdowns, virtually every company was forced to adopt technology they would otherwise not have embraced. The steep learning curve was too much for some and became the basis of many companies folding.
On the other hand, those that managed to train and upskill their teams quickly adopted the new business models. Companies that managed to do this faster than their competitors have flourished.
Skills development matters because of time limitations. It is clear that teams who are capable and willing to learn quickly and at short notice are the best equipped to handle crises. Therefore, managers should implement relevant technology quickly when the need arises and develop teams that are open to and capable of coping with such changes at short notice.
Both people and time management require lifelong learning to be truly effective. If your management skills have helped you successfully navigate the turmoil of the past two years, you already have the necessary mindset to succeed in the future, too.
Please visit the Productivity page on my website for more suggestions on how to augment your own, as well as your organizations, time management practices.
