Davis Business Consultants Ireland | Business Consulting, Business Training, Recession Beating

Time Is Money

Interiors Association Inside (September 2007)

Effective time management isn’t complicated and the first step is as simple as keeping a log of all the day’s activities.

If you can identify with the 84 per cent of SME directors who handle business at weekends, or the 58 per cent who take files home, to work on in the evenings, according to a survey by O2, then better time management will bring you and your practice clear benefits.

Analysing your current situation will help you determine what problem needs to be fixed. This is where the log comes in: it will help you weed out the most time-sapping areas of your working day.

A common response is “I haven’t got time to manage my time.” But prioritising those important calls and tasks can be done on the commute to work or at the end of the previous day. A log will help you see where this could have helped you.

Procrastinating is another way of losing valuable time. Tackling the difficult tasks quickly and effectively will help clear both your diary and your mind.

Pride in your work is important, but perfectionism can do more harm than good. Time spent labouring over one task that is largely completed would be better invested in getting on with a new one.

Slow decision-making also robs us of valuable time. Your first inclination on a decision, provided you’ve considered all the key details, might be the best. Slow decision-making means there’s less time left for the other tasks in your diary.

Look at your log and you’ll realise that some of the emails you replied to or calls you answered could have waited until later. If interruptions are common, remember: you don’t need to take every call or answer every email straight away. Do you need to do so, or are you saying to yourself: “I want to answer it, just in case…?” If it’s the latter, then it can probably wait.

Queries from colleagues are a part of everyday working life, but if they’re interrupting your work on an urgent task, then they need to be left until later in the day. If interruptions are increasingly common, then managing your team more effectively can help address the situation.

Are you afraid of saying “no?” Postponing less important tasks or delegating them to colleagues is an important part of effective time management. Going back over your log will show areas where this could free up some of your time.

If your office or workspace is disorganised, perhaps it’s making your working day disorganised as well. Taking the time to file everything away or arrange it neatly at the end of one day will benefit you the following day.

If your log shows that a meeting was ineffective, ask yourself what could have been improved. Could it have been planned better? Was everyone well prepared? More effective meetings speeds up decision-making and the pace of your practice’s business, freeing up time for everyone that needs to attend them.

Analyse your current situation and see which of the above areas you fall into. Then in the next issue we’ll cover how you can deal with the correct problem to improve both your working life and your practice. In the meantime if you would like to receive a copy of our popular eBook – Top 100 Tips to Find More Time, send an email to paul@davisbusinessconsultants.com.

Click here to return to Published Articles

"Paul Davis is one of the top consultants Ireland has ever seen."

Mary Eastwood | Managing Director, Albrite Training
"I just signed up a new client for a contract worth in excess of €600,000... this stuff really works and it's so easy..."

Ken Murray | Managing Director, Castle Mechanical Handling
"This has been a positive life changing experience in both a business and a personal sense"

Eddie Grace | Managing Director, IBC Limited
"I've just signed a client up for a new contract that will be worth around €400,000 to me over the next twelve months."

Ken Garvey | Partner, Cusack Garvey Chartered Accountants
"I doubled my fee AND got another client at the same meeting, just from one of the techniques I learned from Paul."

Damien McKay – Managing Director, Damien McKay Ltd.
"...has helped us to get to grips with a complex array of fiscal scenarios..."

Mairtin Breathnach | Managing Director, Universal Media Agency
"...quality of the work is excellent..."

Lorcan Colclough | Audit Partner, Mazars
"...the transition was handled so smoothly and efficiently by Paul Davis..."

Marlen Carvalho | Director, SAHRU, Trinity College
"...Paul exemplifies credibility, reliability and complete thoroughness..."

Deirdre Meghan | Managing Director, Meghan Group
"...the business skills that Paul brings to an organisation are invaluable..."

Deirdre Meghan | Managing Director, Meghan Group
"...provides a clear direction for our business and sound, unbiased business advice..."

Michelle Byrne | Managing Director, Axiom Design
"...has been invaluable in helping us to grow our practice..."

Bernard McEvoy | Senior Partner, McEvoy Partners
"...allowed and facilitated the time to stand back, analyse the business and work on it..."

Cathy McGennis | Director, SPSS Ireland
"...a valuable exercise for business owners trying to establish their business..."

Ian Jackson | Director, Go2Web
"...just do it! It is well worthwhile taking the time to work on your business given by people with passion and experience..."

Cecil Shine | Director, Minerex Environmental
"...had a great influence in the success of my business..."

Sean Flannery | Owner, Flannery Nurseries
"...it has definitely been useful for us to actually get our business to run properly..."

Cora Sherwood | Owner, Irish Towing Services
"...excellent for owner managers. Do it and get focused..."

Steve Perry | Owner, The Shower Doctors
"...I highly recommend them to anyone in business..."

Sharon Tinkler | Owner, Stepping Out
"...forces you to face the real issues - not just the usual ones. Highly experienced and personable..."

John Healy | Owner, Absolute Organic
"...I have become a boss whereas before I was a solicitor in a practice..."

Deirdre Burke | D.M. Burke & Co
"...the programme has exceeded my original expectations..."

Deirdre Burke | D.M. Burke & Co
"...I would whole heartily recommend this programme to all owner managers..."

John Coffey | Managing Director, GC Technology
"...already paid huge dividends..."

Alan McGuirk | General Manager, Time: Bar + Venue Night Club
"...it's a mini MBA, but practical..."

Peter O'Neill | Managing Director, Invotech
"...Paul is a classic lateral thinker, providing stimulating idea's...."

Michelle Byrne | Managing Director, Axiom Design
"...a clear and practical guide on how run a better business...."

Tom Taylor | Director, Minerex Environmental
"...this programme allowed and facilitated the time to stand back, analyse the business and work on it....."

Cathy McGennis | Owner, SPSS Ireland
"...this programme has made it simple for me to best move forward with my business....."

Phelim Pekaar | Managing Director, P3
"...this programme really helped increase my confidence in business....."

Jenny Rush | Director, Minerex Environmental
"...I really enjoyed the programme and I would recommend it to anyone in business....."

Shane O’Reilly | Director, SOS Property Services
"...a really worthwhile programme. It takes the fear out of business as you quickly learn that it is a simple game to play....."

Ken Murray | Managing Director, Castle Mechanical Handling
"...this programme has given me the direction, vision and tools to lead the business towards a solid future even in a difficult climate...."

Martina Wyse | General Manager, Flannery Nurseries