I feel the need... the need for speed

From attention-grabbing notifications to focusing on the wrong things, it’s easy to lose time to inefficient processes and ambiguity.

Working quickly isn’t about rubber stamping mediocrity in the name of ticking things off the list. It’s about replacing a time- and energy-draining focus on perfectionism with the discipline and efficiency needed for growth.

Reprioritising speed doesn’t happen overnight. It needs to be a conscious choice that you acknowledge and celebrate at an individual level and enable through your business processes.

Here are ten practical ways to pick up the pace in your business and maximise your most valuable, limited resource: time.

1. Protect your attention span: hopping between tasks isn’t a sign of competence, it’s an efficiency drain that forces you to rebuild your attention again and again. Before starting a task, decide how long you’ll spend on it based on its importance and don’t use that time for anything else that’s demanding your attention.
2. Create awareness of time passing: it’s often the tasks we really enjoy that we’re guilty of spending too much time on. To stick to your allocated time, create an awareness of time passing by using a time tracking app, such as Toggl, a countdown timer on your phone, or even a sand timer for a completely non-digital, TikTok-temptation-free solution.
3. Don’t confuse speed and efficiency: leaders are experts in their field — you could and should be able to do certain tasks quicker than members of your team. But if you still have to do that task again next week then it’s a false economy. Invest time in creating and documenting clear processes that allow you to delegate effectively and that will save you time week after week.
4. Plan before you start: thinking as you work is a sure-fire way to waste time. If you’re putting together a presentation, take five minutes to plan out the slides; if you’re writing a blog post, map out the content in bullet points first. It’ll lead to a better result first time and mean that you’re at peak attention span when you actually start the main part of the task.
5. Prioritise, every day: business strategy should shape the team’s priorities on a daily basis. At Digital Glue, we use “Focus sheets”. The basis for all 121s, they outline an individual’s KPIs for the week. Every single action links back to the company’s quarterly goals. They keep us focused on the right things, giving each team member the power to say “no, that’s not a priority” and to understand how their actions directly shape company performance.
6. Unambiguous project tracking: knowing what’s on track and what needs your attention is critical. To make our system as clear as possible, we removed the “Amber” from RAG: every project is either green, all good, or red if it’s not on track. Straightforward status tracking means issues can be quickly spotted and resolved before they escalate into time-eating monsters.
7. The 10-minute checkback: starting a task is often the hardest part and we can quickly lose time staring at a blank page. In my last post, I outlined our 10-minute checkback technique — an ultra rapid feedback loop that enables you to spot any misunderstandings early and get past blank page syndrome.
8. Calendar slots: there is nothing worse than sending five emails back and forth about something as transactional as a good time for a meeting. Using systems like Calendly or Google appointments means you can find a convenient time with one email and a link. Fewer emails to process, less frustration, more time for the important stuff.
9. Email discipline: the average worker spends 28% of their day answering emails according to McKinsey. A constantly open inbox or desktop notifications kill productivity and eat time. Ringfence a couple of times a day to check your inbox, prioritise emails, and respond. There are also providers like Superhuman or Spark that help you stick to email best practice and claim back some of that valuable time.
10. Project management software: there are lots of different project tracking systems out there. We use Monday.com as it allows us to create project templates that make sure expectations are clear and little tasks don’t get overlooked. Choose a tool that matches the way your business is structured and that integrates with any other systems you already have in place. That way you can automate processes and tasks, freeing up team members’ time to focus on other priorities.

By putting in place the right processes and tools, your team will have everything they need to focus on the things that really add value and deliver them in record time.

Ready to supercharge your productivity and work faster than ever before? Learn how to create efficient workflows, prioritize effectively, and leverage the power of software to revolutionise the way you work.

Click here to access the eBook

Comment

100%