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Maximum Returns for Minimal Effort: 4 Great Time Management Tips

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals | Maximum Returns for Minimal Effort: 4 Great Time Management TipsWhether you work in an office building or from home, staying on task can be difficult. The distractions may vary – a barking dog versus a chatty coworker – but they’re still there.

If you’re your own boss, it can be even more difficult to manage your time because no one is there to keep you in check. What can you do to get your work done in a timely manner, so you’re not working 24 hours a day?

Online business blogs, such as bullpreneur, provide resources for new and veteran business owners alike.

Wasting Time is Wasting Money

If you’re the owner of a company with employees, their wasted time is your wasted money. Not only is the work not getting done, you’re paying them for their time regardless.

If, on the other hand, you’re the be-all of a company, you’re cheating yourself. If you’re not working, you’re not making valuable connections, keeping up on your industry, or bringing in money.

With the ease of social media at your fingertips, it can be difficult not to fall into an internet rabbit hole instead of working. What can you do to get your employees – and yourself – to stay focused during work hours?

4 Ways to Manage Your Time Better

The internet isn’t the only time suck. Watercooler chats, personal phone calls, television… The list is endless. If you don’t find a way to break the habit, your work to-do list will also be endless.

Here are 4 great time management tips to follow:

1. Eliminate your distractions. No cellphones in the work area is the first step to removing distractions. Of course, that’s not so easy if you’re the boss and disregard your own rule. Making your workspace clutter-free and electronic-free can boost your productivity.

2. Plan out your workday. If you start your workday without some semblance of a plan, you’ll end up wasting time figuring out what to do. Before you leave for the day, make a list of things that need to be done the next day. It will cut back on the time you spend trying to get started each day.

3. Complete the most pressing projects first. That list you wrote at the end of the day will also come in handy when it’s time to figure out what to do first. Focusing on one task at a time helps prevent you from getting overwhelmed. There’s also a sense of satisfaction in crossing an item off the list once it’s completed.

4. Track your productivity. If you or your employees need more strict guidance, a time tracking tool installed on the work devices can help accountability. Of course, there are tons of time management apps, making it difficult to sort out the best. Forbes lists eight of the most helpful time tracking apps.

Taking Frequent Breaks Can Increase Productivity

It may seem counterproductive to take breaks to get your work done. But taking a short break can help you mentally recharge and sharpen your focus once you return to your tasks.

A Flexible Approach: Adaptable Working Hours are the Key to Employee Retention

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article | A Flexible Approach: Adaptable Working Hours are the Key to Employee RetentionIt wasn’t too long ago that the 9-to-5 was the schedule that everyone adhered to just to bring home the bacon. But recently, studies have shown that this leads to a lot of burnout, as well as reduced employee retention.

More and more employers are looking to the flexible hours schedule in order to keep their employees happy. So how exactly does this work?

Flexibility Versus Fast-Paced Work Environments

More employees are looking for a work-life balance that also takes care of their mental health. The fast-paced work environment used to be the popular one, the work itself giving people a purpose to go into the office every day.

But that has changed; people aren’t seeing the benefit of working for money if they don’t have the time to enjoy it as well. The ability to work remotely has also made the flexible work environment a possibility, as people can log-in whenever they’re needed to get work done, meaning that they can schedule their other activities throughout the day while still meeting deadlines.

If you’d like to learn a little more about how easy it is to transition into a flexible work space, check out Businesstrex.

Benefits of Flexibility

Sick of having to rehire employees over and over again for the same position? Spending money on all that training tends to get quite expensive. Instead of constantly filling in the gap, you can retain employees at much higher rates by creating flexible schedules.

Employees will be much happier in the long run knowing that they have some power in the flow of their workday. And happy employees means that they’re less likely to look for work somewhere else.

Studies have also proven that when given the power over their schedules, employees are likely to be more productive in a single workday than working a 9-to-5.

Making the Transition

Many employers believe that they need a major overhaul of their structures in order to make the flexible workday a possibility, but it’s a lot easier than they think. They won’t have to buy as much furnishings for their offices, nor will they have to buy new computers, have operating systems installed, and security technology installed on every one. Flexibility allows for the employees to use their own computers, just as long as the proper security measures are also installed on these PCs.

No need to install huge servers either; the cloud is making it easy for everyone in the company to have access to the same information without having to pay for extra tech support to ensure that the servers are running smoothly.

More and more companies are already making this change anyway, so it would be beneficial to stay with the current trends than to get left behind in the dust.

Test the waters first by having a flexibility week in the workplace and see how it goes. Allow your employees to come into the office when it’s best for them, or let them work remotely from home. You may be surprised by the results you get from allowing your employees to work at their own pace.

Creating a Personal Protective Equipment Strategy for Your Business

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Personal Protective Equipment|Creating a Personal Protective Equipment Strategy for Your BusinessEvery business should have a personal protective equipment strategy in place whether staff sit at a computer or handle toxic chemicals. In light of recent events, this strategy is ever-more important, and there will be a range of extra things to consider protecting your workforce.

Adapting and updating your PPE and broader health and safety processes can be challenging, depending on your industry. However, there are some key considerations that every strategy should have, and these are detailed below:

Carry out a risk assessment

Before you start to plan the strategy for your business, a risk assessment needs to be conducted. This assessment will look at every aspect of the company operations and identify hazards to the workforce. This initial look into the areas that require PPE will examine how people require safety equipment and how much you need to carry out everyday tasks safely. The added requirements for the recent pandemic also mean that extra elements need to be considered, such as face coverings and screening.

Adequate training

A crucial part of the PPE strategy is training. Your company may have all the right equipment, but if people do not know how to use it, it is counterproductive. Everyone needs adequate training on what they use and how to use it. It is also crucial to impart knowledge of your employees on how to identify risk and carefully equip themselves to avoid danger in the workplace.

Using the correct equipment

There are several suppliers of personal protective equipment. However, it is essential to choose the appropriate equipment for the job. Employees must have a safe and well-fitted kit to ensure they are safe at all times. Suppliers such as medical-supermarket.com have a wide selection of equipment to assist across all departments, including overalls and gowns, to face and hair covers. For the recent risks due to COVID-19, there are also thermometers, sanitizing gel and cleaners to reduce the risk for all staff.

External risks

Businesses come into contact with external risks every day, so this needs to be a part of your overall strategy. A significant part of this area will involve identifying potential risks that could come in from deliveries, outside contractors, or if your staff work off-site.

Responsibilities as an employer

Business owners have a responsibility to ensure their workforce is safe to conduct their daily duties. This aspect needs to be incorporated into the strategy, as it will detail these areas and how to ensure you comply with regulations. It is also an area that needs to be kept up to date as changes frequently occur in the health and safety arena. You should also have a plan in place in regard to changes in government policy and ensure that a health and safety officer is available to answer questions and manage the responsibilities.

Regular reviews

After you’ve completed your PPE strategy, regular reviews need to take place to ensure you are equipped for changes that could happen quickly and without warning.

5 Easy Ways to Make Meetings More Impactful

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Impactful Meetings|5 Easy Ways to Make Meetings More ImpactfulOn average, work meetings last anywhere from 31-60 minutes. Theoretically, that means you could either host or attend several of them each day. Unfortunately, all too often, meetings for work end up falling flat. Whether you’re talking about improving your brand strategy, covering data and figures, or trying to come up with safer IT solutions, putting together an effective and motivating meeting can be a big challenge for business owners and managers.

It’s far too easy for employees to ‘tune out’ or contribute their own ideas during a traditional meeting setting. When that happens and those meetings are productive, your company loses money. In fact, it’s estimated that pointless meetings end up costing businesses billions of dollars each year. But, there are things you can do to make your meetings more effective.

By putting more effort into creating motivating meetings, you can see results from your employees and co-workers, rather than a lack of motivation and inspiration. You don’t have to be a great public speaker or try to force any ideas upon anyone. Instead, use some of these strategies in your next meeting to engage your employees, and you’re likely to see the results you’re hoping for.

1. Make Sure the Meeting is Necessary

If you really want to get your employees on board with meetings, make sure they’re absolutely necessary. Far too often, managers and employers hold meetings for things that could be dealt with in more efficient ways. The reality is, more employees would rather get an email about something, or even have a one-on-one conversation rather than attend a long meeting if it doesn’t accomplish anything.

Additionally, meaningless meetings waste your own time. Think about all of the other things you could be accomplishing in your day without so many wasteful meetings. How can you tell if holding a meeting is necessary? Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you need input from a specific team in order to move forward?
Is a meeting the best way to reach everyone at once?
Is it a valuable use of everyone’s time?
Does it have to be done face-to-face?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to all of those questions, then it’s likely the meeting is necessary. If not, try to find ways to work around it, including emails or quick conversations with a few key people. Not only will you save time, but you can get straight to the source of whatever issue is at hand, rather than having to talk about a variety of other things for 30 minutes in order to get to the point.

2. Send a Schedule Ahead of Time

Being organized for your meeting, even before it starts, will help to keep yourself and your employees on track. By sending out an agenda to those involved in the meeting ahead of time, everyone will know what to expect. They’ll be able to prepare themselves for discussion, think about any points they want to bring up, and they’ll know that the meeting itself has a purpose and what you’re trying to accomplish.

Utilizing powerpoint services can help you to even send out slides or images you plan to share in the meeting, as well. This will help to get everyone thinking ahead, so they can bring their ideas into the meeting. As a result, more creative thinking can flow in a shorter amount of time and you may be able to get through your meetings faster and more efficiently.

3. Make Sure Everyone is Involved

Effective meetings shouldn’t just consist of one person talking or explaining everything. While you can start with a presentation and talk about what you’re trying to accomplish, meetings are meant to be collaborative. After all, if you want to be the one doing all the talking and explaining, you could just as easily send out an email.

So, make sure you get everyone involved as a participant in the meeting. This can be especially helpful for people who don’t often speak up or bring up their own ideas. They might have something great simmering under the surface. When you make it known that everyone has to participate and contribute something, they’re more likely to finally come forward with those ideas.

Plus, when everyone gets a chance to participate in a meeting, they’re more likely to feel as though it was productive and not a waste of time. People appreciate having their voices heard, and it can certainly change their perspective on whether something was worth it.

4. Give Specific Tasks

Meetings should end with an action plan in place. Workload delegation is extremely important, not only to help prevent burnout but to make sure the people with the right skills and strengths are handling the right tasks.

By the time the meeting is over, your plan of action should include a specific task for everyone who attended. Decide who is in charge of each task, how long that task will take, and what it will consist of. When people are able to leave a meeting feeling as though they have something to accomplish because of it, they’re less likely to feel as though it was a waste of time.

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Impactful Meetings|5 Easy Ways to Make Meetings More Impactful5. Follow Up

Don’t let a meeting on one specific subject just fall away. Follow-up with the people in attendance. Have deadlines in place for the tasks they were assigned, and check-in with them regularly to make sure everything is on track. Again, this will help them to know that the things you talked about within the meeting were worthwhile, and the work they’re putting in on their assigned job is actually important.

Meetings can be useful when they are held for the right reasons and you go through them the right way. If you truly want your work meetings to be more effective, keep some of these tips in mind. When meetings are held the right way, you can motivate your employees and make them understand that meetings can be important, rather than just a waste of time and money for everyone involved.

Not Infected But Certainly Affected

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StrategyDriven StrategyDriven Editorial Perspective Article |Coronavirus|Not Infected But Certainly AffectedEvery time there is an event that captures the attention of practically everyone, I try to look around and consider things. The many people infected with the virus are focused on their health, getting well and keeping their families safe. During any normal flu season, the rest of us would be going about our business and living our lives as usual. This year things are quite different. The virus we are experiencing now has affected all of us.

Even though you may feel physically fine, you are living a very different life. The way we do things and speak has changed dramatically. The word social is taking on a new role in our modern language. Social media is our connection to the rest of the world outside of our homes. Social distancing dictates how we interact with each other in person if you are lucky enough to go out. Social gatherings are a distant memory. We are now more aware of everything and everyone we touch.

Did you ever think it would be more offensive to shake someone’s hand then to back away from them in horror? It felt strange at first but now that everyone is doing it, it feels normal. Forget about a hug, if you try that you’ll get the same reaction as if you pulled a knife.

Working from home is a new concept for most people. Working in instead of working out at the gym to stay in shape. Even TV personalities are broadcasting from home. We are all becoming internet personalities. Posting our new pastimes on social media to entertain others who have become bored due to their isolation. I saw someone hold up a sign that said, Will work for toilet tissue! Those of us in essential services are still working, but things are very different. No more rush hour, it feels like we are rushing through all of them.

At times of crisis you will also see something you don’t always notice. The unlikely heroes who show up to help those who really need it. Even though we are experiencing an economical effect, we have for the most part put the basic need for our health ahead of everything else. Just when you thought the world was becoming more cynical and people more self-absorbed, we show a different side of ourselves. I have never felt so much satisfaction delivering toilet tissue to someone. People are so grateful for the little things. Things they took for granted are more appreciated. We thank those who deliver essentials for us and those who are working hard in the medical field to save lives.

Maybe the loss of human interaction will make us appreciate it much more now. Perhaps the human experience will take the place of material things. We spent so much time wishing our lives away. How many times have you said I need a vacation or I can’t wait to get away? We don’t often stop to enjoy where we are and who we are with. Now we are so thankful just to be healthy. Your car, your clothes and all your possessions cannot make you happy. Happiness is inside of you, you just need to bring it to the surface. Be happy you are alive and healthy, there are so many who are not. Doing something for someone else is the most fulfilling thing. Even if all you can do is cheer someone up, you are spreading hope and making their day a little better.

When you focus on the little things they add up to big things. Making the best of each day can lead to the best life. Treat negativity like the virus. If someone is full of negative energy and is trying to bring other people down, avoid them. I highly recommend social distancing in those cases. They are highly toxic and contagious and you need to make sure you don’t catch it. No matter how bad things are for you remember that there are others who are worse off. Try to make someone feel better about themselves not worse about you. You really want to spread something, spread cheer. Find something positive and build on it. Today’s hope makes tomorrow a success. We just may build some new relationships and have something good come out of this. Let the effect of the infection make us better people, the kind of people you wouldn’t mind being quarantined with.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Glenn GreeleyGlenn Greeley is founder of CGI Commercial Cleaning Group headquartered on Long Island, New York. For more information visit www.cleaninggroupinc.com, call 631-669-6033, or email glenn@cleaninggroupinc.com.