#Analysis of your time management and activities: the keys to wise management

As a business owner, time management is not just a matter of personal organization; it is the cornerstone of your company’s performance and strategy. In this article, we detail the importance of analyzing your time management, how it can revolutionize your professional daily life as well as that of your company and above all, how to do it.

1. What is the purpose of analyzing your time management?

has. Optimize your time management

Let’s start at the beginning: optimizing time. Every minute counts, and understanding where your time is invested can uncover surprising inefficiencies. So, I understand, this can seem unpleasant (in fact, I sometimes think that this is the reason why some people are reluctant to analyze their time management… for fear of revealing certain inefficiencies!). This is where the analysis of time management takes on its full meaning; it allows you to review and readjust your practices to maximize your productivity. Because, and this reassures you, no one is 100% effective and everyone can improve.

b. Free up time by delegating

Delegating is an art in itself. But how do you know which tasks or roles to delegate? A careful analysis of the use of your time clearly shows you the activities that consume your energy without bringing added value to your strategic role. By identifying the tasks on which you spend too much time and measuring the time you spend on them, you will also be able to know the workload that you delegate. You will see if you can delegate to one or more people, or if you need to recruit.

vs. Define the position of a new recruitment

By breaking down your work week, you can identify areas that need reinforcement. Maybe it’s customer service or social media management that takes up too much of your time? These insights are valuable and serve as the basis for creating new positions within your structure.

One of our clients ran several businesses. He had to delegate certain tasks to free up time. However, his executive assistant and his operations manager were also working too much. By conducting an analysis of their time management and activities, we were able to identify those that were consistent with each other. Between bringing stores up to standard, monitoring suppliers and organizing marketing events, everyone had around ten hours to delegate. It was easy to find one or two additional llc formation services missions to reach a position of “Marketing and Logistics Coordinator” at 35 hours per week, thus freeing up 10 hours for each CODIR manager!

2. How to analyze your management of tasks and activities?

has. List the tasks completed

So now that you are convinced of the value of analyzing your time management, how will you proceed? The first step is to list all the tasks you perform. Be exhaustive, but realistic: limit yourself to those that come back regularly. You will get a list of 20 to 50 tasks or activities. You may have this type of task for example:

• Site visits
• Creation of quotes
• Administrative and financial point
• Technical monitoring
• Development planning and structuring
• Customer visits
• Team meeting
• Etc.

b. Measure time spent per task for 1 week

Use a time tracking method to record how long each task takes you. This can range from a simple stopwatch to more advanced software solutions. Quantify the time by day, then by week. At the end, when you add up the time spent on all your tasks in 1 week, you should arrive at your total weekly working time. If the total seems low, it may be because you have forgotten some activities.

vs. Validate or adjust the list of tasks and activities – group into categories

After a week, review and adjust your list. Some tasks can be grouped into categories to simplify analysis. “Sales follow-up” can include “sending quotes” and “customer reminders” for example.

Let’s also look at “email” or “telephone” type tasks. On the contrary, it may be in your interest to separate the activities that these tasks involve. For example, you can write emails for a customer follow-up (sales follow-up) or to answer a technical question (operational follow-up) or a confirmation of a communication action (marketing communication). The “emails” task does not provide relevant or sufficient information to improve your time management. Adjust your to-do list so you know what areas you’re working on.

d. Measure the time spent a second week

Once your task list is validated, repeat the time measurement for the second week. This confirms trends and gives more reliable data.

e. Calculate time spent per task and category

With two weeks of data, calculate the total time spent per task and category. This will highlight key areas that require attention or change.

Another client worked in the business service field. He worked 55 hours a week, and lacked time to develop additional projects that were close to his heart. By conducting such an analysis, he identified that of the 22 hours he spent responding to customer requests, almost half could be saved by delegating “preventive” communication actions to members of his team.

3. What tools are available to analyze your time management?

has. Chess pendulum

It may seem surprising, but a chess pendulum can be a simple and effective tool for tracking time spent on two competing tasks. If, as a first step, you want to know how much time you spend on 1 or 2 specific tasks, use this tool. The original version is hardware. Digital versions exist via smartphone applications.

b. Sheet, electronic support, dedicated applications

More comprehensive methods include the use of Excel-style spreadsheets or dedicated applications that automate time tracking and analysis. You can stay manual if you prefer the right sheet of paper. It’s up to you to report your notes and make the additions to calculate your total times.

vs. Export from an Outlook-type electronic calendar

For those already using an electronic calendar, exporting data can provide an initial overview of time spent on scheduled appointments and meetings. If you integrate each type of activity into your calendar and adjust it so that it corresponds to the time actually spent, your export will allow you to directly track your times on a spreadsheet.

d. Analysis: really interesting part of the process!

Finally, the analysis. A spreadsheet allows you to sort, analyze and visualize where time was spent and identify anomalies and above all optimization potential. The following steps will focus on setting up or adjusting a “default agenda”, a delegation plan, or an overhaul of certain operating methods. It’s up to you to save more than twenty hours per week!

Conclusion.

By integrating a regular analysis of time management into your leadership routine, you lay the foundations for continuous improvement, better distribution of tasks, and ultimately, a more efficient and proactive company. It’s an initial investment in time that promises exponential returns in productivity, job satisfaction, and financial results.

by Jenny Walker