Time, it’s something we can’t see, touch, or taste – but we can measure it. Time passes non-stop, it governs everything we do and our brains are wired to track it in our personal and professional lives.
And it’s in the business world where time is seen to be of significant importance, from submitting those important documents on time, to tracking performance, measuring margins and so much more.
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Why Does Time Management Mean So Much to Us?
Time really is precious and one of the most common feelings to have in the pressures of the modern world is that it’s moving too fast, or we’re ‘running out of it when we have important deadlines to meet in either our work or personal life. It can however also seem slow when we’re bored and have nothing to occupy us.
For as long as we can remember we have tried to manage time so that our lives are balanced. We set alarms to wake us up, we have timers that manage our appliances and devices. We work to time when we travel and check timetables. When we go out to the cinema, a concert, sporting event we check what time they start and finish. We even ‘time’ the performance of athletes to assess their ability.
It’s hardly surprising therefore that time management is now front and center of our working lives. It helps us personally to perform to the best of our ability, to be as productive as we can, and in doing so, enhances our value in the business world by achieving a better bottom line.
The Importance of Time Management
It’s a ‘no brainer’ or is it? Like everything, it has to be done properly in order to produce results and many of us will admit to poor time management at some stage. We create unnecessary deadlines which could mean working later than we need to. Some will become involved in a vicious circle of firefighting or keeping all the balls in the air on a daily basis which can actually have a more detrimental effect on business than we think.
Managing time better means we are more productive and our stress levels fall; we have time to think rather than knee jerk and as a result are much happier.
Sounds pretty straightforward right? Well yes and no. You can’t just decide one day to do things differently to overcome all the issues of poor time management. Newcomers to time management will face a host of hurdles and pitfalls that they will need to overcome to become successful, happier, and stress-free.
Time for Business
Now that we’ve looked at the effects that time can have on us as individuals, it’s important to see a link between these and the effects of poor time management on your business.
In an ideal business world, everyone will be time champions, able to work in harmony, in a structured, organized and timely fashion – but the truth is, we’re all human and have our own way of structuring our day to the needs of a business.
So, what exactly are the consequences of ineffective time management and how can we look to overcome some of the hurdles involved to protect our businesses.
Sorry, I Got Distracted!
You might be surprised to know that employees can lose up to 25% of their working day by allowing themselves to become distracted by a plethora of seemingly innocent things.
A quick look at social media platforms, slack messages, a chat by the coffee machine, phone calls, and emails all eat into time and in some cases can completely divert thoughts and actions for the day like a snowball rolling down a hill.
So, at the end of the day it’s quite likely that what was on the business agenda for the day has not been achieved with some having to spend longer at their desks to complete a time-related task – all in all not a very successful day. Your employees go home stressed and worried about how they can catch up the next day, and so it continues.
Employee Morale
It’s no shock that running a business comes with a heightened sense of responsibility, stress, and the want to have a ‘well oiled’ organization, but one of the consequences of ineffective time management is that employee morale can drop significantly with employees lacking structure and direction during daily tasks or longer-term projects.
Taking heed of what is happening around them, low morale can be contagious, so by having a chaotic and disorganized workplace, your employees are going to feel the pressure.
Picture the classic image of the chaotic office, pieces of paper flying, the panic in the voice of those about to walk into a meeting unprepared for what comes next, and a manager tirelessly trying to figure out what’s gone wrong – well the reality sometimes isn’t far off this mental image.
Working for an organization that has structured systems in place to track time, progress and projects can significantly improve the way that employees work by instilling confidence in the company’s overall approach to achievable deadlines and quality.
Setting and Achieving Goals
Setting life and business goals is at the heart of how we operate as human beings, constantly striving to self-improve, to reach that next promotion, to make more money – all of which have a common denominator which is time.
Without time management in our life, we would easily lose focus of where we are heading, what the real purpose is, and the motivation to carry on, which is no different in the business world. Most of us love the incremental gains that we see from starting and completing tasks and without setting goals or one’s that are unachievable, the consequences can be disastrous. It’s here where time management steps in to bridge the gap between what can be managed, and what can’t.
Decreased Quality of Work
Arguably one of the biggest effects of poor time management on your business can come in the form of decreased quality and regardless of industry, it applies to all businesses that are pushed for time or don’t have a manageable time system in place.
Whatever the organization, a decreased quality in output should be a real concern as it can directly affect your reputation and profits – not to mention that it can be dangerouscan dangerous if you’re operating in an environment involving the health and safety of others.
The result of the work that your employees perform is ultimately how others will see you as a business, and in this case, good time management can ensure that tasks are carried out to a standard that your business needs.
Burnout of Employees
Most of us at some point have complained about feeling overworked and exhausted, but as the stresses and strains of increased workloads, deadlines and responsibilities creep further into our careers, burnout syndrome is becoming extremely more common as a consequence of ineffective time management.
Unsurprisingly, many statistics that are emerging from burnout give time or lack of it as a major contributory factor.
From a business perspective, employee burnout can affect levels of employee engagement and confidence levels in teams which, in turn, can have a negative impact on job satisfaction, employee retention, customer relationships, and overall success.
With poor time management and organization inextricably linked to burnout, reducing employee burnout is crucial for organizations because of the impact it has on areas like innovation, productivity, and staff retention.
Time Tracking by Quidlo
Fortunately, there are solutions out there that can help you and your business overcome all of the issues mentioned when it comes to the effects of poor time management.
Quidlo Timesheets is an intelligent time tracker that allows you and your team to manage:
- Projects & Team Members
- Employee Databases
- Time and Money (soon) Spent on Each Project
- Timesheet Management
Safely syncing data between multiple devices, it provides control over time logging, working alongside the apps and tools you already use (such as slack), allowing you to manage projects in one place.
Quidlo’s unique selling point is that it gives significant insights into your tasks and projects by allowing users to explore and break down crucial time management data, giving you a true picture and overview of how your business is performing time-wise.
Why Time Tracking Is an Essential Tool for Your Business
Apart from the obvious benefit of overall better time management, time tracking by Quidlo allows you to go deeper into your business operations, optimizing your team’s performance and ensuring that work is correctly distributed which ultimately ensures that your employees have a manageable workload within their current hours.
Time tracking software also brings benefits in the form of allowing you and your employees to strive for more, by showing individuals and teams where they’re heading and where they need to be – without missing deadlines.
What’s more, you’ll be able to identify who may need additional assistance in completing an important deadline by correctly aligning your resources before it’s too late!
3 Ways to Use Quidlo Timesheets
These days, business is rarely done in one static environment and many of us work from different locations on many different devices, which is why Quidlo can be utilized on multiple devices giving you important access to the time management information that is driving your business and productivity.
Quidlo Timesheets web app
Track time, generate reports, manage your entire team and keep an eye on business. All in one user-friendly, dynamic tool.
Quidlo Timesheets from your phone
Track your time on the go with our mobile app. Stay on top of your projects and time tasks whenever you need.
Quidlo Timesheets on your desktop
Manage Quidlo Timesheets using the slick, user-friendly desktop app. Take control of your projects, view reports, and collaborate with your team all in one place.
The Take-Away
If you’re looking to optimize your business operations and want to have a more stable working process within the teams and individuals you manage, then a time management tool such as Quidlo Timesheets can be a simple and incredibly effective way of getting time back on your side whilst avoiding the abovementioned consequences of ineffective time management.
Try Quidlo Timesheets yourself and start the 30-day trial today to see how a fresh approach to time management can change the face of your business for you and your employees.
