The business is looking good, but the office is a mess.  You have great people who are taking care of things, but you’re not sure you know what they do or how they do it!

Believe it or not, you could be losing money in inefficiencies; but a well-run office and staff can save you thousands of dollars, hours each week, and provide even more support for your goals.  You’re feeling the “curse of success”, so many clients and so little time that you no longer know what’s going on “behind the scenes”.

You may have been so busy ‘fire-fighting’ that you haven’t had the opportunity to see the long-term value of reviewing best-practices in your own environment.  But when the office operates on a “that’s the way we’ve always done it” basis, it’s time to rethink the priorities, reconsider the process and rework the tasks!

Through giving your staff the authority to manage responsibilities, information and tasks, they are more likely to find ways to save time and money. At optimal efficiency there is no “busy work”, just productive work.

Where to start? 

Ask each person to list their duties or tasks, include due dates and how long it takes to complete, find out where this information is used and how it flows through the business.  Inquire as to what THEY think is important.   As you get this information, you’re gaining insight to your employees’ responsibilities, strengths, and most importantly what they see as the priorities.

You might have thought you knew what was going on, but now you’re starting to see it on paper and may be surprised.  Are their priorities in-sync with yours and is their work supporting your goals?  Is the right person doing the right job or tasks based on their skills and proficiency? 

Tip:  Don’t have time to review this information in detail?  Then why not share the combined information with staff and ask them what they think can be improved?  Most employees take it as a vote of confident when the boss asks for their opinions and ideas. 

Finally, the key to efficiency is organizing.  Some people are very (and naturally) organized and others are not.  Being organized isn’t a ‘magic gene’ and either “you’re born with it” or not.  For most people this is an aptitude that, when learned, is applicable to all facets of life.  You may find your employees welcome the training where they can learn new techniques and how to maximize the assets (office equipment, software applications and space) that are most likely already available to them.

Need help to see the big picture or discover those hidden assets in your office? Feel free to phone or email me.