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Whether you own a business or are the head of a department, you know the importance of getting work-related tasks done effectively. If you find that your company's efficiency could use a boost, here are six things you can try.
Move to the Cloud
94% of enterprises use a cloud service, and if you are not one of them, it may be time to make the switch. A switch to the cloud offers cost savings, but it also enables you and your employees to access files from anywhere. There is no more struggling to connect to work servers via a pesky VPN when you can simply log into your company cloud account and access anything you need in seconds. Those who are not ready to fully commit to the cloud can also consider a hybrid option, where some data is hosted in-house and some is in the cloud. Hybrid cloud benefits also include the ability to backup your files so nothing is ever truly lost if your system is compromised.
Automate Certain Tasks
There are some tasks that can and should be done automatically so that your staff can focus on more important things. Consider automating things like payroll, which is typically a fairly straightforward process that takes your accounting team away from other pressing work. If you send regular marketing emails, draft a batch and then schedule them to be sent as soon as you are finished drafting. That way, you won't have to waste time firing up your email marketing client every time you are ready to send a pre-drafted message.
Schedule "Catch-Up" Meetings
Nothing can get you off task or bring your progress to a halt like random meetings that no one is prepared for. To avoid interrupting everyone, schedule short (about 10 minutes) daily or weekly "catch-up" meetings where everyone can get on the same page and discuss goals and projects for the week. If everyone know what every department is doing, you are much less likely to be blown off course by a random "got a minute?" conversation that lasts longer than expected.
Encourage Employee Facetime
If all or some of your employees work in the same office, encourage them to chat with each other if they have a question or concern. Instant messaging may seem like the most efficient way to communicate with coworkers, but more often than not, you end up waiting for a response or get stuck down a rabbit hole of back-and-forth chatter that gets you nowhere. Face-to-face communication improves employee confidence and also helps ensure that everyone understands the question or topic being discussed. Things can get lost in translation via text or messenger, and conversing in person can help avoid that.
Delegate
Do not be afraid (or too proud) to delegate some tasks to other people. Find some employees or coworkers who you trust and when you are feeling overwhelmed, ask them to help you with whatever tasks you feel comfortable assigning them. If you are incredibly stressed, your work is likely to suffer and your employees may also be affected by your stress, even though you may think you are hiding it well. Delegating tasks to employees not only makes your workload more manageable, but it also shows employees that they are trusted and may make them perform better as a result.
Make Lists
Create lists where you itemize tasks in order of importance. Knock the most important things out first, and then begin to focus on the other things that still have to be accomplished but are not as serious. By doing the most stressful things first, you'll feel better (and less annoyed) about all of the mundane things that you still have to do.
Business efficiency is essential to success, but it can be tough to get it back once lost. If your company could use a boost, try some of these easy tips and you'll begin to see your efficiency soar.