Most of us know that time is a non-renewable resource.  Once it’s gone, it’s impossible to ever get it back.  For people leaders, even the best time managers understand the importance of effective time management. However with increasing demands of having to do more with a lot less, carving time to spend one-on-one with staff is becoming increasingly challenging.

Given that the primary focus of most organizations is growth, people leaders will need to minimize the heavy administrative work that prevents them from fulfilling their critical role to honorably lead change, manage and motivate a multi generational workforce and maximize opportunities to coach and develop their people.

Mismanagement of time may impede the organizations ability to deliver on initiatives and have devastating consequences on short-term results and long-term gains as 4 out of 10 employees are mostly or entirely disengaged, according to a Global Workforce Survey conducted by Towers Perrin.  Re-evaluating the administrative tasks and interruptions that are administrative in nature are part of the steps necessary to begin shifting away from the money drainers toward better time investments that have capability to energize employees and multiply workforce productivity.  By making these changes, People Leaders help to communicate the organizational message that every employee is respected and valued. 

Below are a couple of actions front-line People Leaders can apply to minimize administrative work and spend more time coaching and developing employees:

• Invite the department’s input on the following: 

                            -   “If you were to eliminate 1 hour of non-core work, what would it be?

                                  And what stakeholders might be impacted by this?

                           -    “If we were to minimize formal meeting times and interruptions that are

                                 administrative in nature, where might we organize and post information

                                where everyone could gain access to?”

                       -        “What templates or tools could help simplify a process and allow a task

                                 to be completed in less time?’

• Carefully assess the administrative tasks that are assigned to frontline managers and hi-potentials.  Ensure they are adding sufficient value and find ways to simplify.
• Consider 10 minute Hot Topic meetings each day (face-to-face where possible or virtually) that provides team connection on top priorities for the day. 

Making continual adjustments in time that focuses on developing the team will enhance the quality of relationships while yielding higher ROI on workforce performance and culture.