“Where did my day go?”
There are only so many hours in the day, and your productivity will depend on managing time well to get you the most significant return.
Unfortunately, most field service professionals- from drivers to managers- find themselves immersed in time-consuming tasks that add little value to the bottom line.
As highlighted in leadership consultant Rory Vaden’s bestseller Procrastinate on Purpose, almost 74% of people are not maximizing their potential in professional activities, despite working more hours.
Ever wondered why we still struggle to meet delivery deadlines, despite having access to the latest tools and technology?
This is because our perspective of time management is wrong.
There is more to time management than just writing to-do lists and prioritizing tasks. It is a failing practice to decide your priorities by assessing their relative urgency. Time management is more about self-management. Effective self-management is equal to sharpening your ax.
According to Rory, most successful business owners and workers have learned the art of calculating the significance of a task to determine how and when it should be done. This awareness makes them “time multipliers.”
If you want to multiply your time, you need to learn the difference between urgency and importance of tasks. Ask yourself “What is the most significant thing I can do today that will free up more time tomorrow and help me in the long run?” In other words, thinking about how we spend our time today so that it creates more free time tomorrow can be the most significant productivity multiplier.
Can you think of things that, if done today, will help multiply your time tomorrow? Well, here are three things all field service professionals need to do today – eliminate, automate, and delegate.
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Eliminate the Unnecessary
When you want to multiply time, instead of adding tips and tricks to your life, think of habits that you can eliminate. Consider the significance of tasks you complete instead of their volume. We often avoid eliminating old habits or processes simply because we find it emotionally challenging to say no, but every time you say “no” to an old habit, you also say “no” to spending more time with family and loved ones.
Building the right habits is hard work, but they are powerful time multipliers. Habits either make you productive or distracted. Cultivating the right habits is half the battle won. However, since habits are unconscious behaviors, they are hard to change.
Take a driver’s on-road habits, for example. The majority of delivery drivers practice unsafe driving habits such as harsh braking, speeding, and aggressive driving. These habits can cost them their life. To monitor bad driving practices and ensure driver safety, many field service businesses are investing in route optimization software with GPS tracking features. A route optimizer with a GPS tracker will not just monitor the speed of your vehicles, but also send you alerts if vehicles exceed the designated speed limit. GPS tracking can play an integral role in helping drivers get rid of their bad habits.
Automate as Much as Possible
People hesitate at the thought of automating specific tasks because they are worried that they don’t have the money or time to change a process. A task that takes 30 minutes when done manually may only take 2 mins when automated. Every moment you waste in doing a task manually, you are losing not just time but also money. Remember, time is money.
Let’s take the example of route optimization. This task can take hours when done manually. However, with Route4Me’s route planner, the same task can be completed in less than 30 seconds.
Route4Me’s routing software will ensure that every route your drivers or sales teams take is an efficient one. That way, your field and sales reps are more productive without rushing to do so.
Delegate the Non-Essential Tasks
If your current to-do list does not justify your unique skill set, it is a waste of your time. Delegate it. Teach someone else. Find other people who are capable of doing this. The majority of professionals are afraid to delegate because they think the job will either not get done or the quality will be compromised. Your success will be determined by the strength of your team, both in your professional and personal life. Offloading non-essential tasks can be a massive time multiplier. If you can train the right people, that delegation will help you utilize your time better. Isn’t that a real-life situation showing you the power of time multiplier effect?
Conclusion
If you want to be efficient, you need to be in control of time. This means you need to focus your efforts on activities that will free up more of your time tomorrow. When you prioritize your tasks, build good habits, and delete the unnecessary tasks, you get a massive return on your investment. Like all smart investments, the better you invest time, the better return you get.
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