Six programs can make offices livelier, more efficient

Time is money. Efficient offices use time to the fullest and maintain maximum productivity, resulting in increased sales faster. Employees, as opposed to burning out, thrive in a fast-paced environment.

In today's firms, everyone is extremely busy, but busy at what? The bottom-line issue is not time, since associates receive the same number of hours each day. Value is important, not hours worked. The key is focusing on priorities that will result in a high return on investment in terms of the attainment of organizational goals.

Unfortunately, the important tends to take a back seat to the urgent. Perfec-tionists take 10 times longer than what is needed to complete an assignment. Subordinates and supervisors alike tend to remain within comfort zones rather than try new methods to maximize time.

Six programs will enable you to combat these issues for efficiency:

First, determine if the majority of a worker's time is focused on priorities netting the greatest return on investment. Prepare an outline of the major job duties of the position ranked in order of importance, and reflect if each one results in a high, medium or low return on investment. Arrange a time log form and document every responsibility performed daily for at least one week. Ensure the majority of the team member's time is spent on tasks that contribute to the goals of the business.

Second, streamline activities incorporating the cubing technique. Review one area of accountability at a time. Determine the desired result and write the details of the process. Decide and eliminate unnecessary steps, redundancies, inconsistencies and unjustifiable aspects. Focus on results. Ascertain if there is a better way.

Third, create a computerized to-do list for each staff member. Document on-going daily and weekly activities along with time required to finish each. Create a separate section for projects and other short-term assignments. Follow up regularly to maintain accountability.

Fourth, think like a consultant who bills clients based upon time spent. Calculate the hourly bill rate of each laborer, which should consist of payroll costs and the corporate profit margin. For existing duties, determine the hours necessary and decide if the cost justifies the effort. For new endeavors, measure the approximate amount of time an undertaking will involve prior to beginning. Compare this cost to the value the new project or job duty brings to the enterprise. Make adjustments by retaining, modifying or dropping the effort.

Fifth, speed up meetings. Devise an agenda prior to the meeting. Document the purpose, start and stop times, items to review, time limits for each item and the action desired such as discussion needed or decisions expected. Place the most important topics at the top to guarantee coverage. Distribute the agenda to every attendee at least two days prior to the meeting. Start on time regardless of who has not arrived. Review the plan. Appoint an employee to monitor the time.

Sixth, accelerate activity. Emphasize action. Loosen up and be willing to occasionally wing it. Make a decision and, as Nike says, "Just do it!" Remain focused on the payoff while implementing changes to multiply efficiency. Watch time available to hourly workers and managers expand while stress and crisis management decrease. Most of all, ob-serve quality, customer satisfaction and sales-and-profit increase, the ultimate reasons why companies are in business.

(Lynne Haggerman is president/ owner of Haggerman & Associates, a retained search, outplacement, management training, and human re-sources consulting firm.)