Working with Others

Other people are an essential part of business, but they can be great time-wasters. Working effectively with people is part of managing your time efficiently.

When you are very busy it is tempting to say, “I will do it myself as I don't have the time to show someone else how to do it - anyway, that way I will make sure it gets done and I will know that it is right.”

This is fine for a little while, when you are up against unexpectedly tight schedules. But in the long run, if you do not spend some time teaching someone else to do the task you will have burdened yourself with an unwanted extra, simply because no-one else can do it.

If that task takes an hour of your time per week and if teaching someone else to do it will take a total of two to three hours, you could save yourself nearly fifty hours during the year.

Working Productively Together

Being aware of other people’s time will help you to ensure that they value yours. Here are some ideas on how to maximise joint efforts:

• Make sure you pass on relevant information at the time that you receive it. If others get this information too late they will have wasted their time working to the original instructions. Or they will waste your time, interrupting you to ask questions.
• When you have a brilliant idea, which causes you to change your mind, remember to tell others. If you do not, they will continue with previously agreed activities which may not now be relevant.
• Agree deadlines with those involved and let them know how you arrived at the timing of the deadline. Say, “We need to get this done by next Tuesday, and the reason for this is so that we...” You will find people more likely to get things done on time when they understand why.
• If you ask someone to work late, make sure the task is really that urgent and not something that could be done tomorrow. Otherwise, you will have not only caused them to give up their time, but they will be less willing to take on urgent work next time you ask.

Communicating Effectively

Communicating is basically about making sure other people have understood what you want them to do, and that you have understood the instructions given to you. Look at how you give instructions to others, and make sure that:

• You use clear, everyday words when giving instructions. Make sure that there is no ambiguity in what you say. This increases the chances of things being right first time. It is extraordinary how few people will take the time to do something right the first time yet will somehow find the time to re-do it.
• On the telephone, check that people have written down important information by asking them to repeat it back to you.
• When recording a message on your answering machine, you help people to leave a coherent message by inviting them to give not only their name and number but the time and day that they called. It is surprising how many calls are overtaken by events, which often, make messages useless.

You can help others to make better use of your time by looking at how you are given instructions.

For example:

• Verify that you have understood what is required and ask questions to clarify points of detail.
• Write down important information when talking on the telephone and read it back to ensure its accuracy.
• When you leave a message on an answering machine, say who you are, the day and time that you called, what your message relates to and a current contact telephone number.

The disciplines involved in effective communication are worth the time spent on them. They prevent the time-wasting aggravation of having to unravel misunderstandings. Communicating properly contributes considerably to making the best possible use of your time.