As a business owner and mother of two active boys, my life is constantly hectic. When I started my company, I began pouring more and more hours into my work, which was stressful for my family and me.
The working trap is normal. Americans spend about 8.7 hours per day at work. Small business owners work 47 percent more hours per week now than they did five years ago.
I quickly realized that I didn’t want to be part of this growing trend. I learned that once everything has a schedule, it all falls into place. Managing my time became a top priority for me as a mom and a business leader. I also established this goal for our team members and helped them become more productive.
Time management is a skill every entrepreneur must master, and it becomes more crucial as a company expands. If you can’t manage your time when your business is small, the consequences will get worse as your company grows.
Avoid These Common Pitfalls
Here are common time traps entrepreneurs fall into as their companies grow:
1. Micromanaging
Expanding your team can easily become a full-time job, so hire team leaders who can select and train new staff members. No matter what function you’re hiring for, have the associated team leader manage those tasks and give you periodic updates. Micromanagement is a drain that builds resentment among your employees without accomplishing much.
2. Too Much Talking
Keep business-related communication brief and to the point. We use instant messaging at my company for most of our daily tasks, and it saves us a lot of time and energy. We’re big on team events and networking, so I hold back my chatting instincts until those occasions and instill the same mentality in my team. The effect on our productivity has been amazing.
3. Equating More Hours With Increased Productivity
Everyone on my staff has something important to do outside of work, whether it’s parenting or participating in a hobby. Our company has grown because of everyone’s commitment to being productive while they’re at work, so I never ask anyone to work overtime.
4. Setting Impossible Goals
There’s never going to be enough time to get everything done. The important thing is doing the work that matters. Write down a few measurable, realistic goals, assign a timeline, and stick to it.
5. Holding Too Many Meetings
Meetings are an important part of a company’s culture as long as they produce outcomes. Meetings at my company can’t last more than 30 minutes. We hold just a couple of meetings a week, which keeps people on track and forces everyone to do their homework in advance.
How to Find Balance
It can be challenging to grow your company in a way that creates less work for you, not more. Time management is ultimately about managing your life. Using my time well means I have more time for my family without neglecting my business. If you set the tone for productivity at your company, your team will follow suit.
Here are a few habits I’ve developed that make me a more productive and relaxed leader, businesswoman, and mother:
1. Plan it all. I keep a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual planner with events and tasks ranging from partnership meetings and customer calls to children’s performances and what I’m cooking for dinner.
2. Articulate goals. Write down your goals for each day at work and at home, stick to them, and check them at day’s end. Every morning at breakfast, we talk about what we want to achieve that day. (Even our 5-year-old takes part!)
3. Use your morning well. The most productive time of day should be used for your most important priorities. I spend the first half hour at work checking in with everyone so I know if there are urgent issues to address. This also saves time by helping me avoid interruptions during the day.
4. Establish break times. I break at certain times to take a breather outside, read, and handle personal matters.
5. End on time. Everyone at my company leaves work by 4 p.m. My life revolves around my family, and I encourage my staff members to put their families first.
Being able to balance your responsibilities at work and at home sets a strong example for your employees. If your team members see you manage your time efficiently, they’ll implement the same tactics in their lives, which benefits your company. You’ll see an increase in productivity from your entire team, but it must start at the top.