​Methods to Reducing Owner Work Hours by Automating, Systemising then Delegating

In most countries, the working sector puts up 40 to 45 hours of work every week. While some may think that this is enough, business heads, bosses and managers try to finish as much as they can even after the employees have gone home. Micro-management, like what experts say, is a great grassroots approach of allowing leaders to be part of the working process instead of heading them. However, by putting too much time at work, owners eventually get distracted and easily stressed, resulting to important tasks not getting prioritized. With this disorganization, so much time is taken up at the expense of gaining income.

As the boss of your own company, you should understand the importance of having a strong management process. By having a solid workflow, you are able to recognize and maintain your top workers, align your goals and create an engaging atmosphere for the working environment.

When machineries were invented, the task of performing dangerous and even complicated work relied heavily on technology. This resulted into lesser workforce as machines eliminated the physical and mental limitations of humans. The rise of human workers were again felt when automation, systematization and delegation were also incorporated in the workplace.

The use of computers rapidly sped up the workflow of organizations since it helps with relaying orders and information. The use of automation and telecommunications eventually led to fewer complications at work. Work can even be done at the comfort of homes. Software and programs that help organize tasks, distribute electronic mails and evaluate job performances are being adopted by companies that house hundreds of employees.

Both employees and employers have access to all the information that they need. Ratings and productivity can easily be seen and reported. At the same time, less working hours is needed since necessary jobs are sorted out and prioritized. The workplace becomes an impenetrable system that minimizes mistakes and idle time. It also saves a lot of paperwork and administrative processes.

In order to cut off the workload that a leader is handling, he or she has to delegate other tasks. The most important task that you as a boss must be able to accomplish is teaching your staff to think of the proper queries and do the right tasks so that you can take a day off or do other jobs.

However, delegation is a vital skill that is often unused and misunderstood. Some leaders tend to think that it is too bothersome to delegate, since it is more efficient if they would just do the work themselves. This is job-hoarding. Insufficient delegation will lead to lack of motivation among your employees and strange indispensability on your part.

Some leaders are afraid to give out tasks to others because they have been berated in the past by their predecessors. This is why you as a boss should keep in mind the performances of your employees. By assigning the right task to a skilled worker, you minimize the risk of failure. Delegating jobs should not be a burden. Incorporate it on your development plans. Keep in mind the right person to delegate future projects. Encourage them to participate since this is also part of their performance goals.

The nice thing about having an automated and delegated working environment is that it is a win-win situation for both employers and employees. It cuts of work hours for you while it also serves as a learning step for future leaders.

Automation and delegation should be one of the primary components in mapping your system of labor. Research says that most of the problems in business are due to lack of a functioning system of processes.

There are a lot of things that you should keep in mind when mapping a production flowchart. First, it is helpful to listen to the opinions of your employees who are responsible in a certain process. They are more familiar with the obstacles and intricacy of doing the jobs assigned to them. It is important to also take note of the start and end points of each task. With this, you’ll be able to identify the objectives of each process and the desired output that you need to meet.

After knowing what the processes are for, set the objective expectations of the customer and the supplier. As a team, you need to work out the requirements that must be met in order to satisfy both. The customer brings in profit, while the supplier brings in the necessary ingredients.

Employees should think of themselves as internal or external customer as well. They each should fulfil the demands of other employees of the processes as well as demand needs to their suppliers. For each process, it is best to identify a leader. He is the one responsible for meeting the end of the process. This is to ensure efficiency among the workers. A process leader is also responsible in making decisions for his team.

One of the best samples of management methods is the employment of the SMART goals. A business manager or owner develops S-pecific, M-easurable, A-ttainable, R-ealistic and T-ime-framed objectives for each process. The development of ratings and weighted grades can also provide visibility to an employee’s performance. At the end of each month, you can review the scores of your team members and send in an anonymous feedback in order to cultivate accountability and empowerment.

Once agreed upon by all, you as a boss should document the mapping of the process workflow. Writing each process and organizing them in the manner that is most efficient to your team is essential. You can throw out ideas about what is the best possible way to eliminate work without compromising the product or services that you offer.

You’d notice that you can save a lot of time by eliminating unnecessary processes and focusing down on what is needed. Saved working time can be allotted to different purposes. You can plan on future endeavours for your business, delegate tasks for the next day or simply enjoy the freedom and build friendship with your team outside the workplace.