As a manager, leader of an account management team, or business owner overseeing management of your existing client relationships, understanding how to manage time effectively is crucial to improving your team’s productivity and client satisfaction.
If you feel your team is overwhelmed by urgent but not important tasks, here are some steps to help you and your team track time, identify high-value activities, and prioritise strategic planning.
Step 1: Start by Tracking Your Team’s Time
The first step to managing time effectively is to understand how it’s currently being spent. Encourage your team to use a time tracking app or even a simple spreadsheet to log their activities. Break down the day into 30-minute intervals and note each task performed, whether it’s client meetings, email correspondence, internal discussions, or strategic planning.
Consistency is key. Track activities for at least a week to get an accurate picture of time usage. Make it a habit for your team to log activities immediately rather than trying to recall them at the end of the day. Once tasks are logged, group them into categories such as client-facing activities, administrative tasks, strategic planning, and team collaboration. This will help identify patterns and areas where too much or too little time is being spent.
Step 2: Analyse Tracked Time to Maximise Team Impact
After tracking time for a week, you’ll have a detailed log of activities. The next step is to analyse this data to determine where your team’s time can be most impactful.
- Identify High-Value Activities: Look through tracked tasks and identify activities that directly contribute to client satisfaction and retention. These might include client meetings, strategic planning sessions, and personalised follow-ups. High-value activities are those that help build stronger relationships with clients and drive their success.
- Spot Time-Wasters: Identify tasks that consume a lot of time but offer little value in return. Common culprits include excessive email correspondence, redundant meetings, and administrative tasks that could be automated or delegated. Reducing time spent on these activities can free up more time for high-value tasks.
- Delegate and Automate: Consider delegating tasks that don’t require specific expertise. Administrative duties, routine follow-ups, and data entry can often be delegated to team members or automated using technology. Additionally, outsourcing low client impact tasks can further free up valuable time. This allows your team to focus on strategic, high-impact activities.
Step 3: Prioritise Strategic Planning with Box Scheduling
Strategic planning is crucial for effective client management, yet it often gets pushed aside by urgent tasks. One effective way to ensure prioritisation of strategic planning is by scheduling it into the calendar using box scheduling.
Box scheduling involves dedicating specific blocks of time solely for strategic planning. While it takes some time to get into the groove, it’s highly effective once established. By setting aside uninterrupted time, your team can focus on developing account plans, identifying growth opportunities, and understanding client needs without distractions.
For a visual guide on what time box scheduling looks like and how to implement it, try googling ‘time box scheduling.’ Nir and Far have an excellent article on this method that can provide further insights.
Encourage your team to schedule a couple of hours per week for strategic planning and to treat these blocks as non-negotiable. Support your team members to take this time each week to stay proactive and strategic, leading to better outcomes for clients and the business.
By tracking time, analysing activities, and prioritising strategic planning, you can significantly enhance your team’s effectiveness in client management. Start implementing these changes today to see a marked improvement in productivity and client relationships.
Are you looking to strengthen your business’s client relationships and drive sustained profitability while streamlining internal processes? Contact Sharon for a complimentary 45-minute discovery call.
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