Time Management Tip 2: Operate on a 'need-to-know' basis

I recently worked with an organisation for whom their monthly newsletter is a key part of their business development activity. In fact, the newsletter is regarded as so critical, that the final draft has to be approved by each board member before it is sent to anyone.

So guess what? By the time everyone has checked the final draft and amended it, the information for the newsletter has become so out of date, that it rarely gets sent.

A classic case of too many cooks spoiling the broth and a classic time management howler!

Time wasting occurs when too many people are involved in the decision making process. Whilst on the one hand, diversity, quality control and prudence are important attributes, left unchecked, these qualities can cause hesitancy and disagreement, hindering decisive action.

Whether you are a small business, a large corporate, or an SME, ensure you operate on a 'need-to-know' basis and avoid drawing too many people into the decisions which must be made.

Tip 1: Minimise the amount of people you copy into your emails. Before you copy your message to your contacts/colleagues, ask yourself a simple question, "does everyone I've copied in, really need to know this stuff?"

Tip 2: Minimise the number of people involved in meetings and key decisions. The more people involved, the longer it will take to reach a decision and the more time you've wasted by diverting your colleagues away from tackling other priorities.

Tip 3: Review your internal processes on a regular basis and identify in which parts, the decision making process is cumbersome.

Tip 4: Before you divulge any information, be clear on who really needs to know it.

Thanks for reading

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