The Art of Beating Procrastination: Tips and Strategies for Effective Time Management

The Art of Beating Procrastination: Tips and Strategies for Effective Time Management

by | Aug 30, 2023 | General, Project Management, Software, Time Tracking

Procrastination is a silent assassin of productivity. It lurks in the shadows, sapping your time and energy while leaving you with a mountain of unfinished tasks. We’ve all been there, caught in the web of delaying important tasks in favor of short-term distractions. But fear not, for the art of beating procrastination is a skill that can be mastered with the right techniques and mindset. In this article, we’ll explore the root causes of procrastination and provide practical tips and strategies for managing your workload and daily chores based on priority.

Understanding Procrastination

Before we delve into how to beat procrastination, it’s essential to understand why we procrastinate in the first place. Procrastination often stems from a combination of psychological and environmental factors:

  1. Lack of motivation: When a task seems uninteresting or overwhelming, it’s easy to put it off.
  2. Perfectionism: The fear of not doing a task perfectly can lead to procrastination. This mindset creates unnecessary pressure.
  3. Poor time management: Not having a clear plan or schedule can result in tasks piling up, leading to procrastination.
  4. Distractions: Our modern world is filled with distractions – social media, TV, and more – that can easily divert our attention from important tasks.
  5. Lack of discipline: Procrastination often occurs when there’s a lack of self-discipline or willpower to stay on track.

Now that we understand why we procrastinate, let’s explore some practical strategies to overcome it.

1. Prioritize Your Tasks

One of the most effective ways to beat procrastination is by prioritizing your tasks. The Eisenhower Matrix, a time management tool, can be a great aid here. It divides tasks into four categories:

  • Urgent and important: These tasks should be your top priority. They have immediate consequences if not completed.
  • Important but not urgent: Focus on these tasks once you’ve handled the urgent ones. They contribute to your long-term goals.
  • Urgent but not important: These tasks may seem pressing but don’t contribute significantly to your goals. Try to delegate or minimize them.
  • Not urgent and not important: These tasks are often distractions. Minimize or eliminate them from your to-do list.

By categorizing your tasks, you can clearly see what needs your immediate attention and what can wait. This not only helps in managing your workload but also minimizes the chances of procrastinating on crucial tasks.

2. Set Specific Goals

Vague goals can lead to procrastination because they lack clarity. Instead of saying, “I’ll work on the project tomorrow,” be specific: “I will spend one hour researching and outlining the project tomorrow at 10 AM.” Specific goals create a sense of direction and purpose, making it easier to get started.

3. Break Tasks into Smaller Steps

Large tasks can be daunting and overwhelming, which can trigger procrastination. To overcome this, break your tasks into smaller, manageable steps. For instance, if you need to write a 20-page report, start by outlining it, then work on one section at a time. Completing these smaller steps gives you a sense of accomplishment, which can motivate you to tackle the next one.

4. Create a Schedule

A well-structured schedule can be a powerful tool against procrastination. Allocate specific time slots for your tasks, including breaks. Stick to your schedule as closely as possible. Tools like calendars, task management apps, or time-blocking techniques can help you organize your day effectively.

5. Use Time Management Techniques

Various time management techniques can help you stay focused and productive:

6. Find Your Peak Productivity Hours

Everyone has specific times of the day when they are most productive. Identify your peak productivity hours and schedule your most important tasks during this time. This can significantly boost your efficiency and reduce procrastination.

7. Minimize Distractions

Identify your common distractions and take steps to minimize them. Turn off notifications on your phone or computer, create a clutter-free workspace, and use website blockers if necessary. Consider using noise-cancelling headphones if you’re easily distracted by noise.

8. Embrace Imperfection

Perfectionism often leads to procrastination because the fear of not doing something perfectly can paralyze you. Instead, embrace imperfection. Understand that it’s okay to make mistakes and that completing a task, even if it’s not perfect, is better than not doing it at all.

9. Reward Yourself

Incorporate rewards into your task management strategy. After completing a significant task or reaching a milestone, treat yourself to something you enjoy, whether it’s a snack, a walk, or a brief relaxation session. Rewards can provide motivation and make tasks seem less daunting.

10. Seek Accountability

Share your goals and progress with a friend, family member, or colleague who can hold you accountable. Knowing that someone is aware of your commitments can motivate you to stay on track.

Conclusion

Beating procrastination is an ongoing process that requires self-awareness, discipline, and the right strategies. By understanding the underlying causes of procrastination and implementing these practical tips and strategies, you can effectively manage your workload and daily chores based on priority. Remember that overcoming procrastination is not about being perfect but about making consistent progress toward your goals. So, start today, take small steps, and watch your productivity soar.

Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash

6 Steps to Boost Project Success with A Risk Plan

6 Steps to Boost Project Success with A Risk Plan

by | Aug 22, 2023 | General, Project Management, Software, Time Tracking

Greetings, fellow project trailblazers! Today, we’re diving headfirst into the magical world of project management, where the dragons are deadlines, the dungeons are budgets, and the treasures are… well, successful projects, of course! But fear not, because we’ve got a spellbook to share – a risk management plan sprinkled with a hearty dose of humor to tame those fiery dragons and conquer any project trolls that come your way. So, saddle up your imaginary unicorns, because this is going to be an adventurous journey through the realm of risks and issues, with a side of laughter!

Unraveling the Mysterious World of Project Risk and Issue

Before we embark on this voyage, let’s decipher the riddles of project risk and issue, shall we? Imagine you’re in a carnival, and you overhear the fortune teller’s whispers. Project Risk is like the unexpected twists and turns in a magician’s trick—it’s that surprise card that could make your project disappear. It’s the carnival’s hidden trapdoor that might lead to the lion’s den.

Now, Project Issue is like the commotion when the carnival’s cotton candy machine goes haywire and creates a sticky pink mess. An issue is a hiccup that’s already stolen the spotlight, like a mischievous clown crashing your unicycle act. So, as we gear up to enhance project glory, remember these two circus performers—Risk, the acrobat teetering on the tightrope, and Issue, the daredevil who just leapt off the trapeze.

When to Summon the Powers of Project Risk Management

Now, let’s talk about the grand entrance of project risk management. Imagine your project is a grand masquerade ball, and you’re the host, tangoing your way through the glittering crowd. Now, when do you call upon the magic of risk management, you ask? Well, it’s like asking for backup when the dance floor’s on fire! You summon risk management when:

  • Uncertainty Looms Large: When your project’s path is as clear as a foggy forest, and you’re not sure if you’ll bump into a talking tree or a mischievous gnome.
  • Surprises Are a Norm: If your project seems to throw curveballs more often than a batting cage, it’s high time to bring out the risk management toolkit.
  • The Stakeholders Are Restless: When the audience at your project’s theater is throwing tomatoes (or worse), and you need a plan to win back their applause.
  • The Budget’s Doing the Hula: If your budget’s doing the hula-hoop with your schedule, it’s time to tame those wild risks and avoid a financial limbo.
  • The Scope’s a Shape-shifter: When your project’s scope is as stable as a blob of jelly on a trampoline, it’s risk management to the rescue to keep things from wobbling out of control.

So, fellow adventurers of the project realm, get ready to steer your ship through the tempestuous sea of risks and issues, armed with a risk management plan that’s as delightful as it is effective.

The 6 Steps

Step 1: Identify Risks – “Slaying the What-If Dragons” Imagine your project as a medieval quest, and lurking in the shadows are the what-if dragons – those sneaky risks that might just ruin your day. From budget goblins to scope trolls, identify these troublemakers so you can prepare your trusty shield of strategies to fend them off.

Step 2: Assess and Prioritize Risks – “Dragon or Damsel?” Think of risks like characters in a fairytale. Some are the fire-breathing dragons of doom, while others are just shy damsels in distress. Sort them out by their potential impact and how likely they are to crash your project’s party. That way, you’ll know when to call in the knights and when to hand out flowers.

Step 3: Develop Risk Response Strategies – “Wizardly Wisdom” Crafting risk response strategies is like mixing potions in a cauldron. Need to handle a pesky scope change imp? Whip up a ‘Scope Freeze’ potion! Dealing with a budget ogre? Time for a ‘Resource Reallocation’ brew! Just remember, even a cackling witch couldn’t predict every twist, so be ready to improvise like a true wizard.

Step 4: Assign Responsibilities – “The Fellowship of the Risk Ring” Enlist your very own Fellowship of the Risk Ring. Designate your Gandalfs for guiding and your Frodos for diving headfirst into the perilous unknown. But remember, the journey may be treacherous, so give each hero a cloak (or a cape, if they’re feeling fancy) to shield them from the unexpected rain of risks.

Step 5: Monitor and Review – “The Potion Taste Test” Imagine your project risks as quirky potions that might go sour. Just like a good wizard tastes their concoctions, regularly sample your project’s risks to make sure they’re not turning into poison. If they are, stir in some mitigation mint or a pinch of contingency cinnamon – whatever it takes to keep your potion (project) from fizzling out.

Step 6: Communicate and Document – “Bard’s Tale” Imagine you’re a bard, spinning a grand tale in the village square. Tell your stakeholders about the risks and issues you’ve faced – the dragons you’ve tamed and the banana peels you’ve dodged. Document your journey like a chronicle of epic adventures, complete with the highs, lows, and the side-splitting laughter that only a bard’s tale can bring.

So, fellow adventurers, there you have it – a risk management plan that’s as entertaining as it is effective. With humor as your magical sword and a strategy to conquer the realm of risks and issues, your project quests will be remembered as tales of triumph! Onward, to the land of successful projects!

Photo by Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash

5 Steps to Crafting SMART Goals

5 Steps to Crafting SMART Goals

by | Aug 15, 2023 | General, Project Management, Software, Time Tracking

Setting goals is like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded with your shoelaces tied together. But fear not, brave goal-chaser! With the magic of SMART goals, you can outwit even the trickiest of challenges while keeping your sense of humor intact. Let’s dive into these five steps, complete with side-splitting examples that will have you snickering your way to success! Get ready to infuse your aspirations with a hearty dose of intelligence, humor, and enough “smartness” to make Einstein jealous.

Step 1: S is for Specific – Stop Babbling, Start Nailing!

Let’s imagine you’re on a quest to become the next big knitting influencer. A goal like “I want to be famous for knitting” is about as vague as trying to spot a chameleon in a kaleidoscope store. Instead, go all out Sherlock Holmes on it and say, “I will create a YouTube channel featuring quirky knitting tutorials and gain 10,000 subscribers in six months.” Now that’s a target you can wrap your yarn around!

Or perhaps you are superheroine. A well-defined goal is your supervillain, and you need to be as clear as a raindrop on a window pane about what you’re trying to defeat. Don’t just say, “I want to be healthier.” That’s like saying, “I want to wear a cape.” Instead, be as specific as a fingerprint at a crime scene. Say, “I want to jog five kilometers every morning so I can indulge in an extra slice of cheesecake without guilt.” Now that’s a goal with flair!

Step 2: M is for Measurable – Counting Sheep, Not Unicorns!

How do you know if you’re making progress? Counting sheep might help you sleep, but counting achievements will help you soar. Make your goal measurable, like counting how many times your neighbor’s dog barked during your morning jog. Better yet, track your improvements with more precision than a cat stalking a laser pointer. “I’ll increase my push-up count from 10 to 30 within a month” is a better goal than “I’ll do some push-ups.”

Numbers don’t lie, and neither does the fact that counting unicorns isn’t a profitable business. When you set measurable goals, you’re like a mathematician with a calculator, only with a tad more flair. For instance, “I will read more books” is as vague as trying to describe a color to a blindfolded ostrich. But saying, “I will read 20 books by the end of the year and discuss them with my book club” is as precise as a Swiss watch.

Step 3: A is for Achievable – Shoot for the Stars, Land on the Moon!

While it’s cool to aim for the stars, don’t forget to pack some astronaut ice cream just in case. Setting goals that are more unrealistic than a unicorn-themed roller coaster is like trying to fit a giraffe into a Mini Cooper. Instead, be sensible, like aiming to run a marathon even if you’ve been sitting like a sloth at a desk for years. “I will complete a half-marathon in eight months after training regularly” is a goal that won’t leave you panting like a poodle in a heatwave.

Dreams are like helium balloons; they’re fun until they float away. Your goal shouldn’t be so far-fetched that it sounds like the plot of a sci-fi movie directed by a dolphin. Saying, “I’ll become a billionaire by selling diamond-encrusted shoelaces” might leave you in a financial pickle. Instead, be realistic like a sloth’s workout routine. Aim to double your income over a couple of years through a smart business venture, not by diving into the unpredictable world of shoelace bling.

Step 4: R is for Relevant – Don’t Chase Rainbows with a Teaspoon!

Picture this: you’re a wizard in a magical forest, and you’re chasing a unicorn. Is that a relevant pursuit? Not unless you’re into mythical creature rodeos. Similarly, your goal should align with your life like peanut butter pairs with jelly. If your goal is to become a gourmet chef, don’t spend your weekends practicing interpretive dance unless you’re planning a revolutionary cooking ballet.

Chasing irrelevant dreams is like trying to catch a snowflake in a desert – it’s not gonna end well. Ensure your goal is as relevant as a cat meme on the internet. If you’re a baker, don’t aspire to break the world record for underwater basket weaving. Instead, say, “I will perfect my croissant recipe and launch a bakery specializing in artisanal pastries within a year.” Your goal should fit your life like a glove, not like a penguin at a flamingo convention.

Step 5: T is for Time-Bound – Because Rome Wasn’t Conquered in a Day!

Give yourself a deadline that’s as precise as a neurosurgeon’s scalpel, but less intimidating. “I will become a fluent Mandarin speaker” is fantastic, but without a time frame, it’s like planning a wedding without picking a date. Make it zesty and say, “I will have a 15-minute conversation in Mandarin with a native speaker without using Google Translate within six months.” Your progress will be more noticeable than a penguin at a peacock parade.

Time is like a gourmet dessert – it’s best when served with a dash of urgency. Setting a deadline for your goal keeps you from procrastinating like a sloth with a Netflix subscription. But make sure the timeline isn’t tighter than a swimsuit after Thanksgiving dinner. “I’ll write a novel in a month” might lead to a Pulitzer-worthy novella, but it’s more likely to result in sleep-deprived ramblings about caffeinated unicorns.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my fellow goal-setter, SMART goals are like your secret recipe for success – they’re more tantalizing than a chocolate fountain at a dessert buffet. By following these steps with a dash of humor, you’re arming yourself with a strategy as solid as a rock and as funny as a clown’s shoes. Remember, life’s an improv show – might as well make your goals the star act!

Photo by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay

3 Ways to Ensure Complete and Accurate Salesforce Case Time Tracking

3 Ways to Ensure Complete and Accurate Salesforce Case Time Tracking

by | Aug 7, 2023 | General, Software, Time Tracking

Salesforce Cases are extremely important to your customers because they help them get their issues with your product or services resolved. Today, customers demand personalised service through their journey with their vendors. And often, it is customer service and case management that sets a company apart from its competitors. So it is critical for businesses to handle cases seamlessly to build an excellent customer service reputation.

Using Salesforce Case Tracking is a great way for you to manage your customer issues and provide them with great service. Case Management helps you leverage your support services and improve your customers’ experience as they engage with your business. Salesforce case time tracking is a key metric that your business can use to ensure higher customer satisfaction and more efficient operations. 

If you are a technology company, then handling customer service Cases may be more complex than in other industries. In addition to multiple levels of Customer Support agents spending time on a specific customer case, you may also require your Professional Services Team or an Installation team to check on specific changes that they may have made during the installation process. You may need your software development team to spend time on the Case. And neither your Professional Services team nor your development team may be using Salesforce. As a Customer Services Manager, how do you get a complete and accurate view of the total time spent on a Case? 

With the TimeTracker for Salesforce, we give you simple ways for your teams to track time directly to Salesforce Cases. If your software development team uses Atlassian’s Jira for issue tracking and management, then we have a simple way to integrate Salesforce Cases and Jira issues. We give your PSA team a simple web-based application to track any time spent directly to Cases. And for your Customer Service agents working inside Salesforce, we have Automatic Timers that work both on Cases and on the Lightning Case Console. So let’s look at how each of these work. 

1. Tracking Support Agent Time 

Your Support Agents are busy people with calls, chats emails coming in all the time. So you want an easy way for their time to be tracked. With our easy to add Automatic Time Tracking Lightning components, your support agents don’t even have to think about Starting / Stopping timers. With the Automatic Timer configured on your Case View page, every second of the time that an agent spends on a Case record is automatically tracked. Nothing to click, nothing to update. Your Support Agents continue to work within the Salesforce Case as they would normally. All of their time is automatically tracked to the Case. And the Lightning components work, whether your agents open individual Cases or use the Salesforce Case Console. Our Automatic Timer works across multiple tabs, allowing your Support Agents to work on multiple Cases at the same time. You can easily configure whether the time for each Case should be tracked simultaneously or not.

2. Tracking PSA / Installation Team Time 

If your PSA or Installation teams need to get involved on the Case, then our simple web application allows them to track the time that they spend on a specific Case. The time that they record on the TimeTracker Web app is automatically passed through to Salesforce and logged against the Case. So now you have the additional time spent by your PSA / Installation time in Salesforce too and logged right to the Case that they worked on. Your users can track their time as they work on the Case as in the attached screenshot here. They can also track the time that they spent on multiple Cases on a simple multi-line screen.

3. Tracking Development Team Time

And now to your development team. If they are already tracking their work times within Jira Worklogs, then the TimeTracker for Salesforce has a simple webhook that automatically pulls those Worklogs into Salesforce. By integrating Salesforce Cases and Jira Issues, you can create a seamless workflow for issue resolution. When a customer support representative identifies a bug or a technical issue reported by a customer in Salesforce Cases, they can create a corresponding Jira Issue directly from the case. This integration enables a smooth handoff between support and development teams, ensuring that issues are tracked, prioritized, and resolved efficiently. Since the Salesforce Cases are now directly created as Jira issues, the time spent on those Jira issues can now be pulled back into the Salesforce Case. Our webhook can be scheduled to pull Worklogs from Jira at a frequency that you want.

Conclusion

Now with the time spent by your Support Agents, your PSA team and your development team all in one single repository in Salesforce, your reporting and analysis on Case handle times becomes a cinch.Whether you want to monitor the status of a specific customer Case or measure how quickly cases are being resolved, you can now do that with all the tools that Salesforce Reporting gives you. You can use the Case data to identify trends in customer cases and prioritize the Cases based on urgency.

With our Case reporting, you can now figure out how long it takes for each stage of the process from Case Initiation to Resolution. You can also analyze time spent on different types of Cases. You can then use this data to pinpoint areas of improvement to reduce response times and improve customer satisfaction. So now you have everything within Salesforce to track Case times and resolutions so you can better understand your customers’ requirements and  optimize your operations for maximum efficiency.

You can read how MercuryGate International the leading transportation management software provider was able to plug revenue leakages for paid Support Cases with the TimeTracker for Salesforce.

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

Guest Blogging on the Salesforce AppExchange

Guest Blogging on the Salesforce AppExchange

by | Feb 1, 2023 | General

We are a Salesforce ISV with a time tracking and project management app on the AppExchange. We’ve had leads flowing in from the AppExchange and prospects are evaluating our app and purchasing it.  Now comes the hard slog. How do we ensure that more prospects hear about our app and the wonderful things that it can do for them. And with so many apps listed on the AppExchange for each category, how do we stand out?

We’ve tried several methods in the past. Ranging from Google Adwords to Linkedin Ads to promoted content on Twiter. We’ve tried email marketing and Salesforce’s AMP program too.  A lot of these are fairly expensive options. But there are several free ways to market your AppExchange app too. Amanda Nelson’s article has some great ideas on marketing your app for free. You should definitely check it out.

Like several ISVs that we’ve spoken to,  our marketing budget is finite and restricted :). So in looking out for simple but effective marketing options, we figured that guest blogging would be a good option for us to check out. And the Salesforce AppExchange is a great place to start publishing great content. It’s a fantastic place to build brand awareness among your target audience.

My first article Slack + Salesforce = More Productivity appeared on the AppExchange blog on January 26th 2022. I thought my experience would be useful for other AppExchange Partners 

Here are some guidelines on how to get published as a guest blogger on the AppExchange.

  1. Your first step is to check out the Salesforce guest blogging guidelines. Once you’ve done that, figure out a topic that will be of interest to your customers. 
  2. Submit an application to the AppExchange Social Media Marketing Content team with details of your AppExchange blog post idea.
  3. If the Content Marketing team likes your idea, they will email you asking for a draft of your blog post. You need to set this up as a shared Google doc or as a Quip doc. This way the Content Marketing team can easily share any feedback and/or edits with you.
  4. Once you share the draft with the Content Marketing team, they will review it and get back to you with their edits and suggestions.
  5. You then use those suggestions and flesh out your complete blog post. Use relevant statistics, images and other visual aids to make your post more interesting.
  6. There’s a section at the end of the blog for an author bio. That’s a great place to include a listing to your AppExchange App.
  7. Once you are done with all of your writing work, submit the post back to the Content Marketing team. They will queue it up to be published. On average, they share two blog posts a week. So you should have your blog post published within a month, except during holiday periods.
  8. The Content Marketing team also does some social media marketing of the blog posts. I haven’t seen that yet for my blog post. But I’m hoping that will happen soon. 🙂

I hope you found these guidelines helpful. Go ahead and give guest blogging a shot and share your feedback. Meanwhile, I would love to hear your comments on Slack + Salesforce = More Productivity.

 

Best Practices for Implementing Time Tracking

Best Practices for Implementing Time Tracking

by | Oct 12, 2022 | General, Software, Time Tracking

The transition from paper or Excel-based timesheets to an automated system can seem overwhelming and confusing at times. But the benefits of an automated time tracking system are undeniable. It can simplify procedures, eliminate errors, make your invoicing and payroll much more accurate and provide savings, overall. 

But like with anything new, you need to plan and prepare your transition carefully. Here are some best practices to help make the transition smooth.

Decide why you want to track time

Start by asking yourself why you want to set up time tracking. Perhaps, you spend too much time on payroll and the process is error-prone. Maybe, your customers need more accurate and transparent hours with your billing. Perhaps your estimates on projects is going out of whack and you are losing money. Maybe you want to balance employee workloads better. Whatever your reasons, make sure that you can articulate them clearly.

Get your team on-board

It’s critical that you get all stake-holders on board with time tracking. New processes only work when there is buy-in at all levels. Make sure that you get your team leads and influencers on board and explain why you are moving to a time tracking system. Get them to see the benefits to them and their teams. Choose a couple of champions from the teams that need to track time. This way, people will have someone to turn to when they have questions.

Start with a pilot program

It makes sense to start with a small group of people to make sure that the time tracking software fits all your requirements and that it can be used easily. This will help you work out any kinks in the system before rolling it out to a large group. Select the pilot group carefully; get motivated people as well as someone who’s not a fan of time tracking. Get feedback from them and make sure that their issues are properly dealt with.

Decide what you want to track time to

Make sure that the time tracking software gives you the flexibility to track time to whatever makes sense for your company. Get the time tracking system setup to track time to those objects. If you have multiple teams of users, decide what each team is going to track time to. E.g. your sales team works with Accounts all the time and should track their time to Accounts. Whereas, your Support team that works with customer Cases should track their time to Cases. Identify each of your groups and make sure that select the right elements

Automatic Vs Manual Vs Live Tracking

There are multiple ways in which you can track your team’s time. You should decide what method makes sense for your team. Manual and Live tracking mean that your users would need to put in their time physically or use  Start/Pause/Stop buttons. With an automatic time tracker, the system automatically starts tracking time as soon as the user clicks on a specific page and continues to track time without the user having to click on anything. Depending on the type of work that you users do, you should select the appropriate method of time tracking. E.g we suggest that agents is a call center would normally use the automatic time tracker on Cases. That would get the time tracked without the agents having to put in any extra effort. But if you were tracking time for a group of consultants that worked on multiple different projects for longer lengths of time, then they may prefer a single page, where they could enter times for multiple projects that they worked on during the day.  

Avoid too much monitoring

If you can’t trust your team to do the right thing, you may have bigger issues than can be solved with time tracking. Software that tracks screenshots and keystrokes are generally too intrusive. This level of monitoring does not make sense for stable and productive teams. You may end up creating more distractions and stress within the teams.

Limit access to timesheet data

Make sure that your system is set up to show only the projects / jobs that each user is working on. Your time tracking system should allow you to filter the right data  like this. Unnecessary data can clutter up the screens, making it difficult for users to find the right projects / jobs. It could also cause performance issues within your system. We normally recommend showing only Active projects. Whenever a project completes, make it a point to change the  status of the project, so it no longer appears on the active lists.

Enable automatic reminders about incomplete timesheets

Make sure that your time tracking software can send out reminder emails to users to remind them to complete their timesheets. It’s a given that some users will forget to enter their timesheets and a responsible manager would need to remind them about this. Especially in the early stages of implementation. If the system can do this automatically, that’s time and effort saved.

Create a document that explains the requirements

Create a document that defines why you are implementing the system. Make sure that it includes benefits for the users and for the company. Include an FAQ section that answers common questions. Include examples where possible. You should be able to get general fAQs from your time tracking vendor’s knowledge base. But things that are specific to you company, you will need to write up.

Consider binding time entries to a project plan

Well-structured data is better for reporting and analysis. Consider building a project plan in advance and breaking it down to tasks and task assignments to your team. Ensure that your team is tracking time to their task assignments. This way you’ll have a real-time view of how well your team is working against the plan. This is a great way to monitor how accurate your project estimates are.

Have someone check timesheets and reports regularly

Regardless of the automatic reports that you may receive from the time tracking system, make sure that someone responsible is checking the reports regularly.  She should review the reports for completeness and compliance with company policies. This will automatically throw up any trouble spots and also highlight employee workloads, adherence to project schedules. Analysing timesheet data can become so fascinating that managers enjoy it, rather than looking at it as a boring duty. 

Lead by example

All managers should track their own time, even if it is un-billable. Employees are much more likely to be accurate in their own time tracking, if they see their managers following the same policies.

Don’t insist on logging 8 hours per day

Reporting less than eight hours a day is OK. It’s more important that users give an accurate accounting of their time and for you to make sure that the time was spent productively. If you try to force eight hours per day, you may find users  taking more time to complete tasks or logging in more hours than they actually worked.

Don’t use timesheet data for criticism

It’s hard to assess productivity just from the time worked on the timesheets. A longer duration on a task may not mean lower productivity. It may mean that the user is more detail-oriented and has better results. Combine your knowledge of the employee with the data from the time tracking system to get a better overall view of productivity and efficiency.

Summary

We hope this gives you a good starting board for your time tracking implementation. If you have other points that you can add to this list, please let us know in the comments.

 Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash