When our founder, Tanya Dalton, completed her 2023 Oxford Talk (listen here for free), it was the achievement of a major goal. She knew she wanted to share her message with an audience beyond her popular podcast, but what could she discuss after nearly 300 podcast episodes?
The answer was surprisingly simple. A few years ago, Tanya created and instilled a hybrid task- and time-oriented productivity model in her team. The new workday streamlined her business, and everyone found more meaning in their work. Tanya realized that time management, something we all need help with, isn't the point after all, and she ran with it to create an amazing Oxford Talk that, to date, has over 90,000 views!
In this blog, we bring you straight to the three-step strategy she presents in the video. Here are Tanya's top three tips to give your team an immediate boost in productivity:
Step One: Focus on Outcomes
Instead of focusing on the number of hours worked (or tasks completed), focus on results. Before you start delegating tasks, identify the desired outcome, set clear goals for each project or job, and list out clear metrics for success. If you give your team a clear sense of purpose and direction, they'll give you the results you need.
For the best outcomes:
- Set clear metrics for success
- Track progress toward those metrics
- Allow team members to make data-driven decisions
When transitioning from time to outcomes, you create a results-driven culture and enable your employees to work towards shared goals.
Step Two: Encourage Autonomy
Empower your team - let them take ownership of their work and make decisions. By giving each person autonomy, leaders can allow employees to work more deeply on crucial tasks rather than fixating on time constraints. Why try to "beat the clock" when they can focus on the most critical tasks instead?
Here's how you can foster autonomy in your team:
- Adjust deadlines when needed
- Shift and identify priorities
- Provide clear guidelines and expectations for tasks
- Trust your team members to make decisions
When you encourage independent work, it creates an atmosphere of empowerment and engagement. This leads to better outcomes and greater success for your bottom line.
Step Three: Communicate Priorities
Effective communication is vital for any team's success, particularly when prioritizing tasks. Communicate your objectives but be sure to follow up and confirm that they understand.
Once you know everyone is on board, provide frequent updates to keep everyone on track. This helps everyone feel aligned and working towards the same outcome because they are!
How to communicate effectively:
- Craft a clear message
- Deliver it to everyone
- Confirm understanding
- Give updates
- Provide a recap and closure when projects are complete.
It's always beneficial to have clear and direct communication. It assists in keeping your team focused on their tasks in most cases.
Let's rethink how we manage our time and adopt a fresh approach to work that combines task-oriented productivity with a focus on achieving results. Working together can create more successful, productive, and satisfying results that benefit everyone, including you.
To learn more about Tanya, visit her at tanyadalton.com.