WE all know that time is money, and anything we can do to save up on time will make us more efficient and allow us to do more or give us more time for our other pursuits. Here are some of the things that have helped me tremendously in doing my job more efficiently.
Have templates of your letters, forms and other repetitive documents in a digital format so that you can just input the information electronically. This will allow you to speed up the process; easily make corrections and changes; enable you to store the information digitally and transmit them electronically. Also, putting downloadable forms in your web site, which can be filled up by your customers will make your site more user friendly.
Use e-mail and other messaging systems to send out notices, invitations, letters and other documents. If the original hard copy is required, this can still be sent via courier or messenger, but at least the addressee has been provided the information in advance and can, likewise, also respond quickly. Electronic messaging is certainly the fastest and cheapest way to communicate. The other advantage is that you have a record of transmission and even receipt of the message.
Make full use of your android devices for everything, from making free phone calls through Viber, video conference via Skype, sending e-mail and documents, taking photos, looking for directions, reminding you of your appointments, and a host of other applications. To many people, their phones have become their indispensable assistants and have taken the function of many office devices of the past, allowing them to take their office with them wherever they go.
When you absolutely have to be physically present, you have Uber and GrabCar as an alternative transportation to attend meetings and other activities. Their vehicles are clean, comfortable, presentable, have functional air conditioning and are safe. Taking into account the difficulty and cost of parking, having to stress yourself out in traffic or paying for a driver, this may certainly prove to be a more cost effective alternative. You can get to your destination much faster since you don’t have to look for parking space and you can use the time while being driven to your destination to relax, check your e-mail, reply to text messages or make phone calls.
Learn how to work on a parallel basis and just stitch it together. Sometimes it is not possible to complete your work until you get to finish a prior task. However, it could be possible to skip those and do whatever can be done and just stitch them together as you get the pieces. This will save you a lot of time and reduce the complexity of the problem if it can be worked on a piecemeal basis.
Multitasking is another way to lessen your dependence on other people and make you more productive and efficient. When you end up depending on other people to do a specific portion of the task and they do not deliver, you end up being stranded. This can often result in delays and not being able to meet your goals.
Get the right tools for the right job. I once saw in a construction site someone trying to cut up a metal structure using a manual steel saw. Day after day, the construction worker was just sawing away—manually. At the end of the week I couldn’t stand it anymore and he was not even half way through. I finally intervened and instructed them to get a grinder and presto, the work was done within the day.
Getting the job done efficiently is normally just a matter of common sense. Sometimes, making use of something that may seem to be more expensive is actually a cheaper and more efficient solution. Improving your efficiency is not a choice; it is a requirement if you want to stay competitive.
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