How to Multitask with Efficiency in Small Business

When you walk into the office each day, are you overwhelmed with the countless tasks you have to complete? Better yet, is your workflow often interrupted with another task? If so, you’re not alone. One of the main challenges of operating a small business is accomplishing the necessary tasks with a small team.

With so many tasks required to keep a small business afloat, it’s no secret that multitasking is crucial to your business’ success. Having a small team doesn’t have to be chaotic. Follow these simple tricks to multitask with efficiency while keeping your team calm and happy.

PRIORITIZE PLANNING AND SCHEDULING
Make it a daily habit to align your calendar with your priorities, ensuring you’re on track to hit your goals. Daily scheduling is an excellent way to maintain project progress and keep your team on track. If you start each day with a lengthy to-do list and the pressure of getting everything done, you’ll always leave the office feeling like a failure. The nature of small business necessitates flexibility, so make sure your calendar aligns with that.

Simple tricks like time blocking your calendar will allow you more time to chip away at your goals and growing to do list. For example, you can only schedule external meetings in the mornings, which will free up your afternoon to work on the business. You should also time block internal tasks, like administrative tasks, team meetings and marketing efforts.

ASSIGN PROJECT MANAGERS
Every task or project needs to a manager in order to get completed. Empower your team by assigning them to own different tasks. No task is too simple to have an owner. One of the benefits of small business for employees is the countless number of hats that employees get to wear. Keep your team’s strengths in mind and assign each task a project manager to ensure deadlines are met.

Each project manager should create a timeline and assign deadlines for task completion. This practice eliminates the vagueness and confusion that often inhibits task completion. The clear roles will also allow other team members owning related tasks to have clarity and will make consulting team members easier. Having a clear understanding of project roles will improve efficiency. If this process sounds too complex for you to manage alone, look into work management tools like Slack or Asana. These tools create more transparency in task management.

SCHEDULE CHECK-INS
Develop a cadence for check-ins with your team. Depending on the nature of your business, weekly or even daily check-ins may be necessary. Utilize this time to check in on project management, client feedback, establish goals and solve any issues that may have arisen since your last check-in. Some businesses prefer to start their weeks with check-ins, while others prefer to end their week with them. Establish the timing that works best for you and stick to it.

During your check-ins, make sure you respect the time. Face-to-face time with employees is not the time to check emails or finish a proposal. Giving your employees and peers your full attention will signal to them that this is a safe and respected place for them to share their feedback and concerns.

TAKE BREAKS
Manage the inevitable stress and overwhelming nature of small business by taking breaks. Not only should you practice this, but also encourage your team to take breaks in between tasks and meetings to recharge. Use this time to actively give it a rest with the intention of getting back to work after your short rest.

Studies show that taking breaks can actually increase employee engagement and job satisfaction. If you and your team don’t allow yourselves adequate breaks from work, your productivity, mental health and overall performance will suffer. Breaks can be as simple as taking a walk around the office or eating your lunch outside. When you encourage breaks, you’ll begin to see the benefits, like increased productivity, improved mental health and boosts in creativity.

Don’t shy away from multitasking. Remember that multitasking doesn’t have to mean inefficiency. The lively nature of small businesses makes working in them more exciting. But, if you don’t develop proper planning, transparency and processes, you and your team will get swallowed by the multitasking monster. Focusing on any of the aforementioned tips will help your team efficiently and effectively manage your myriad of tasks.