By Krishna C. Kalva
“Time is precious” is a statement we all agree with. It is the driving force motivating us to manage ourselves and conduct our daily activities. With optimal allocation of time and resources for planning, preparation and reflection, we become better at managing our daily activities.
This is applicable for both personal and professional lives.
In current times with conversations going virtual, business is mostly conducted with minimal or no in-person interaction. The availability of technology and social media has fast-tracked both organizations and customers to operate virtually.
While virtual presence does not reduce the time required for planning and preparation, it saves time and costs on travelling, boarding & lodging, etc. that is usually required for in-person conversations. Time saved via virtual conversations provides the workforce an opportunity to rethink their strategies and possibly consider new avenues to explore.
Time Management
Our time on daily business activities is mostly spent on emails, attending meetings, documentation, reporting, etc. These activities are necessary and support us in spending the rest of our working day on strategic or priority topics.
By closely paying attention to these daily activities, we notice some simple yet profound areas where improvements could be applied. For example, starting and closing a meeting on time, communicating a clear meeting agenda with a call for action, timely follow up, etc.
Adjustments like these help us better utilize time and remain focused. By making these adjustments, we start becoming efficient in managing ourselves and our tasks by generating more time available at our disposal.
And this offers a couple of scenarios to consider – how to track available time and how to leverage it for creating better experiences? The first question can be answered both at an individual and organization level through observation, organizational reporting & analytics. The second question is the crux of this topic that creates a vision toward multiple development opportunities, both for the individual and the organization.
Making It Count
Making time available to generate additional business would help organizations to grow. There are insights available within organizations to analyze and address possible gaps identified. Similarly, making time available to invest on competence development would help individuals grow and create superior business experience. Imagine a situation where an employee has freed up time and is inspired to use it by taking a creative approach or introduce a new concept when meeting with customers.
While scouting for business opportunities is an important step, it is equally important to put focus on ones’ personal skills (ex. presentation techniques, negotiation, etc.) to support business development activities as they go together. Sometimes, the drive to generate business might mask the importance of sharpening ones’ personal skills in delivering superior experiences.
Role Models
The role of training teams is crucial here in bringing insights into the organization to create awareness. The goal is to inspire the workforce and create a forum for individuals to upskill or reskill themselves to meet the changing business expectations.
One of the key drivers of this engagement is communication, to engage the workforce through storytelling and case studies. The role of a manager is crucial here as they can offer support through
coaching and feedback to their teams. Time allocated for individual competence development serves as a launchpad to observe and practice relevant techniques as a community to conquer business opportunities.
Conclusion
Let me take your attention back to the original idea: time for enriching experiences.
Experiences are enriching when they are personalized through storytelling, active listening, etc. allowing both the speaker and listener to remain fully engaged. It is through these unique capabilities gained overtime combined with technology; experiences become fulfilling and help achieve the desired results.
Time motivates us to pause, reflect and take relevant actions to create compelling experiences.
Krishna C. Kalva is learning solution manager at Siemens Healthineers. Email him at krishnachaitanya.kalva@siemens-healthineers.com.
