Episode 28: Mastering efficiency habits (In Demand Accountant Part 2)
In this episode, Sam explores how being highly efficient is not only key to effectiveness, but it’s also one of the main elements to saying In Demand. In previous episodes we did a series covering efficiency in terms of End of Year processes, so go back and listen to Episodes 16 - 20 which were released from 27th February through to 26th March 2020.
In this episode, we’re talking about efficiency loops and the habits you can set up around efficiency in what you do every day. These include the conversations that you have, how you set up your day, the decisions that you make throughout the day, the rest that’s required for efficiency, and also knowing your ‘efficiency magic’.
Listen to a snippet
What we cover in this episode
● Efficiencies in conversations and how to effectively manage them
● The importance of preparation and permission in conversation efficiency
● Other tips and tricks around conversation efficiency
● How to set up your day or week for efficiency
● The internal and external boundaries you need to avoid distractions and be more efficient
● The power of having space in your schedule and doing one thing at a time
● Tips to making effective, efficient decisions and the power of decision-making frameworks
● The importance of clarity and consistency in communicating decisions with staff
● Why rest is the secret sauce of efficiency
● Different ways you can build rest into your day and week
● What ‘efficiency magic’ is and why you need to know yours
Quotes
“The next element to efficient conversations is actually listening and seeing what the other person wants, and then feeding that back to them. Make sure that you have all the facts, and when you're listening, make sure that you're absorbing what they're saying. How often have you ever left a meeting…and can't really remember what it was about, so you have to recheck in or…come back later. It's a very inefficient way to [do] things.”
“A lot of time can be lost in conversations if everyone's talking in circles or talking over the top of each other. And if you do get into a loop or you're listening to someone in a loop, you won't be clear on the outcome anyhow…don't be afraid to ask somebody to stop if you're unclear of where they're going. And you might be able to help them get back on the track, too.”
“Turn off all your notifications on your phones, turn off all your notifications on the email, so you're not being disturbed or distracted. Even if you're not physically being disturbed, if you've got things pinging on your phone all the time, there is distraction there.”
“The third area [where] inefficiencies can arise is around decisions. We need to make decisions all the time, every day, particularly as leaders and when we're in demand. If we don't have a clear framework to make decisions and be very clear on what we want, this can become very ineffective.”
“Staff really like sure, stepped-out processes. And if you're constantly changing your mind or changing your decisions, it becomes very unstable for people. So it's very important from an efficiency or effectiveness point of view, to make sure that we actually stick to [what we said].”
“Have you ever noticed if you put in a massive day, the next day, you're a bit off? Rest! [Make time for] rest during the day, have downtime around the weekends as well. Or have an afternoon off if you really feel yourself spinning… You really need to take time to make time in this case and I cannot. I have learned from personal experience that rest is the really the key ingredient to efficiency.”
“Efficiency is not just about producing jobs really fast. It's about how you conduct yourself everyday.”
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