There are several simple time management tips you can use to keep your staff focused on producing the desired product without veering off course.
Ensure all staff has a good understanding of the task, to include establishing the parameters for doing the work and defining standards for project deliverables.
Check work in the early stages closely to ensure your staff is not straying off course.
Provide reinforcing feedback for those things done correctly or make positive corrections on any areas that may be off track.
Goal Setting and Feedback
Typically, managers set goals and outline deliverables well, ensuring the project starts off in the right direction.
Too often, however, we get distracted with other requirements and forget how critical our role is in providing feedback. We want to believe everything was clearly understood, and therefore it must be going well.
Think about how coaches train young athletes. Feedback is critical to performance. Coaches who take the time to ensure understanding up front and follow-up to ensure proper execution are able to accomplish so much more.
Apply the same principles to your office team; ensure each member understands the basic project fundamentals and follow-up so that your staff does not veer off course, preventing inevitable frustration for all parties in the end.
Leaders increase their efficiency by investing the extra time in coaching and guiding their staff. This may require more time reviewing or monitoring during the initial project stages to ensure the team is headed in the right direction.
In the end, however, the return on investment (ROI) yields great dividends in terms of employee loyalty and accomplishing project deliverables.