Mastering Time Management in a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE)

by | May 5, 2025 | business growth, Leadership, Mastery, Productivity, Remote Office Management, ROWE, Time Management, working from home, working remotely

advantage of hiring virtual assistanceAs the modern workplace continues to evolve, embracing a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) can significantly impact employee productivity and satisfaction. To fully realize the benefits of ROWE, effective time management is crucial. In this eighth installment of our blog series on ROWE, we’ll explore tips, techniques, tools, and resources to help you prioritize tasks, manage workload, and overcome common challenges in a ROWE setting.

Tips and Techniques for Prioritizing Tasks and Managing Workload

  1. Set clear goals and objectives: Identify your key tasks and projects and establish measurable goals to guide your efforts. Align these objectives with your organization’s broader mission to maintain focus and motivation. Utilize the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goal framework to ensure your goals are well-defined and actionable.
  2. Prioritize and plan: Organize your tasks based on their urgency and importance. Use the Eisenhower Matrix to effectively allocate time and resources to each task. Plan your day or week ahead to optimize efficiency and avoid procrastination. Additionally, consider implementing the ABCDE method by assigning priority levels (A being the highest priority, E being the lowest) to help you focus on the most critical tasks first.
  3. Break large tasks into smaller, manageable components: Divide complex projects into actionable steps to streamline your workflow and create a sense of progress. This technique not only helps you stay focused but also allows you to better track your progress and make necessary adjustments as needed.
  4. Use time-blocking: Allocate specific time slots for focused work on high-priority tasks. This technique reduces distractions and helps maintain concentration. Consider experimenting with different time-blocking schedules, such as the 52-17 rule (52 minutes of focused work followed by a 17-minute break) or the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break).
  5. Delegate and collaborate: If possible, delegate tasks to team members or colleagues with the appropriate skills and availability. Collaborate with others to share knowledge, divide responsibilities, and tap into collective expertise. Effective delegation not only ensures tasks are completed efficiently but also promotes a sense of camaraderie and shared responsibility within the team.

Tools and Resources to Support Time Management

  1. Project management software: Tools like Trello, Asana, or Jira help you organize, prioritize, and track tasks effectively. Utilize the various features offered by these platforms, such as task dependencies, project milestones, and real-time progress tracking, to optimize your workflow and stay on top of deadlines.
  2. Time tracking apps: Apps like RescueTime or Toggl help monitor your time usage, identify inefficiencies, and optimize your workflow. Use the data gathered from these apps to fine-tune your time management strategies and focus on areas that require improvement.
  3. Productivity techniques: Techniques like the Pomodoro Technique or the GTD (Getting Things Done) method can improve focus and streamline task completion. Experiment with different techniques to find the one that best suits your work style and preferences.
  4. Email management tools: Software like Boomerang or Sanebox helps reduce email clutter and enables you to handle communication more effectively. Explore the various features of these tools, such as automated follow-up reminders or intelligent email prioritization, to save time and energy when managing your inbox.
  5. Digital calendars and reminders: Platforms like Google Calendar, Outlook, or Todoist help schedule tasks, set reminders, and manage deadlines. Maximize the functionality of these tools by integrating them with other apps, such as project management software, to ensure seamless synchronization and easy access to all your time management resources.

Overcoming Common Challenges and Pitfalls

  1. Procrastination: Identify the reasons behind procrastination, such as fear of failure or lack of motivation, and address them accordingly. Set achievable goals, create a conducive work environment, and focus on the task at hand. Additionally, try the “Eat the Frog” method by tackling your most challenging or least favorite task first thing in the morning to build momentum and a sense of accomplishment for the rest of the day.
  2. Distractions: Minimize interruptions by setting boundaries and scheduling dedicated time for focused work. Use noise-cancelling headphones, turn off notifications, or use apps like Focus@Will to maintain concentration. Experiment with different techniques to find the most effective methods for eliminating distractions and staying focused.
  3. Perfectionism: Avoid being a perfectionist by setting realistic expectations, learning from mistakes, and maintaining a growth mindset.

How Do You Like YOUR Latte?

by | May 20, 2024 | Business, business growth, Customer relationships, Leadership, Mastery, Outsourcing, Productivity, Remote Office Management, Team Work, Virtual Assistant, working from home

virtual office assistantI have a friend who worked as a Barista at a well-known coffee shop. She tells the stories of guests who would return their latte because “it just isn’t right”. After making thousands of lattes she understood that what is ‘right’ to the recipe isn’t always ‘right’ to the customer. She learned to ask probing questions such as “is it too sweet? Too milky? Too much coffee?” By requiring the guest to be more specific, she was able to fix the problem quickly. In short, she learned to speak the language of guests’ expectations.

Hiring a remote support professional can be a little like that, except you’re the guest whose latte isn’t quite ‘right’.

When you hire someone to do a job you have a number of expectations about how the job ought to be done. It can take time to learn how to talk about the tasks you need accomplished. It can be difficult to accurately define the quality, feel or essence of a job that needs doing. You might think it is simple, yet you understand all the reasons you do it THIS way, and perhaps even all the reasons you DON’T do it another way. Your ‘right’ isn’t the same as everyone else’s. Often this skill is learned through trial and error.

To start learning this skill you just have to begin. One options might be to choose a small one-off task that can be outsourced with limited risk to your organization. It could be a mailer that needs to be written, or a spreadsheet that needs cleaning up. Just a couple of hours’ worth of work. Find a resource who can do the project for you and see how it goes. If they do a good job, you have a great product and good return on your investment. If they don’t meet your expectations, ask yourself how you could have communicated better.

Then try it again.

In this way you learn to speak the language of your expectations and your business in such a way so your resource can grasp what you need and want and meet those expectations the first time!

Check out our Nine Guidelines to Outsourcing to help you find your remote support groove.

Ever Have One of Those Days?

by | Apr 14, 2024 | Accomplishments, daily lfe, Mastery, Productivity, Time Management

Who doesn’t have a ‘bad’ day?

We all do sometimes, and these days it seems like there are a lot of them.  A recent bad day was experienced by a friend of mine, let’s call her “R”. Picture this:

After a restless night’s sleep, “R” wakes up with an incredible headache and stumbles along getting ready for the workday ahead. With no hot water left for a shower, a broken hairbrush and tangled necklace (and not one, but two, dropped cups of coffee), she managed to still get herself ready for the day. She realizes what she thought was 8 am, was actually 9 am and she was already running late for work. The rest of the day became a blur of things just not going right.  It is safe to say “R” was having a ‘bad’ day.

There are some common causes for a bad day: The list below is not exhaustive of the causes of a bad day, but they are common to many.

  • Lack of Sleep (like our friend above): not getting the right amount of sleep can be a contributor to stress and poor health.
  • The Presentation of Negative Information: we are bombarded by the news, social media and negative people providing negative information that can be overwhelming.
  • On-going issues that last a while: there may be past negative experiences that still have a current impact that needs to be dealt with.
  • Upsetting events just happen: things just happen and they will have an effect on your day.

Relativity of Problems:

It’s important to recognize that people come from different places and their lives are based on different events they experience. As a result, we all have different levels of what people consider a problem that causes a bad day and it is important to not discount the struggles of others even if we don’t understand their struggles as a problem.

Tips to get through it: So, let’s try to get through that bad day with the following ideas:

  • Take a moment to just breathe.  Stop the bad day in its tracks.
  • Do some things to make you feel better like taking a relaxing bath, have some tea, go for a walk or meditate.
  • Understand the cause of the bad day and determine if these are things within your control. If they are, make the change that is needed and if this is not in your control do your best to let it go.
  • Journal those things that are causing your bad day as a way to express your emotions or speak with someone to ask for help.

If you’re interested in trying a few other methods to get through a bad day, check out tinybuddha.com’s article on how to turn around a bad day in 10 minutes.

Embracing the Sky: Leveraging Technology at 39,000 Feet

by | Jan 29, 2024 | Leadership, Mastery, Productivity, Remote Office Management, Time Management, Travelling, Virtual Assistant, working remotely

When we talk about “working in the cloud,” it’s usually in reference to the digital realm—files stored online, accessible from servers around the world rather than our local hard drives. But let’s take a moment to reminisce about the original clouds—the fluffy, white ones that float above, turning ominous before a storm.

Last year, I had the unique opportunity to work in those original clouds, and no, it’s not a metaphor. My office was 39,000 feet above planet Earth. While this might sound like a nerve-wracking prospect to some, for seasoned business travellers, it’s become the norm.

Armed with a tablet and other mobile devices, daily tasks and much more can be seamlessly accomplished while jet-setting on business trips—or, in my case, returning from a holiday in the UK.

So, how does this airborne productivity unfold? The airline I flew with provided WiFi access via satellite for a nominal fee, enabling me to respond to emails and check my calendar. All the necessary documents were on my tablet, along with the essential apps. Once I completed my tasks, I uploaded the documents to the digital version of the cloud, making them accessible to my assistant.

In the dynamic landscape of technology, constant change and improvement pave the way for enhanced productivity. For me, staying abreast of current technology transforms idle time into valuable productivity. The idea of having the option to get ahead on my workweek during a 6.5-hour flight is empowering. Yes, the surroundings were a tad cramped, but it worked.

As technology continues to evolve, the possibilities for leveraging travel time productively are boundless. Do you seize the opportunity to embrace technology while on the move, or do you prefer to use travel time as a moment to relax and unwind?

Raving Fans

by | Sep 10, 2023 | Brand Image, Business, business growth, Customer relationships, Leadership, Marketing, Mastery, Productivity, Remote Office Management, Time Management, working from home, working remotely

raving fan imageOne of my favourite business books is “Raving Fans – A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service” by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles.  Published in 1993, the concepts in this book are as relevant today as they were then – perhaps even more so. One of the best ways to increase customer retention is to simply over deliver whenever possible. Giving your customers or clients more than they were expecting is a great way to keep them returning to your store or website (read: “raving fan”).

Who doesn’t like to get free stuff?

How can you over deliver to your customers as often as possible? Here are some unique customer service ideas to get you started (not surprisingly, it’s the little things that count and it doesn’t have to cost much).

  1. Give your customer a bonus, this could be a sample product, access to a coaching call or access to a private mastermind;
  2. Send them an article or a website link about something you know they’re interested in;
  3. Offer your customer a coupon for a discount on their next purchase. This also helps to get your customers visiting your store or website again. You could also offer a free sample, a consultation or a buy one get one free;
  4. If you offer a service, the best way to over deliver is to get the project finished ahead of time. Beating deadlines is a wonderful way to add value to your own offers and gain lifelong customers;
  5. Small gestures can go a long way in gaining appreciative customers. Sending a handwritten thank-you note by regular mail is one way to achieve this. Other small gestures include sending birthday and anniversary cards, or any number of other card ideas. (Tip: ‘Lumpy mail’ gets opened more often than flat mail…)
  6. Why not set up something such as a Customer of the Month or Customer Shout Out. Here you would thank your customer or highlight something they did that you thought was really cool;
  7. Invite them on an outing at your cost and go with them – a round of golf, a cycling trip, concert, festival. This is a fantastic way to build rapport with your customers and shows them you care.

Don’t forget to celebrate with your clients and customers and even fellow business owners. If they win a new contract or make a significant improvement in their business, send them a card or small gift. This sends the message that you’re paying attention.

Another fantastic way to over deliver to your present customers is to network with other business owners. Refer local businesses that offer quality services and products, which you do not carry. By doing this, you create resources for your customers and clients and you also help support local business. Always be sure to check out these sources first though because your reputation is on the line. You don’t want to recommend a bad resource or product to anyone.