Entrepreneurs tend to move at the speed of light. An instant after they hang up the phone, they are checking their emails. That assumes they were not answering emails during the entire call, which they many do. Unfortunately, this rapid pace can actually cost time. Top business consulting firms are giving their clients some unusual advice these days. They are telling entrepreneurs to slow down so they can improve their productivity.
This recommendation may sound like a contradiction so let’s consider an example. As soon as a recent meeting or conference call concludes, you realize that an important question was never asked. Had you prepared for the event, there would be no need to follow up with attendees to ask it. In the end, entering a situation unprepared costs in terms of time and effort. To move faster, entrepreneurs sometimes must first slow their pace.
How do they do this? The first step is to identify how time is spent during a typical week. Review the list and note which tasks have become part of the routine and are comfortable and almost automatic. Then, note which tasks are time-wasters and which ones could be performed more effectively. The tasks that could be made more effective offer opportunities to speed up the pace. Tasks that are time wasters with no benefits should be removed from the daily routine.
By identifying the tasks that keep them stuck, entrepreneurs can move themselves and their businesses forward. Reviewing how tasks are currently performed opens the door to performance improvement. Doing something a certain way just because it has always been done that way is no justification for wasting time. Multitaskers may even find that they improve their productivity by focusing on one task at a time.
There are multiple ways to improve performance and consultants help their clients discover these. Opportunities for improvement are more easily identified by an objective party. Taking time to slow down and refocus enables an entrepreneur to move forward in the right direction and maintain a steady pace along the way.
Business consulting experts advise their clients to develop a plan that includes deliberate, focused actions and outcomes that are clearly defined. Consultants recognize that change may be difficult to make, especially when most entrepreneurs have little time to slow down long enough to make it. However, dropping the pace long enough to identify and make needed changes can help speed up the future.
