Feeling a little stressed? Who isn’t?! In today’s busy world, and especially for restaurant managers, it’s impossible not to feel like you’re being pulled in a million different directions. The best way to minimize stress in your life is to implement time management strategies that give you a better handle on your day. Here are some tips for how to boost your productivity… and your operation’s profitability.
Spend time planning and organizing. It’s tempting to handle tasks as they’re given to you, but failing to plan ahead and organize your tasks make you much less productive. Instead, organize in a way that makes sense to you. Allocate certain sections of your day for tasks you need to accomplish.
Prioritize your “to do” list. Each day should have a list of tasks, rated by their importance. When you find yourself off-task or off your schedule, ask yourself if the item that’s taking your time is one that is a priority to you. If it’s not, finish it up or delegate it to someone else.
Reconsider your open door policy. Yes, it’s important for employees to feel like they can come to you when they need support. At the same time, though, making yourself available all the time can hamper your time management efforts. It’s okay to schedule times when employees are welcome to just stop by and talk and other times when you don’t want to be interrupted.
Be realistic. Especially in this business, you have to allow time for interruptions and distractions. Many time management experts suggest planning for just 50 percent of your time. Then, you’ll have the flexibility you need to handle interruptions while still meeting your goals.
Plan time for employees. When you overcome the challenges of managing employees, they’ll be more self-sufficient and rely on you less. Automate training time through your online learning management system, but don’t think that means you don’t need to interact with your employees every day. When you follow up on training, employees will follow through.
Don’t shortcut quality. In our efforts to save time, we often become victims of the greatest time-waster: repeating the same job. Instead of rushing to get things done, do things right the first time. Effectiveness will always result in efficiency.
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