Time Study Consulting

How Long Is A Typical Work Week?

We have been collectiong time study data since 1990, and have recently taken an interest in overtime hours. Subsequent posts will review some of the findings from our database. To start, we were interested in what constitutes a typical work week for knowledge workers. Read more »

The Best Tip For Planning Your Day

Employees who spend more time planning generally get better results. This is based on evidence from our work measurement studies where employees track their time using our TimeCorder device. So make time for planning each day. Here is my favorite tip on how to do it – just two minutes long.

Administration – A Time Hog for Managers

Administrative activities are a massive time hog for managers. When we ask managers in a questionnaire, “What are the most important things you need to do in your job?” paperwork and administrative tasks are well down the list of managerial priorities cited. Typically, these activities are mentioned as a main priority by only 6% of managers. Clearly, handling paperwork is not what they perceive their job to be. Yet based on our work measurement studies, administration is the largest category of activities that a manager is engaged in. Read more »

The Burden of E-Mail

Based on data from a number of our time and motion consulting projects, e-mail is indeed the burden that many employees believe it to be. Read more »

Time Spent Selling Among Sales Reps

What makes an outstanding sales rep? The best ones focus their efforts on their most important priorities. This means a) finding qualified prospects, b) determining potential needs, c) closing sales and d) taking responsibility for customer service. But transcending proficiency in these areas is the issue of time. What key priorities should sales reps focus on? How do they spend their time compared to others? Are they maximizing productive time and minimizing time wasters?

So what makes up each of these categories? Read more »

How to Say No

Do you find yourself saying “yes”to others because you want to please them? This creates obligations that are difficult to get out of. But eventually you can’t do everything you promised. Then you have to let people down because you can’t finish. As a result, you feel guilty. Both you and the person you made a promise to end up suffering. So instead of saying “yes” all the time, assert yourself and say “no”. Here are some tips on how to do it. Read more »

How to Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination is the intentional and habitual postponement of an important task that should be done now. Procrastination is fostered by habit. So if you want to stop procrastinating, you will have to break old habits and develop new ones.  But first, try to understand the causes for your procrastination. If you can, you’re halfway there.  Recognize the difference between an appropriate decision to delay and an irrational postponement without justification. If you find yourself waiting for information from someone else, then it is appropriate to delay a project.  If not, overcome procrastination through task strategies in an environment where distractions are minimized. Read more »

How to Plan Your Day

Time study data collected by Pace Productivity indicates the typical knowledge worker plans his or her day for a total of 2.3 hours per week. Results from sales reps indicates that those who spend more time in planning tend to be more successful. Here is how to plan your day: Read more »

The TimeCorder

The TimeCorder® time tracking system is our unique proprietary tool for conducting time studies. Originally developed by Mark Ellwood in 1989, the device was completely re-designed and re-launched in 2004. It is simple to use.

This dynamic electronic device allows your employees to easily track time by pushing buttons associated with pre-coded activities. There is nothing complicated about the unit. Anyone can learn how to use it in a few secondsThere are twenty-six alphabetical buttons, each coded with a customized activity name such as “Coaching Employees” or “Making calls to prospects.” Press a button, and time begins recording on that activity, like a stopwatch. Each time a new button is pressed, time stops recording on the previous activity and begins recording on a new one. It’s just as simple as that.

Employees appreciate the TimeCorder® because they are in control of their own time tracking. They don’t have any consultants standing behind them while they work. It is truly a program that puts you and your employees in total control. They can follow their own activities and time throughout the study. They will find it enlightening to say the least. And all of our time studies are conducted anonymously – employee names are never listed in our reports to management.

Top 10 Time Tamers

How can you become more productive? Here are the most popular and powerful time tips, all in one spot. Read more »