Did you know that more than half of your employees don’t get the most out of their time? What’s more, over one-third find themselves distracted at work on a regular basis.

We all know that time is money, which means wasted time is wasted money. And when it comes to running a small business, every dollar counts.

So how can you implement effective time management and stop time wasting at work? Give the following four tips a try.

1. Minimise time spent on smartphones

We are all glued to our smartphones – whether we are checking social media, playing a match-three game, reading the latest news articles, or keeping up with our emails. The thing is, our smartphone addiction can be incredibly detrimental to productivity, especially in the workplace.

So, how can you prevent both yourself and your staff from wasting hours a day on the phone? Here are some ideas:

• Turn off notifications for apps that are not related to work, such as Facebook Messenger and Instagram
• Switch your phone to ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode during your most productive hours
• If you want to take a more extreme approach, delete the apps you waste the most time using

2. Don’t try to multitask

You might think multitasking is the most efficient way to get things done, but single-tasking is the key to effective time management. As you switch between tasks, it’s easy to become distracted and unfocused. You might find you’ve lost your place or even forgotten what you were doing altogether.

Instead, take the time each morning to write an organised to-do list and schedule – encourage your staff to do the same. If possible, allocate enough time for each task to complete it from start to finish.

3. Keep yourself and your team motivated

If you’re not motivated, your day-to-day work tasks can feel a bit like pulling teeth – that is, very slow and very painful. Procrastination is not uncommon among unmotivated team members, who may not feel like what they are doing is having an impact on the success of the company, or is even worthwhile at all.

Keeping yourself and your team motivated to minimise time wasters at work is easier said than done. The trick is ensuring every team member can clearly see how their tasks contribute to the greater good, no matter how mundane they may seem.

You hired each of your employees for a reason: to undertake an important task. Make sure they know this. And don’t forget to recognise team members when they perform above and beyond. Even small wins are worth celebrating.

4. Clean up your workspace

Clutter on and around your workspace (including that mass of useless tabs you have open on your browser) competes for your attention, making it more difficult to stay focused on the task at hand. Set a weekly reminder to clear your desk and workspace of anything that doesn’t bring value. A clean and organised work area will give you a much-needed boost and more headspace to tackle what’s really important.