The question of what it takes to increase productivity was the focus of a three-year study conducted by a team of time management researchers. The intended goal? Identify a process to help key producers increase their productivity.
The researchers started by asking key managers to think about how they spend their time. The challenge was then proposed: Key managers must identify tasks that matter most to their organization, and then outsource secondary level work to reliable resources such as Eximius BPO.
Researchers found that tasks can then be sorted into off-load opportunities, defined as work that can be delegated with minimal effort. Once these necessary, but low-priority tasks are handed off, the newly freed-up time can be spent focusing on more important work.
The researchers then asked, “How can producers be more productive and increase earning opportunity?” The answer was simple: “Eliminate or delegate less important tasks and replace them with value-added ones.” Their studies indicated that key managers spend a great deal of time—an average of 41%—on discretionary activities that offer little personal satisfaction and could be competently handled by others.
By outsourcing these supporting tasks, the study, which has been published in multiple business periodicals including the Harvard Business Review, tested time management effectiveness when outsourcing was introduced to the work equation.
A critical phase of the research involved introducing outsourcing tasks with 15 executives at different companies. Participants were able to dramatically reduce their involvement in low-value tasks: desk work was cut by an average of six hours a week, meeting time by an average of two hours a week. The time management team reported that benefits were impressive. For example, they cited one manager who outsourced supporting tasks was able to spend more time with her team. This in turn led to a 5% increase in sales by her unit over a three-week period.
In summary, it is important to simply ask managers to rethink and shift the balance of their work. Utilizing outsourcing resources like Eximius BPO can free up nearly a fifth of a producer’s time—an average of one full day a week—allowing key managers to focus on more worthwhile tasks with the hours they save.
Contact us to learn more about Eximius BPO’s outsourcing capabilities.