Time Tracking or time sheets have significant benefits for organizations, but getting your team on board can be challenging. It is clear why organizations want to utilize time tracking – increased visibility, accountability, optimizing resources, and charging back departments. However, chances are your employees do not see it that way. They most likely see time tracking as an avenue for micromanagement (Big Brother), scrutiny over work performed, or lack of trust – none of which may be true. Take a step back and look at it through their eyes. For greater adoption and less resistance, encourage your managers to focus on the benefits to the employees, rather than just looking at the benefits to the organization. Below are a few benefits to employees that will be helpful in rolling out your time tracking or time sheet initiative:
Get More Resources
You will never have enough resources. Markets are much more competitive than ever; forcing your organization to do more with the same amount of resources. For PMOs or Project Managers, one of the most challenging aspects of their jobs is making the case for additional resources. Tracking time enables managers to measure the amount of time being spent on projects and allow them to accurately forecast future resource demand – facilitating their ability to quantify their case for hiring.
Shift From Reactive “Crisis” Mode to Proactive Mode
Once you know that you will be associating your work with specific time, you will naturally focus on the things that are important. It is easy to get caught up in “urgent matters” or “fire drills” that ultimately do not impact your bottom line. We’ve all been there; a request comes in and it will only “take a few minutes” to complete, so you just get it done and move on. However, unplanned tasks contribute to loss of perspective on the greater picture. By tracking time, you will not only focus on the “urgent” but the “urgent and important” – ultimately increasing your impact to the organization.
Increase Credibility Through Better Forecasting Accuracy
Just knowing that you are going track what you worked on and for how long will drive good natured competitiveness. Seeing your time spent on tasks next to others will want team members to strive to do better – resulting in better organizational execution.
Understand Time Spent On Non-Project Work
If you know where you have been spending your time, you have a better chance of being productive. How many times have you asked yourself, “Wow, where did the time go? I cannot believe we are already 3 weeks into the month.” By thinking through and recording where you spent your time, you will quickly enable yourself to become more self-aware of how much time you spend on productive versus non-productive tasks. You can then make adjustments if needed.
Try using some of the suggestions above when speaking to your organization about time tracking. They already know that the organization will benefit, but try to make time tracking about them, not you.
