Knowing how to manage your time is crucial when trying to maximize your cleaning productivity. Here are some tips to get you started.
Does it seem like you should be able to get more done during the workday? You’re not alone. Many people feel as though their daily output could use a boost. No matter how efficient you try to be, there are likely ways you can improve your cleaning productivity, which starts with learning and practicing time management skills.
Time management doesn’t come naturally to most people. It requires understanding how you spend your time, prioritizing, and many other things that take practice and intention. If you feel that your cleaning productivity could be higher, start by taking an honest look at yourself and your team, the tasks at hand, and what kind of time you allot to each of them.
Not sure where to begin? Try out these time management tricks and see how they affect your output. We’re sure you’ll be pleased with the results.
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Find out how to manage your time and improve your cleaning productivity
1. Understand where you are now
To boost your cleaning productivity, it may help to understand precisely which areas of your day you need to address. In your mind, walk through a typical day and see how much time you and your team spend on each task. You may be surprised to discover where you’re getting held up and how much time you can save on any given task. Without this step as a foundation, you may find it challenging to manage your time better.
2. Set targets
Now that you know where you need to be more efficient, set goals to finish a task within a given time frame. Here you’ll want to be reasonable, but also to challenge yourself. If something takes thirty minutes, see if you can get it down to twenty-five. If that comes easily, taper down further to twenty minutes. Play around with timing for a few days until you find a comfortable spot, then start to stick to that schedule to maximize your cleaning productivity.
3. Prioritize
Another useful time management trick is to prioritize your day – especially as a manager or business owner. Look at the various tasks you have before you, determine which ones you need to accomplish first, and start working in that order. This not only will help ensure that you complete the most important tasks, but it will also help you establish a routine, which can go a long way in managing your time. Once you get into a rhythm, time management can even become somewhat second nature.
4. Schedule your breaks
Taking breaks on a whim can frustrate your ability to manage your time. Instead, we suggest that you schedule breaks at specific times. This also helps to establish a routine that you can stick to, but perhaps more important, it gives you something to work towards. You’re not just trying to finish a job anymore; with a scheduled break, there’s a sort of “reward” for completing a series of tasks.
5. Develop a routine
As we mentioned already, developing a routine will almost certainly help you and your team increase your cleaning productivity. Get in the habit of doing things in a way that’s most efficient, practice it for a few weeks, and you’ll soon find that you get into the swing of things automatically. If the routine doesn’t come naturally to you, write it down so you can stick to it until it becomes muscle memory.
6. Use janitorial management software
Did you know that janitorial management software like Janitorial Manager can help you to stick to a schedule? You can use the app to outline your day as well as to ensure that every task is complete. Using checklists and calendars, this kind of software will empower you and your janitorial team to stay focused and better see where you need to work harder to improve your cleaning productivity.
7. Get organized
With a schedule set ahead of time, you can then make sure that you’re organized for the day ahead of you. Your team can be sure they take the right inventory, leave the correct amount of buffer room between jobs for travel time, and prepare a to-do list for each day. Everyone will have a clear understanding of what they need to do when they need to do it. Everyone will save time by ensuring they have all of the resources they need to have a smooth flow to the day.
8. Use cleaning checklists
We mentioned cleaning checklists briefly before, but they deserve their own section because they’re that important. You probably have checklists for your team, but they come in handy for management, too. A checklist helps ensure that you don’t miss anything, but it can also help you stay on task. When you look at your list and see what’s left to do, you can compare that against the time you have left in the day and schedule yourself accordingly from there. Checklists will be even handier for your cleaning productivity if you assign a time limit to each task, allowing you to stay focused and stay on target.
9. Manage expectations
If you fall behind for any reason, or if you feel that your plate is too full before you even start, don’t be afraid to adjust your expectations. By noting it ahead of time or as soon as you start to notice yourself falling behind, you’ll help manage expectations, and you might even be able to rethink your day or regular schedule so that you can eventually achieve all that’s expected of you without feeling stressed or bogged down. Be aware that this applies to your team, as well.
10. Avoid distractions
Especially in today’s digital age, it’s easy to become distracted by a text message, an email, or something else. Eliminate as many distractions as you can. Turn your phone to silent, and don’t allow yourself to check it, no matter how tempting it may be. Remember, you are ultimately in control of what you do with your time. Do what you can to keep yourself accountable and focused. It may take a little practice, but the result will be well worth it.
Remember, the more organized you are, the more you’re able to keep your team organized and productive.
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