5 Easy Tips to Help You Manage Your Workload More Efficiently
The age-old question of how do we get more hours in the day?
Why do some people seem to manage stress better and get more done than me?
Why does my inbox overwhelm me so much?
All questions we have asked ourselves at some point during our careers. One thing I am fairly sure of is that the answer is managing your workload. Learning how to manage your workload more efficiently seems like an overwhelming task in itself, but I promise you, once you have the basics every day will seem a little easier.
Here are some steps that I think help and use myself every day.
1 – We are Social Beings
Have a chat with your workmates when you get to the office. Make your office a place you want to be and look forward to coming to by building relationships with your team. I guarantee you, a social chat with your team catching up on everyone’s lives and having a laugh together puts you in the right mind frame for a successful and productive day.
2 – Have a Good Follow Up
System in place. By this, I do not mean leaving things sitting in your inbox to look at another time. Utilise tasks in Insight and set realistic follow-up dates. If Insight tasks don’t work for you, try reminders in Outlook. Being reactive to your workload only makes things worse. Try and stay one step ahead of the client or the underwriter at all times. The dopamine kick from getting on top of your follow-ups before you tackle your inbox will make you feel happy, accomplished, and motivated. Who doesn’t love ticking things off their to-do list?
3 – Set Up Categories in Outlook.
This is a great way to prioritise your emails received to plan your day. Or if you work from a shared inbox, a great way to delegate work and know who is working on what. Some ideas for categories you could use are “renewals” to keep the manual underwriter renewal terms in that are received. “urgent” speaks for itself, and “important” we like to keep things that we use often in here like underwriter contacts so they are nice and handy. One person in our team is responsible for the allocating of emails and we can all see what each person is working on.
If you don’t currently use categories and like the idea of them here is a link to help you get set up
4 – Start Large Reviews First Up
There is nothing worse than getting halfway through a large renewal remarketing review process, then having to rush out the door to pick up the kids. Keep the ones that require time and focus for the mornings. Or if you work from home, save these ones for the peace and quiet of your home office where there is less distraction. Use your afternoons to tackle the smaller jobs, like binding terms and sending renewal emails.
5 – Filing
Once you have answered an email, file it where necessary and remove it from your inbox. Your inbox is not a filing system. Doing this every time you answer an email will not only tick a compliance box, it will keep your inbox tidy, email numbers down and overall make it a much more pleasant, less overwhelming screen to look at throughout the day. The less mess you see in Outlook the clearer your focus will be.
Aside from the obvious like turning off mobile phone notifications, blocking social media websites and taking regular breaks. Hopefully, the above tips motivate you to get focussed, get organised and start managing that workload a little better.
Remember to evaluate the way you do things and reassess your strategies constantly. What works best for you might not work for someone else. Discipline and consistency is the key to your success.
Last of all, work-life balance is essential. If you are stressed and overwhelmed at work, you will more likely bring that home with you. So, get onto getting your workload organised….Plus no one wants to talk insurance at the dinner table. Home and work deserve the best you!
Gemma Riordan
National Service Team Manager
Email: gemma.riordan@ausure.com.au
Ph: 07 3319 5158
Contact us for an obligation free chat
Prefer to speak with someone? Give us a call on 1300 587 225.
