Managing multiple tasks in an organization is essential for completing objectives and successful plan execution. Along with this, you also need to manage your workforce, their duties and analyze their performance. But what about handling recurring tasks?
Recurring tasks may not seem important such as reconciling your accounts. However, they are equally important as they help companies achieve long-term goals. For example, sending weekly newsletters.
Proper delegating, assigning subtasks, and automating tasks can boost your company’s productivity with these tasks. We will talk all about handling recurring tasks effectively in this post.
Let’s begin!
What are Recurring Tasks?
Recurring tasks are repetitive tasks that happen regularly. They can happen daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly. Although they may not be important like other crucial tasks, you have to handle them properly.
For instance, sending weekly targeted customer emails might seem trivial, but they’ll fetch you leads. Likewise, setting up weekly team meetings can help build better relationships with your teammates.
If you fail to organize these tasks, they can impact your business processes in the future. So, if you don't send targeted emails weekly, your email marketing campaign might not be successful.
As these repetitive tasks are a part of a larger organizational objective, you need to give them equal importance. It will help in business development and workflow planning later on.
How to Manage Recurring Tasks?
Managing recurring tasks will help you reduce complications and save time, money, and effort. When you handle repetitive tasks well, you will find more time to focus on the primary tasks at hand. Let's take a closer look at handling recurring tasks for better productivity.
Document All Recurring Tasks
The first step in handling these tasks is to document them properly. You have to note down all the recurring tasks you face difficulty in managing. It will allow you to focus on them better.
You can use Google Docs or a spreadsheet to do this. After you've figured out the repetitive tasks, categorize them according to priority and importance.
- It's better to focus on the high-priority tasks that directly impact your business performance and revenue.
- Note down the time needed for completing these tasks
- Highlight the frequency of occurrence (daily, monthly, weekly)
- Also, don't forget to assign the applicable employees involved in handling these tasks
Utilize the Right Tools
After understanding the details about your repetitive tasks, you now have to use the power of technology to handle them properly.
For instance, you can use email marketing tools to generate emails for your target customers automatically.
- StrategyX can help you plan and schedule your recurring tasks
- You can use Google Calendar to remind you of important events or tasks at specific times.
- Content management platforms such as HootSuite can help in posting on social media throughout a week or month
- You can use Google Analytics to track website traffic and receive the statistics in your email
Delegate Tasks Wisely
You now need to delegate recurring tasks to get them done in a timely manner. So, break down recurring tasks into subtasks. Then, assign them to multiple employees instead of handling everything on your own.
For instance, assign someone to handle the social media campaigning. But, instruct another employee to handle the lead and respond to customers. You can also use business development tools with a task delegation template.
Make Things Interesting
To complete recurring tasks properly and stay productive, the process must be interesting. You can start by switching responsibilities. For example, if you handle data analysis tasks, switch it with someone handling lead management.
- In most cases, a slight change in work can increase your interest in it. When you’re more intrigued, you tend to get it done faster.
- Another method is to add visualizations. You can use whiteboards and visualization software to describe the tasks and steps to complete them.
Depicting it in a meeting can help spark interest among employees.
StrategyX to the Rescue
You can also use business operating platforms like StrategyX to help you plan these tasks. It offers you checklists, prioritizing tools, strategy framework, and integrated dashboards to observe how you're performing.
The platform also enables you to automate recurring tasks and execute your strategic plans effectively. The Virtual Manager functionality is a strategic planning tool offering excellent an excellent way to plan your business strategy.
Managing Types of Recurring Tasks
To understand how to manage these tasks, you need to look at their categories - ad hoc tasks and reoccurring for repetitive tasks.
Reoccurring tasks are activities and responsibilities that you have to execute daily, weekly, and monthly. For instance, reoccurring tasks for a network engineer might be troubleshooting network problems every month or week.
How can the StrategyX platform help here? Let's see -
- Identifying these tasks initially and adding them to StrategyX will help you create a to-do list for organizing them.
- It gives you more visibility on the execution and allocation of these repetitive tasks.
- The prioritization will help you achieve the outcomes of your business and manage employees better.
Using this platform, you can adequately document these reoccurring tasks and the associated procedures. You can assign both these together to any new employees or staff who are about to take up a new responsibility.
It saves a lot of time and expenses in employee training, as they can understand and follow the procedures.
Another significant benefit is that when an employee leaves your organization, you can assign repetitive tasks to their replacement. It helps improve the efficiency of new employees and supports your onboarding process.
Similarly, you can use StrategyX for handling project tasks that pertain to a particular project. These can include meeting weekly or monthly project objectives and achieving the outcomes.
Summing Up
Recurring tasks must not be a roadblock on your way to achieving organizational success. Using a world class business operating platform like StrategyX will enhance your management practices, and help you manage these recurring tasks like a pro.
If you notice a significant improvement in your workforce productivity, it means you’re on the right track.
Be sure to regularly analyze recurring tasks to assess their appropriateness for the assigned person.