The Daily Work Log
A daily work log is a document that tracks exactly how your time is spent throughout your workday. You write down your tasks, how long they take, whether you have a defined process for the task, and if you can outsource/delegate the task. It’s a great tool to get an accurate picture of how you spend your time. Why does this matter? Because as you build your dream team, you should be hiring team members that take ownership of specific tasks in your business! The daily work log will help you capture those tasks in an organized way!
The magic of this exercise is in its simplicity and objectivity. All you have to do is write down the tasks that you’re doing for about 5 days straight. You should also write down any tasks that you didn’t get to!
Once they’re captured, each task should be put into 1 of 4 categories: stop doing, keep doing, automate, and delegate. By categorizing these tasks – you’re going to have a very clear picture of exactly what needs to happen before you onboard your new hire!
Category 1: Stop Doing
These activities are really not beneficial for your business… frankly, they’re a huge waste of time. I’m looking at you mindless Instagram scrolling!
Category 2: Keep Doing
These are the tasks that move the needle that you’re actually really good at. For most business owners these tend to be revenue-generating tasks such as product ideation, education, speaking, etc. You need to handle these tasks personally.
Category 3: Automate
These activities are important, but they are simple enough that a system could take over the daily management. If your new hire happens to be tech-savvy, these are the perfect tasks to get them to automate ASAP!
Category 4: Delegate
These tasks are very important, but a system cannot take them over. This is the sweet-spot for your new hire! These are the tasks that you should ensure you’re mapping out clear SOPs and KPIs for so that you can easily train your new hire to take them over!