We struggled to implement time tracking in our company. Even in a company that makes time tracking software! It is known that tracking time will benefit in the long term. But still - it is so frustrating and time consuming when again and again, you force people to do something that they don't care! This process can be really painful, for both employees and managers. But at the end, we manage to collect 10 fatal mistakes, so we or you will never make them again. 1) We didn’t explain why it is important to track time 2) We didn’t all agree on the clear structure of projects and tasks 3) Everyone could add new tasks and projects 4) We didn’t clearly tell that this is an obligation 5) Managers didn’t see clear benefits 6) There was no single person accounted for this implementation to succeed 7) We didn’t check how people are filling their timesheets – every single day 8) We didn’t share best practices of how to track time 9) People have never seen how valuable the timesheet reports are 10) We didn’t have a clear image of how the perfect timesheet looks like Though, the first two trials turned into a failure instead of a spectacular success, they helped us learn a lot. They made us more aware of the problems that may occur during the implementation. Mistakes we’ve made gave us a precious knowledge of how it all should look like. Thanks to this, we are able to share it with you. Hopefully, this time the whole implementation will go as smooth as we assumed at the very beginning.

1. 10 Fatal Mistakes That Killed
Our Time Tracking
Implementation
#our_way_to_accurate_time_tracking

2. We struggled to implement time tracking in
our company.
In a company that makes time tracking
software!

3. Tracking time will benefit in the long term.
But still the whole process of
implementation can be really painful and
frustrating, for both employees and
managers.

4. It’s easy to make mistakes that will turn
everything into a failure.
We manage to collect 10 fatal mistakes,
so we and you will never make them
again.

6. 1) We didn’t explain why it is
important to track time

7. What we need time tracking for?
***
What kind of problems it solves in our
organization?
We didn’t have a certain answer for our own
team members.

8. 2) We didn’t all agree on the clear
structure of projects and tasks

9. “If I am spending the time on writing emails, what I should
track time to?”
***
“If I am spending the time on helping others, what I should
track time to?”
***
“If I am spending the time on a short call which lasts
around 5 minutes, what I should track time to?”

10. Without clear guidelines the employees don’t know where
to assign the time in particular situations.
They have problems with signing a coffee break or their
own work organization.
As a result time tracking becomes a frustrating experience.

11. 3) Everyone could add new tasks
and projects

12. Too many people had a privilege to add their own
projects and tasks. It created some kind of
disorder in the structure and in the reports.
The assignments were multiplied, put into
different projects or had different names given.
This made the employees even more confused.

13. 4) We didn’t clearly tell that this
is an obligation

14. If you want your employees to obligatory track time you
should tell them about it. The command should be explicit
so nobody has any doubts.
We haven’t done this previous two times. We started to
record time, but just occasionally and for a short time.
Nobody treated it seriously and we haven’t disapproved
such behavior.

15. 5) Managers didn’t see clear
benefits

16. The example comes from the top. In our company the
managers were not convinced to time tracking themselves
so they didn’t show enough engagement in the process.
And they should feel the duty to accomplish it.
They also should be accounted by the team members for
their thoroughness in tracking their own time.

17. 6) There was no single person
accounted for this implementation
to succeed

18. Everyone was his own boss in this experiment
and we let ourselves do whatever we want. It’s
not a path that could lead anywhere.

19. 7) We didn’t check how people
are filling their timesheets – every
single day

20. We didn’t monitor how we all managed with time tracking.
Everyone was doing it on their own. It’s a big mistake.
To make people do it right, you should check on their
timesheets and reports systematically.
First weeks make the habit and show what are the problems
with time tracking – how to assign their tasks and what are the
technical difficulties.

21. 8) We didn’t share best practices
of how to track time

22. We didn’t show our members how to register their
time in the easiest way.
We didn’t share best practices that could make
it a more effortless experience for all of them.

23. 9) People have never seen how
valuable the timesheet reports are

24. We didn’t show people that the hours they registered
were actually analyzed and that they are very helpful in
our further work.
It is good to gather your team and discuss the results.
Present them, what do you need those figures for, ex. to
estimate the profitability of the projects or the
commission for the salesmen

25. 10) We didn’t have a clear image
of how the perfect timesheet looks
like

26. We had no unambiguous vision of how to
measure the progress and couldn’t decide how
we should assess the progress made in
registering our time.

27. THANK YOU
More at: http://www.timecamp.com/blog/