Everyone’s busy. Why is progress so slow?

Where the time goes

In one senior marketing role, I was brought in to lead campaigns, improve performance and help modernise how the business worked.

But a significant amount of my time also went into chasing information, manual reporting, supplier administration and keeping track of where things were at.

Even content that was finished and approved would sometimes sit waiting because it wasn’t clear who needed to do what next.

Administration is part of any role. The problem is when inefficient processes leave people with less time for the work you hired them to do.

You can hire the right expertise and still miss out on much of its value.

What’s taking longer than it should?

Think about one piece of work that matters to your business but is taking too long.

Then ask:

• What’s taking up the time that should be going into it?

• Does that work need this person’s expertise, or could it be simplified, automated or supported by someone else?

• Is it necessary, or is it something people do because it’s always been done that way?

If specialist work is constantly interrupted by chasing, tracking, and duplicated administration, the cost goes beyond the hours spent. Campaigns take longer to deliver, opportunities pass and improvements drag on.

Work might still be happening. But how much time and effort does it take to get a result?

Work out what needs to change

Better processes can free up time. They can also make it clearer where you need specialist expertise or additional support.

Finding the problem is the start. Deciding what to change takes an understanding of the work, the people involved, and what the business needs to achieve.