“It has become
legitimate to talk about
the way we work.”

After taking the course in Personal Efficiency, the sales team at SPP work better together. With the right tools to deal with stress and time thieves, the result is a smoother working day – and better sales staff.

For SPP, which has distinguished itself with its work on sustainability and responsible investments, it has been important for the working environment to also reflect this approach. As a result, Effektiv Nu was commissioned to train the entire sales team, including the sales management, in personal efficiency. The goal was for the 120 people to enjoy a more efficient working day and less stress, and for the entire department to be able to raise itself another level.

“I have calculated how much working time has been freed up by our new way of working, and it is between 5–10 per cent, which we can now devote to more important tasks that have a more direct impact on our results,” says Jan Ridderwall, Sales Director.

The course became a talking point

For Jan and his colleagues, the course, with its three sessions spread over six months, meant that the topic of personal efficiency became something of a talking point in the office. When people attend the course together and everyone understands why and how the working environment has to work, it also becomes easier to implement the changes in practice.

“We are discussing these issues more now, and if anyone crosses a line, there is always someone to point this out and we can help to rectify the matter. It has become legitimate to talk about the way we work, and we have a common platform and starting point in the internal traffic regulations. It’s definitely a major change,” says Jan.

Emphasis on technology

The course at SPP placed additional emphasis on the technical tools, as many in the sales department felt that this was an area where a lot of stress was generated. In addition, a large part of the working day was spent sending e-mails and organising the work.

“The course helped us to understand how we can organise our work so that we can spend time on the right things, and this is something that is really important for all organisations today. We work in open office landscapes, and the sales staff have sometimes felt that they get disturbed in this environment. With the internal traffic regulations, we have been able to create more peace and quiet for our employees, without changing anything in the physical environment,” says Jan.

Another important matter relates to e-mails – how we should manage our inbox and how we should prioritise amongst the flood of e-mails we receive. Most of us feel pressured by all the messages that have to be dealt with, and it is difficult to find peace when we are worried about unanswered e-mails.

“There’s an enormous amount of information that we have to deal with every day in one way or another. Many people used to wrestle with their inbox, but now we know how to process the e-mails we receive. We also have the potential to prioritise our tasks using the technology. This means more potential to plan, so that we have time to reflect on what we’re doing. The more time we free up, the more time we have for personal reflection and the better we become as human beings. As a result, we also become better salespeople,” says Jan.