Time Tracking for Creative Teams: 5 Tips for Success

Time tracking is typically associated with organizing, control, and monitoring. That's why time tracking and creativity can seem like two different worlds. 

Does this mean that time tracking and creative teams are an incompatible pair? Actually, it means quite the opposite.

Using time tracking software can bring some structure and organization within a creative team. Creatives can approach keeping track of working hours very informally. Sometimes it comes to the point where they write their work time on a napkin or take mental notes.

Getting a creative team to consistently fill in timesheets can be a mission impossible. If we are putting all our cards on the table, no one likes to do that. This is why time tracking software is such a clever solution. It eliminates tedious time-tracking tasks. 

As much as creatives can be doubtful of any kind of control, time tracking can help them be more productive and get more work done. How do you ask? That’s what this post will demystify.

Let’s dive deep into the world of time tracking. In the following lines, you will get to explore the benefits of time tracking for creative teams and how to successfully put it to 

Why Time Tracking?

Is time tracking such a great solution? We’ll present the information, and you’ll get to decide.

There is more to time tracking than just keeping the team organized. Thanks to the time tracking reports, the clients can have insight into your creative team’s progress. You and your team will have undeniable proof of your efficiency. What that can lead to are more projects.

Time tracking can help both you and your team have a bird’ eye view of your efforts. Such an overview can help you spot the weak spots and notice where you can make some improvements.

Whether you are a freelancer, manager, marketer, business owner, or agency director, time tracking is a tool that can take your creative team to the next level.

With a simple introduction of time tracking software, your team can face one of the biggest enemies of all creatives – procrastination. 

Did you know that 84% of people are affected to some degree by procrastination?

However, time tracking can turn things around. Knowing that their work efforts are being noted, your team will have the motivation to give their best.

But that’s not all. There are more benefits to time tracking. Here are a few more good reasons why time tracking can make a difference in your creative team’s efficiency:

• Manage the priorities better.
• Provide more precise estimates to clients.
• Boost the team’s productivity (Daily time tracking can decrease productivity leaks by 80%).
• Notice any backtracks and speed up your work timely. 
• Organize creative projects upfront to meet all the deadlines.
• Provide transparency to the team. 
• Let the progress motivate the team to keep up the good job.
• Set clear goals for all team members to see and pursue. 

5 Tips for Successful Time Tracking for Creative Teams

The awesomeness of time tracking is covered. Now, let’s reveal some useful tips for time tracking success. 

1. Explain what time tracking brings to the table

Declaring that you'll start tracking time can cause some commotion. You can't just drop a bomb like that without any introduction or explanation. If you do that, your team might get the wrong impression.

Explain that the purpose of time tracking isn’t to micromanage the team. 

According to Adobe’s survey, 77% of creatives claim that it's very important for them to have complete creative freedom. Clarify that time tracking won’t take away that freedom.

Linda Ferguson, CEO and writing expert for paper writing service reviews, says “Rather than just throwing the time tracking software at them, explain how it will benefit your company. The aforementioned benefits can help you present to your team some rock-solid pros for using time tracking software.”

2. Get a user-friendly system

Creatives aren’t the biggest fans of administrative tasks. That’s why you should aim for easy-to-use and intuitive time tracking software.

The less manual labor it demands, the better. If you invest in time tracking software to eliminate tedious hour entry in timesheets, getting software that makes you do that would be a waste of money.

Look for simple, engaging, and streamlined software that fulfills your needs. Avoid complicated, confusing, and demanding software. It’s as simple as that. 

3. Opt for an aesthetically pleasing design

This may seem silly, but time tracking software that appeals to visual senses might help you get your team on board easier. Ultimately, creative times are more attracted to visually appealing things.

If possible, use software that has a beautiful design. It shouldn't be too aggressive so that it distracts the team.  A clean and attractive design is the perfect choice for a creative team. Something like this:

4. Make it a habit

Using the time tracking software from time to time won’t do anything for your team’s productivity. Make sure that the team uses the software daily.

The statistic shows that people who track their time use daily are 66% accurate, while those who track weekly are 47% accurate. So, get that accuracy level to the max. 

What’s more, you need to explain to the team that if they want to reap the benefits, they need to be committed. Let them know that time tracking needs to be their faithful companion. 

5. Explain all the features

Don’t just briefly show how the time tracking should be used. Give detailed instructions and show all the useful features.

Every innovation provokes reluctance and the fear of the unknown. To eliminate that fear, you need to introduce the software. Turn it from a stranger to a friend.

Take your team step by step through the software and show them every feature. From turning the time tracking on to looking into the other team members' assignments, they should learn about it all. 

Why is this relevant? Because the team will be able to start using the software without being scared that they'll mess something up. They also won’t overlook relevant features. 

The more your team knows about the software, the more productive they’ll be. However, they need you to help them grasp the ins and outs of it. 

Conclusion

Time tracking can be just the ingredient you need to improve your creative team's results. It is an incredible method of boosting productivity and even introducing better harmony within the team. 

However, bear in mind that if you want to reap the benefits of time tracking, you can’t do it half-heartedly. You must go all-in and track time daily. All or nothing – that’s how you must approach time tracking if you aim for success. 

About the author: Donald Fomby is a professional copywriter, content creator, and editor working closely with admission essay writing service. He is a passionate and dedicated writer who aims to provide his readers with practical, up-to-date tips, trends, and information. Donald spends his free time honing his article and case study writing approach through research and life-long learning.