Five Simple Tips to Improve Productivity
Have a plan. If you take the time to plan out what you need to accomplish during the day then you eliminate the time that will be spent figuring out what to do next when a task is completed. When you have your tasks outlined you can move about and skip around when necessary to improve productivity instead of sticking with a task when you are not producing results. Having a visual of the day ahead makes it more manageable. You don’t spend time worrying about what you need to get done and you gain motivation from seeing things crossed off your to-do list. A plan also helps when people stop by, because having a visual of what you have to accomplish also gives you an idea of how much time you can spare in chit chat or when during the day you may have time for the conversation you visitor wants to have.
Take Breaks. Being too focused is not always the most productive state to be in. Sometimes you need breaks to refresh and regroup. It’s helpful to plan a five minute break between meetings and tasks that way you have a little time for yourself- whether it is to run to the restroom or grab a glass of water that short break can be useful to help you make the transition from one task to the next. This is also a great time for catching up with others and maintaining your relationships around the office. A quick chat here a little joke there goes a long way.
We generally have more energy and enthusiasm at the start of the day or a project. Major breakthroughs and accomplishments can produce a similar level of energy and excitement, but not every task has such. By taking breaks, you allow yourself the opportunity to have a fresh start each time you return from a break newly energized.
Get Help. We all have our specialties as well as our weaker points. It’s important to know and use these to our benefits. Sometimes it’s best to delegate a task to someone else whose skills are better suited for it then our own. Spending 2 hours doing something that another member of your team can complete in 30 minutes is not an efficient way to use your time. If you have difficulty delegating, it’s always a good time learn. One slow way to start this process may be as simple as asking the other person to help you, that way the work is getting done in a timely manner and you are there to learn from them in order to improve your own skills. But you have to remember that to be both an effective and efficient leader, you have to be able to trust your team enough to delegate as needed. There will be times when you need someone to teach you a better way of doing thins, other times you may just need a few more hands or eyes to help you move faster, but sometimes you just need to let someone else take the reigns and know that there is a more productive use for your time and expertise.
Redefine “Open Door Policy”. In an effort to be accessible man people often lose the true meaning of an “open door policy” and allow that to impact their productivity. Each time someone comes to your office and stops you from doing what you were working on, they are interrupting the flow of your productivity. The same applies to answering the phone and responding to emails. During the times that you have set aside to complete specific tasks, you should treat them as you would appointments. Just as you do not stop a meeting because someone walked in you may need to apply that method to certain task-dedicated times. If someone walks in you can ask them to return in an hour when you will be done, or let a call go to voicemail and return the call after you complete a task. The constant email dings are one of the biggest detriments to productivity, because we feel the need to drop everything and attend to that that chime or vibration every time we hear it. An “open door policy” means that you are accessible and welcome members of your team to come to you with issues and concern. You can still maintain this open door if you set certain limits that allow you to use your time efficiently. Not everything is a crisis, but if you allow everything to be treated as such, you may find yourself in constant crisis mode with your deadlines or working later then you planned.
Personal Interaction. Quite often your work may depend on other people to do their parts, or sometimes it may be that they are helping you. While emails are an efficient method of relaying a message or request, they do not relay to warmth of a personal conversation. When you want something to be given priority, take the time to place a call to the other party or walk by their office, even if to follow up after you sent an email. When you make that personal connection it moves your request up on the priority list. Typing pleeeeease in an email is completely different from actually voicing it at someone’s desk. Just like a smiley face in an email does not hold a candle to a bright pearly white smile or handshake. As a leader you can and will be able to get people to do the things you want, but the human connection makes it faster and easier. And this is not just if you are the boss- This is even more effective when dealing with your colleagues and even bosses.
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
