“How to be more productive at work?” is a question that concerns employers and employees around the globe. Regardless of where you work and what you do, everyone is looking for a way to increase productivity. Many personalities dealing with organizational problems have spoken on this topic, thus giving different theories. Productivity means achieving the best results in the shortest possible time, leaving you more time to do other work or share it with family and friends. It means working smart, rather than working a lot.
This can be achieved by avoiding some obstructive processes and engaging in specific work activities. Productivity is best achieved by looking at how it actually performs, then identifying difficulties, shortcomings, and obstacles, and then finding ways to improve them. If you are looking for some fun for your break time, then go check these ChatVille alternatives.
#1. Don’t engage in many activities at once
Research shows that engaging in more than one task at a time can cost you a lot in productivity, and switching from one job to another can cost up to 40% of the time. This is because you will not be able to focus and concentrate on a particular job because of this shift from one task to another. If you have many tasks to accomplish, then set priorities by giving each task enough time. This enables you to first focus on the task that is most urgent, while also allocating enough time to other tasks.
#2. Turn off notifications on your phone
Turning off notifications during business hours helps you avoid checking your cellphone at all times. The same goes for your computer if you have access to social networks. It would be a great idea to log out of social media completely while on duty so that when you feel the need to check something out, you may just not long in at all.
#3. Manage obstacles
There are some obstacles that you can never avoid, such as – when the manager is urgently looking for something or when a colleague is asking for help. In general, you can be more proactive and inform the people around you that you need to focus, so they don’t get bogged down. If you are nearing the deadline, tell your colleagues that you need to concentrate and that you would greatly appreciate it if they were not hindering you at the moment. Alternatively, you can try working from home – if that’s possible.
#4. Swallow the frog
It’s a famous saying by Mark Twain, which says, “If your job is to eat a frog, then eat it in the morning. And if you have to swallow two frogs, then swallow the bigger one.” This means that you must first complete the most difficult and urgent tasks, even if you do not like them. Also, if you are given the opportunity, first complete those tasks that you do not like, then other tasks come as cakes after meals.
#5. Shorten the meetings
Meetings can take a long time, which can be used for something more rewarding. Everyone should wait first, then wait until the informal meetings are over, and then begin the formal meeting. At meetings, sometimes they can spend hours sifting through something small and not very relevant.
An alternative solution would be to have no meetings at all. You will be amazed at how many things you can arrange with a single email or during a call. This doesn’t mean that meetings are unnecessary. There are times when face-to-face meetings are a must. Just make sure you consider the options first – is such a meeting necessary or not. If you just need to share information, then a single email may be the solution; but if an issue is to be discussed and a solution needs to be found, then a meeting would be necessary. If it’s the latter, keep it focused and shorten the time. A 30-minute meeting is more than enough to maintain focus and interest.
#6. Use tools
Using the right tools is crucial, after all, ‘you are good as long as you have your tools at your disposal’. Not only will you perform the tasks in the best way, but they can also handle the processes. These processes are essential for a business, as they manage tasks, keep employees aligned, and store company data. If you are a manager or run your own business, make sure your team has the tools needed to perform the tasks. Or if you are employed and feel that the tools you have are inadequate, let your managers know. A good leader understands the importance of having adequate tools and how this affects employee productivity.
Some of the tools you can use to:
Communication
- Slack – for team conversation and collaboration
- Samepage – for video conferencing
- Zendesk – for customer service.
Job management
- Zenkit – for collaboration on work and projects
- Wunderlist – for a to-do list
#7. Clean and Organize
A messy environment can limit your concentration skills. According to researchers, physical disarray can adversely affect your ability to concentrate and receive information. For this reason it is very important to maintain a well-organized work environment. Having an organized environment also ensures that you know where to find the items, tools, or documents when you need them. According to a study conducted in the US, an employee may lose on average up to one week a year looking for things that have left them in the wrong place.
#8. Take a break
Regular rest is essential for maintaining productivity at work. Sitting in front of a computer for a long time can lead to serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes, weight gain. As with physical health, mental and emotional health rest is a must. This is because the brain is just like other muscles, the more you work tirelessly, the more it crushes. Ensuring that you really take a break can protect you from the suffering of fatigue when making decisions. In addition, sufficient rest helps them to increase their creativity.
#9. Drink water
Although we know we should, we can easily forget to drink plenty of water during working hours.
Many of us resort to tea or coffee to maintain our caffeine levels. However, just as it is important to take a break, drinking plenty of water is essential to maintaining productivity at work. It is simple and useful. Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration, fatigue, headaches, and weight gain.
A good way to avoid this is to keep a pitcher of water on your desk which can also serve as a reminder to drink water on a regular basis. If you start to dislike the taste of water, add a little fruit, like lemon, peach, or cucumber to give it flavor.
Conclusion
After all, these nine rules for increasing productivity at work aren’t all, and you or the company you work for may have even better rules. However, this is something that varies depending on the job and the work environment. These nine basic rules can serve as a good basis for anyone who finds themselves subjected to distraction and confusion during business hours, and seeks ways to overcome this situation.
It should be remembered that changes cannot happen overnight, so start with a little and be persistent. Like this article? Check daily neoadviser.com for even more related ones!
