These days, drivers are not satisfied anymore with their cars just cruising along; they want them to zoom on the highways. Petrol companies take advantage of this craving for superfast driving so they compete with each other in coming up with various petrol additives to boost the performance of cars.
This situation is similar to productivity. Due to the global economic crunch, companies want every cent and dime they invest to count. They are now paying closer attention on the efficiency and effectively of their workers based on the amount and quality output they produce. Hence, to be considered an asset to the company, workers must be super productive.
To be competitive in the market, here are some tips on how you can boost your productivity:
- Take advantage of automation
You may be wasting time and energy doing things the old-fashioned way. You are, if you still compile your website’s email subscriber information manually, or still rely on your memory on when to pay your bills, or you are sending out personally the same reply to routine emails again and again.
Tasks can be done faster, easier, and cheaper if you automate these activities. For example, in sending out replies to routine emails, you can use an auto-responder to handle this task. In order to gather information for your business, you can utilize the Google Docs or a similar program that can collect information into a spreadsheet for easy reference. You may also set up an automatic time manager software to remind you when and how much your bills should be paid.
Master the art of saying “NO”
Extending a helping hand to those who seek assistance may be a noble act provided that in doing that, you do not neglect your own duties and responsibilities. Always saying “yes” to every assignment, to every request for help, to all favours asked of you, will eventually take its toll on your own productivity. Charity begins at home so your prime responsibility is to yourself first. Analyze if what you are doing is contributing to the attainment of your goal or if it is for others’.
- Test your tools’ affectivity
You may already be using digital applications or software but if you do not get the proper results from them, perhaps they are not the right tools for your purpose. Instead of helping you to ease up tasks, they make work more complicated and cause delay. Make sure your productivity apps are updated and are properly installed. If the problems persist, maybe they are the wrong apps to use altogether. Consult an IT specialist for professional advice.
Give your productivity apps chance
In relation to the previous topic, consider also that jumping from one apps to another frequently can waste time, effort, and money. If the productivity software does not immediately give the results you want, think first before you decide to change it. It could be that it has not been properly installed, or you are not following the instructions correctly. Consult first the agency you bought it from. Frequent switching of apps is time consuming because it will mean new training for you and your staff, and can incur added related expenses and inconveniences such as the cost of new software, altering operation procedure, adjusting working hours, etc.
- Have a system in place
A proven system in doing routine or recurring processes will contribute greatly in your productivity. It is similar to a habit that makes doing an activity smoothly and completely automatic. Having a system in place will save time and effort. Make sure that the system you build is easy for you to follow and suits your needs. The simpler your system, the more efficient and effective it will be.
Come up with attainable goal
Aiming too high can be counter-productive. Set up goals that are challenging enough to motivate you but not impossible to attain when given the dedication and drive they need. Aim a few bars lower at the start and adjust it to a higher level as you progress. Starting with too high a goal may soon frustrate and overwhelm you. Eventually, it may cause your premature abandonment of your goal altogether. Perhaps it is ideal to always come up with quality work, but there times when settling for less-than-perfect results may suffice.
- Minimize meetings
Conducting meetings in the course of working on a project is necessary for brainstorming, assessing progress, and reviewing past situations. However, too much of anything is counter-productive, meetings included. If too much time is spent talking instead of acting, meetings could be obstacles instead of helps in achieving goals.
Learn to delegate
Trying to get everything done singlehandedly can affect your ability to turn out quality work. It can eventually force you to multitask just to meet due dates. Multitasking is both a time-waster and counter-productive. To come up with satisfactory results, you either have to adjust your target dates to a longer period if you work alone, or get assistance from others. If the project is time-sensitive, you have no option but to delegate.
- Monitor your results
Have you ever walked along a very long stretch of road without any sign posts or kilometre/miles markers? You lose count of the distance you have travelled and the progress you have made so far. The same is true when you do not monitor the progress and results of your journey towards your goal. You will not have any idea if you are actually making any progress at all or you are just going around in circles, exhausting yourself and wasting your time for nothing. Making a journal on your progress towards your goal is very important for its achievement. You must know how far you have gone, how fast you move on, and when will you reach your goal. Knowing these will help maintain your motivation. It will fuel your drive to continue. Otherwise, you may be unknowingly wasting your time, effort, and resources for nothing.
Take timely action
Another advantage of monitoring your development regularly is that you are able to act promptly should any need for immediate adjustments or modifications come up. Not being aware of your progress, it would be impossible for you to foresee problems and to react on time. Many times, timing is of great importance in making the right decisions to make them effective. They can spell difference between success and failure in attaining your goal.
- Temper your enthusiasm on your production
Of course, you can go to the opposite extreme about following your progress and production. Being overly obsessed in monitoring your development may also prove to be counter-productive. Although it is necessary to keep track of your progress as you work, focusing too much on it may make you spend more time than is necessary in worrying and making endless plans to do things better and faster. You waste more time thinking rather than doing. Furthermore, a slight delay in your progress may easily frustrate and disappoint you – the factors that could make you give up and abandon your endeavour altogether.
- Take advantage of numbers
Two heads are better than one and this is best applied when working on a project. Learn to work effectively with others. Not only can this save you effort, but will enable you to accomplish things faster and more efficiently. If you are not used to working with others, it is wise to start honing your interacting skill. This can help you boost your productivity and improve your relationships as well.
Define your work time
Come up with a definite work schedule. Set aside time to work, to attend to your emails, to rest, and for personal activities with your family and friends. Do not let activities to overlap with one another. When it is time for bonding with your family, drop all your official work. In the same matter, quit socializing when work time comes. This way, you do not get confused and keep focused on what you are supposed to be doing at the moment and end up accomplishing more each day.
- Learn from your mistakes
Always maintain a positive outlook of things. This includes setbacks and mistakes. Consider them as lessons to learn and guideposts towards the attainment of your goals. Do not waste the opportunity to improve yourself from the hands-on lessons these errors and failures teach you. They can make pursuing your goals faster and easier because they can show you how to avoid or overcome these problems should you meet them again in the future
Do not compare yourself to other people.
People are not created equal. Each one is unique even between twins, so stop comparing yourself with others. It is a futile exercise and you are only bound to be disappointed. Others may excel in doing certain things but you can do better in others. To be more productive, forget meddling with someone else’s concerns. Instead, focus on yourself which you have full control of and try to improve it.
These tips on productivity are sure to boost your own productivity from being sluggish to super-charged!