Increase Productivity in the workplace
Productivity is very important in life, after all, how do you get anything done if you aren’t productive enough? Have you ever been through a phase in life where no matter how hard you seem to be working, nothing ever seems to get done? Been there, done that. Low productivity could be due to a multitude of reasons, many of those are easy enough to resolve if only one learns to recognize the causes. Being busy does not necessarily mean being productive.
Productivity Meaning –
Productivity is associated with getting more things done in less time. As it happens, the more stressed you are, the less productive you become. How do you get everything done in an assigned period of time, without making mistakes? After all, we are only human. No matter what you do, time seems to be running ahead of you and you feel the need for a 25th hour? Well, guess what. You don’t get the 25th hour. So you do what successful people do – get more things done in less time. The big question is, how?
Steps to Increase Productivity in the workplace
Let’s see how to increase productivity in the workplace through the following steps:
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Start on a positive note
Start your day with a smile. Yes, I know you have a ton of assignments to complete, but smile. Wake up five minutes early and do something you like. It can be a small thing such as sipping coffee in silence, or talking to a loved one. Start your day on a positive note and see the difference it makes. Why? When you are happy, your brain releases a chemical called dopamine. The dopamine controls the brain’s reward center, motivating you to seek out your goals. This helps to increase productivity in the workplace, kicking your brain into high gear. Get rid of all the people who suck out positivity. You don’t need these stressors in life.
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Prioritize
Make a list of tasks and rate it according to importance. Is that client waiting to hear from you for a couple of days now? Do it today. Prioritize on the basis of ROI – return on investment. Learn how to use time more efficiently; it is not as difficult as it sounds. Take out your cell phone, open Calendar and make a daily (or weekly, if you are the one to plan ahead) checklist. Having a goal list will make you more organized and you will know what you need to do, in order of importance. Check off the tasks that you complete and I promise, you will feel more accomplished as you check off each task. A big confidence boost to increase productivity in the workplace if you ask me!
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Compartmentalize
Many people don’t understand the importance of ‘slicing’ tasks. So you have a big assignment that you need to tackle and that is on top of your to-do list. Break down the big task into small tasks and accomplish them one by one. This way, you can just check these little tasks off your list (I do love checking off things), and feel like you are moving one step closer towards completing attaining your goal. This will help you reduce stress levels and help you keep a check on your progress. Think compartments.
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Reward yourself
Did you get done with 3 important tasks on time? Yay! Reward yourself. Go get yourself those shoes you wanted, or even a cheat dessert you’ve wanted to have since a while now. Reward yourself and you’ll actually look forward to completing the rest of the tasks. You’ll be happier, hence more motivated.
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Declutter
Many people know this one, but still, don’t get the importance of it. Clean out your workspace. Throw away old letters and wrappers that you’ve collected in your bottom drawer. Chuck out the useless things on your desk. Create a space for yourself which is clean and does not give you a headache the moment you look at it. I can say from personal experience that working in a clutter-free environment increases efficiency. Imagine not having to spend hours looking for that important letter-you know exactly where it is. Do this with your emails too. Sort out your spam mail, delete emails which are useless. Compartmentalize different types of emails, and your life will be easier. This will help you to realize how to increase productivity in the workplace.
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Take a break
Now, don’t undermine this one. This is important. Sure, you have a lot of work to complete and not enough time to do it. I get it. Not taking a break will elevate stress levels, which in turn decreases productivity – totally negating the point your no-break-funda. Do something mindless. Take a walk, or listen to music. Turn off your phone and try some breathing exercises. This will help you get off some steam and you can go back to the task at hand with a clearer mind and new ideas. Give it a try. Know how to increase productivity in the workplace & improve your efficiency.
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Say ‘No’
We, humans, have the tendency to say yes for every task given to us. We want to please everyone at once. Stop. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Of course, no one wants to be the bad guy, I get it. Ask yourself these few simple questions before saying yes or no:
a. Do I have enough time?
b. Do I have more important, more rewarding tasks to complete?
c. Do I get anything out of it?
d. Will it help me cultivate a better relationship with the person asking?
If the answer to all these questions is no, then it is simple. Say no. If the answer to even one question is yes, then consider agreeing to keep in mind the relating factors.
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Look after your health
I feel health is the most neglected sphere in the midst of work. It is important to have good health in order to perform at work and to increase productivity in the workplace. Go ahead and exercise for 15 minutes before you leave for work. It will get the blood flowing and you will feel more awake and refreshed. It will also help you focus more, and it is proven that a healthy body equals a healthy mind. Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day – have a bottle of water next to you whenever you sit down to work. Eat healthy instead of snacking on sugary and junk food, which brings down your mood and also has a large number of health risks.
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Delegate
If you have people working under you, delegate the less important tasks to them. This will help you clear up your list and lessen your workload. If something’s easy enough for someone else to do it, let them. You can’t do everything yourself. If you have more time on your hands for the matter that is really important, you will be able to do it well without having to worry about other small pending tasks. Learn the art of delegation and win the day.
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Use emailing hacks
This one is easy to follow. Check your emails while on the way to work. For example, if it takes you half an hour of commute to reach work, utilize that time to check emails and maybe reply to a few. Keep your emails short and to the point without worrying about coming across as impolite. Keep all your emails only five to seven sentences long. Have a pre-set signature at the end of all emails; this does save time. Also, replace long email threads with phone conversations or chats. This will help you clear up doubts quicker, instead of digging through old emails to find out who said what.
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Get rid of distractions
Spending too much time on Facebook at work? Watching too much television? Stop it. You may not notice but you could get a lot done in the one hour you spend scrolling down your newsfeed or staring at the TV. If you can’t resist sneaking a look at Facebook or Twitter, block these sites. Turn off your mobile phone so that you have absolutely no access. Unplug your TV. You will get a lot of work done in a short amount of time without the continuous beeping of your phone and the chiming notifications of social network sites. Give it a try.
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Be decisive
I spend a lot of time trying to make small decisions. Don’t sweat the small stuff. We don’t realize the amount of time we spend trying to make decisions and then mulling over our choices, thinking if it was the correct one. Do this: Make a 90-second rule. Take a decision within these 90 seconds and then that’s it. Don’t think about it anymore. Move on to other things instead of lingering over your choice. This will save you time and prevent stress.
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Stop working overtime
It may seem counterproductive but working overtime lets you accomplish less than what you would have if you had done the same task the next day. Working overtime also ruins the next day’s work – you will not be rested and hence be unable to concentrate and at the end, you will fail to increase productivity in the workplace. It is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken. Work can wait; your body needs its rest. If you get off work at 6 pm, working overtime occasionally till 7 pm is fine – not beyond that. Respect your internal clock. Make a routine.
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Research and revise
If you have a meeting or a phone call scheduled for the day, chalk out the important things to cover. Write it down and follow it. This will help you reduce aimless and irrelevant talk. This practice will save you time and also ensure that you don’t miss out any important topic.
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Do your most dreaded task first
Have a phone call to make that you are dreading? Do it first thing in the morning and strike it off your list. Whatever it may be, if you keep pushing it further to the next day, it will only loom over your head making you tensed. Break the cycle and do it now. You will feel a lot better that there’s one dreaded task off the list. You can accomplish the rest of your tasks in peace.
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Stop multitasking
We know you have a lot to do, but slow down. Trying to accomplish too many things at one time may be more harmful than useful. It may turn out that in the quest to complete 3 tasks at once, you mess up everything. Remember, quality wins over quantity any day. Your attention will be divided and you cannot give your 100% to any task. Complete one chore properly, and then move on to the next. Trust me on this one.
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Delegate less time for important tasks
It sounds weird but it is handy. If you assign yourself less time for an important meeting or a project you are working on, you will be under pressure to finish it sooner. This will increase productivity at work and help you complete the task sooner without giving you the time to mull over unnecessary and minute details.
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Carry a notebook
Write down every idea that comes to you. This practice will help you ‘declutter’ your mind and free it up for new stuff. Although you can just type it on your phone, I recommend writing it down. Writing notes is cathartic in nature and it can never accidentally be deleted.
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Outsource chores
Be it at home or at work. Can you afford to outsource the copywriting project? If yes, do it. This will reduce pressure to do things which are not as important as the main project. At home, order groceries online instead of going to the market and spending hours. This will save you time for other tasks.
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Don’t be so available
To increase productivity in the workplace it also depends on your day off, shut off your phone and log out of your emails. Relax. Meet up with your friends and go out with your family. This is your day to refresh your mind and feel renewed. Don’t worry about work – it’s always going to be there. Laze around, cook food, spend some time alone, read books. Your mind will feel revived and you will be ready to take on the world the next day with renewed vigor and it will also help you to increase productivity in the workplace!
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You cannot increase productivity at work overnight. Good things take time. Set a routine and follow it. Learn more about yourself and know your needs for a happy and fulfilling career and a better life.
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