How to Improve Productivity
Overview
In the modern workplace, productivity is something that is sought after but rarely improved. Today's workplace includes several obstacles that lead to decreased productivity, such as Internet-enabled workstations, multitasking supervisors and the constantly chirping cell phones. However, in the midst of all this chaos, there are ways to become more productive, and most of these only involve simple habitual changes that are easy to implement and even easier to follow.
Step 1
Manage your surf time. Ever since the advent of YouTube, Wikipedia and blogs, the Internet has been awash with information. Many hours are lost because of compulsive Web surfing, and it is important to keep these impulses limited. One easy way to keep your surfing under control is to only allow yourself a certain time window every hour in order to get your mind off of work and surf. This window can be anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 2
Ignore your electronics. Although the buzz of a new text message or email message may be music to your ears, constantly checking your handheld devices takes precious time out of your work schedule. For instance, if you receive 6 text messages or emails per hour, and it takes you 90 seconds to read each one, you lose almost 10 minutes of work time during that hour. And if you reply to half of those, assuming it takes the same amount of time, you will lose an additional 5 minutes, creating a total of 15 lost minutes.
Step 3
Use Web tools responsibly. Although tools like Google Calendar and TreeDoList are very useful tools for making sure you stay on track, it is important not spend too much time customizing and tweaking these applications. Instead of using the Web to make a schedule, try using an offline word processor.
Step 4
Set tiered goals. If you find yourself overwhelmed with many tasks during the day, take some time to prioritize different tasks into categories. For example, by creating a "Must do" and a "Can do" list, you can quickly decide which tasks you should complete first, and which ones can wait until the end of the day. If need be, you can also set hourly deadlines for important tasks.
Step 5
Work on a monthly productivity plan with your supervisor. Although your supervisor may be a very busy person, take some time each month to work with her on your far-reaching goals for the month. Talk with her about what you want to accomplish and the strategies you plan to use to reach your goals. Discuss ways you and your supervisor can work together to make sure you are being productive, and set up a review list for the following month to measure your progress.
skill
2
tip
Make sure to add some flexibility to your daily schedule. Everyone experiences unexpected events during the day, so it is unwise to plan out a rigid schedule.
warning
Although organization is important, be careful not to waste too much time on setting up different organization mechanisms. It is important to keep things simple, otherwise what may be designed to improve productivity may end up decreasing it!
keyword
Improve Productivity Time Waste
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