7 tips to help you be more productive at work
We all have a work routine in which we try to get as much done as possible. However, research has shown that 30% of UK office workers have admitted to only completing 1-4 tasks every day. Granted, we will all have unproductive days from time to time, but are there any measures you can take to boost your productivity (and therefore satisfaction) at work?
You’re going to complete more tasks, your boss will love you, you could even get that promotion you’ve been craving. Furthermore, you will feel truly satisfied with your work.
While many perceive productivity as being how many things you can complete in a day, this couldn’t be more wrong. In actual fact, productivity is an assessment or measure of the efficiency of a worker or group of workers completing tasks. How to be successful in being productive depends on who you are as well as a variety of factors such as your work environment, training and motivation. It could be something that is completely natural to you or you may need to implement exercises and good habits in order to efficiently get your work done.
Our 7 tips will not only help you be more productive at work but they will also help improve your everyday life by helping you be more productive in this area as well. In the past, there has been significant evidence that supports the connection between workplace wellness and efficiency with physical health and mental wellbeing.
Take advantage of your commute
According to research, nearly four million people in the UK spend two hours travelling to and from the office – that is equivalent to 38 working days a year! Making use of your uninterrupted time in the mornings to get tasks complete can be very beneficial and will help put you in the correct mind frame for the rest of the day. Moreover, it is important to also use this time to reflect on the day ahead.
If you can, working offline is a fantastic way to take advantage of your commute as it means you can focus on specific tasks that you would otherwise struggle to get done at work with the many distractions being in an office can bring. For instance, reading agendas or analysing reports. This may not be an option if you drive or get a busy tube to work. However, if this is the case, you can use the time to increase your knowledge by listening to podcasts such as those from the BBC or TedTalks.
We are all different. What works for one individual may not work for another. Experiment and find what works best for you.
Have the right tools and equipment
In order to help employees work productively and complete tasks efficiently, employers should look at the office equipment and tools they provide as these play a major role in the work environment.
As technology advances, it is enabling new ways of being able to work smarter – not harder. Therefore, it is valuable for organisations to look at what tools will help the workforce do this. Microsoft Teams is a popular collaboration and communication platform based within Microsoft 365 which combines calls/chat, attachments, notes and meetings. By enabling teams to work whenever from wherever, and co-author and share files with Office 365 apps such as Word or PowerPoint, it is leading the way in helping employees work smarter.
Interested in finding out more about Microsoft 365?
Design a plan and set the RIGHT goals
The value of setting the right goals is something many of us don’t consider. In order to do this, you should use SMART goals. They will not only give you deadlines but will also give you clarity, helping you to efficiently get tasks completed.
Forming your SMART goals won’t happen without motivation and a clear plan of how you are going achieve them though. A plan is important and shouldn’t take any longer than 10 minutes. Spending a few minutes organising your day the evening before will help you arrive at work with a clear direction for the day and rid your mind of anything unnecessary.
Work flexibly
The latest technologies are means that employees are being allowed to work at the times they work most productively. The traditional 9-5 working hours are proving to not be effective for many of us, with past predictions stating that they expected by 2020, 30% of employees were going to be spending much of their time working from home.
Do you work best in the mornings? Or are you a ‘night owl’? Speak to management about flexible working where it is practical.
Granted, flexible hours may not be possible in some cases. Therefore, you must also make the most of your time while you’re in the office and use the hours of the day that you work most productively to your advantage.
Improve workspace conditions
Positive, attractive and organised. When looking at or thinking about your workspace condition, we believe these are all words that should spring to mind. If they don’t – this could be a key area to improve in order to increase your productivity at work.
Firstly, take a look at your office environment on a personal level and think of the word POSITIVE – Is it inspiring you to complete tasks positively? Secondly, think of the word ATTRACTIVE – Does it look good? Will it influence you to complete tasks that make your feel good? Finally, think of the word ORGANISED – Can you find documents with ease for the tasks you need to compete?
Furthermore, workspace conditions also include the atmosphere of your workspace and the people around you. If you are an employer, think about how the work environment feels in your office. Do your teams work well together? Could it be improved?
Improving the conditions in your workplace will mean that the environment is more liveable, something that is known to assist with productivity.
Take regular breaks
If you don’t take regular breaks you may believe that you are getting more done, but experts have said by doing this you will only run yourself down and lack in motivation. By taking regular breaks you will boost creativity, concentration, mood and of course, your productivity! Consider taking a short walk around the office, have a bite to eat or chat with a colleague. Research has shown that it is most effective if you take a short beak every hour depending on the type of work you are doing.
A good way to keep track of your breaks is to use the ‘Pomodoro Technique’. It is a time management technique which breaks work down into intervals of 25 minutes separated by short breaks, with the goal of reducing the impacts internal and external interruptions.
Meetings
Meetings are deemed one of the biggest timewasters in business today. Ask yourself – Is this meeting necessary? Who actually needs to attend? Do I even need to attend?
Research has shown that collectively, 15% of an organisations time is spent attending meetings – an increase since 2008. Continuing to go to or hold unproductive meetings is not only a waste of time but a waste of money. When an employee is in a meeting, they are losing valuable time they could otherwise be spent complete important tasks. Ensure you consider what the purpose of the meeting is and establish with attendees whether it is necessary. Large well-known brands such as Google encourage staff members to think about whether they would be able to input anything to a specific meeting, and if not, ask for the minutes of it.
Conclusion
Understandably, we all want to be more productive and successful in our work lives. We would all like to feel more productive and successful in our work lives. Sometimes it is important to look at the way we are functioning at work and make changes where necessary. By using the tips listed in this blog, you will not only boost your efficiency but feel more focused when working.
Ponder the fact that during regular working hours, just 7 percent of employees feel productive. From this it is clear that the working hours of 9-5 may not be the best way to work anymore. Luckily, modern cloud solutions are helping employees unlock their productivity by allowing them to work at the times they are the most focused. By using these tools to offer staff more flexible working hours, you may find the productivity of your company is turbocharged as well as your own.
Please contact us for more information on our cloud solutions.