If you’re looking to improve your career prospects or simply want to make your boss happy, finding ways to be more productive is key. Bosses love people who get the job done.
While most of us like to think that we operate productively at all times, it’s not always the case. There are some changes you can embrace, however, which will make a big difference to your working day.
The following tips are particularly useful if you either seem to be spending to much time in the office or aren’t getting as much done as you’d hoped:
Track Your Performance
It’s something we generally don’t do but noting down our daily activities can be a great help in discovering in detail how we’re actually performing. Most of us have an overblown opinion of how well we’ve done on any particular task so a little closer monitoring can be a bit of a shock.
This is a vital stage if you want to improve your productivity in the long run – you can either note now your activities using traditional pen and paper or download a productivity tracking app to help you.
Get Feedback
It’s worth looking further up the chain of command to get feedback from your boss on how to improve your own working practices.
While some people can be a little reticent as may signal you are struggling with your job, if you have a good manager, you should expect to get plenty of constructive feedback.
Do The Big Jobs Early
Many of us tend to be a little reactive at work and get on with whatever’s put in front of us. That can lead to a lot of chopping and changing.
Learn to order your day a bit better and it can prove very beneficial. For example, we are more full of energy in the morning when we first sit down at our desks so tackling those big jobs right then makes sense.
Towards the afternoon, especially just after lunch, energy levels can drop which makes it the perfect time to get on with smaller, simpler tasks.
Turn Off Your Mobile and Stop Checking Emails
Interruptions can have a huge impact on productivity. Some of these are foisted upon us by work colleagues but many are actually self-made.
Turning off your mobile can stop you checking social media every five minutes and setting a certain time aside for reading, sorting and replying to emails will ensure you don’t get side-tracked so often.
If you need to get on with a particularly big job then make sure colleagues know you don’t want to be disturbed.
Use Technology
The good news is there is plenty of technology that helps us be more productive and exploring these solutions will, hopefully, allow you to organise your day much better.
That includes apps that allow better communication between staff working on the same project.
Set Your Own Deadlines
You boss will set you most important deadlines but that doesn’t stop you doing the same yourself. If you have to, time yourself on certain tasks and make sure you get them done within your limits.
Of course, you need to be realistic but it can certainly help prevent any kind of procrastination and keep you on track during the day.
Take Short Regular Breaks
Finally, taking short breaks on a regular basis will make a difference to your overall concentration and performance. Get up from your desk, have a stretch, make a cup of Hoxton Coffee and refresh yourself. It may sound a little counter-intuitive but it’s good for your energy levels in the long run.