A lot of people are busy at work but not necessarily being productive at work. Sometimes you find yourself running around doing a lot of stuff but at the end of the day, you still feel like very little is being accomplished. If you can relate to this, then read on.
True productivity is not just getting things done but getting the right things done. This is a skill. In this article, I will highlight the best tips on how to be more productive at work.
1. Always have a to-do list
There is something about having a list that somehow helps us get things done better. Write it down, use an app, have it on your computer – wherever. Just not only in your head! Always write down your to-do lis – it’s the first step to being productive. If you really want to be ahead, then you can write your list from the night before, that way you start you mornings already with a plan.
2. Prioritize your to-do list
It’s not enough to have a to-do list, you also have to order it in some way. Some people prioritize it based on easiest to complete, some by importance, some by deadlines, some by what they are waiting on, and so on. In some way you have to say what is the order in which things on your list should be done. That is going to help you be very productive at work because you always know what is to be done next.
If you really wan to be really productive at work, then look at your to-do list and see which task if done first, will make the others easier!
3. Stop multi-tasking everything
You are checking emails while you are in meetings, you have 5 projects working at the same time, you have clients to speak with and deadlines to meet. Whoa! You are certainly busy but are you productive?
How about take some time to focus on one of you projects and see it to completion or to a point where you can hand it off? I get that sometimes, you have large projects that are not expected to finish for awhile so you can’t see i to completion before doing other tasks, or you may have information you need from others to complete the ones you are working on.
However, there are some tasks that are completely within your control to do and you are working on all at once and non of them can are done completely. You need to stop. Work on one and get it to completion before starting on the other one. Multi-tasking is not productive.
4. Check your email only after you complete a task
I know this is difficult for a lot of people, but unless your job is to respond to emails as fast as possible then you can let the email wait. If you have your prioritized to-do list then complete a task on it before you check your email.
Checking email constantly is the biggest blocker to being productive at work
Checking email constantly distracts you and it take awhile to regain focus after you have been distracted. Additionally, emails often result in more work being piled on so all the more reason to finish a task before checking it! This will help you get more done and be more productive at work.
5. Say no to some tasks
Sometimes you can be more productive by not doing something rather than by doing it.
Every time you say yes to a task you take time away from the other tasks you already have that you could be working on. This does not mean that you say no to everything and don’t do your actual job. You definitely can’t say no to something your boss has assigned to you either. However, there are some things you can say no to so you can focus on being productive in the tasks already assigned, for example:
- You can say no to helping your coworker do their job
- You can say no to extra work related activities (like running a committees)
- You can decline meetings where you are invited as optional
I am just saying you have to be smart about how you use your time at work to get the most productive things done.
6. Avoid distractions
This is something we all struggle with.
I’m sure no one is constantly on their phone at work, right? No one is constantly checking their facebook or instagram posts at work, right? We are more professional than that. However, constant messaging on your work chat software about various topics and a lot of side conversations can be disrupting as well. This is something I personally have struggled with.
Still you have to build rapport at work and you can’t be locked away somewhere with no human contact either. You have to find a way to balance and make sure you don’t spend too much time chit chatting or on your devices doing tasks that are not productive.
7. Declutter
A lot of time can be wasted just looking for stuff.
Work files could be buried in folders, or you may just name them weird things that you can’t remember later – it can get messy. Try to organize your computer so that everything is in folders that makes sense to what you are working on. That way you can easily find files. Clean up your desktop on your computer so its not a dumping ground for all kinds of filers. Also declutter your physical work space, remove all that stuff of your desk that you never use. It’s ok if during your work process it gets messy again but make it a daily habit that your work space is clean when you leave and decluttered for the next day.
Decluttering helps you and the people around you to see that you are a clean and organized person.
8. Document Solutions
You can be productive if you document a solution so that you give answers to questions that you know will come up again. This can save you and your coworkers a lot of time. When you document solutions you don’t have to spend time explaining or helping someone with the same problem, instead you can send them to your documentation. That will free you up to do other tasks and you won’t spend time solving the same problem over and over again.
9. Break it up
If you find yourself staring at the screen and being stuck, then it is time for a break.
Add breaks between your tasks.
This break can be to go get a cup of coffee, or go for a walk outside, talk briefly with a coworker. If you have a gym at your office, then you can work out and so on. You can go to the lobby and play a game on your phone even. Take a short break and refresh your mind then get back to the task.
Also you can get over being stuck by just switching to a different task when you come back from the break. Sometimes having your mind focus on something else helps you unlock answers for the thing you were stuck on..
Conclusion
That concludes my short list of ways to be productive at work. I hope that you found it useful. Please leave a comment below and check out my article on 15 Tips to have more effective meetings. You can also find more interesting topics on my Youtube channel
Do you want to find out more about the business analyst career? Watch this video on What is business Analysis and What do Business Analysts do.