5 TIPS TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AT WORK
Everyone wants to get more done in less time, but that’s easier said than done -without a clear plan of your workday (or even week) in place, most people tend to end up overcommitted, overwhelmed and overworked.
No matter what industry you’re in, there aren't always enough hours in the day to get everything done. As a result, you constantly feel like you're behind and that's simply no good for your productivity nor your health. So, what's the answer? Work more hours? Luckily, that’s not the answer.
"Research that attempts to quantify the relationship between hours worked and productivity, found that employee output falls sharply after a 50-hour work-week, and falls off a cliff after 55 hours -- so much so that someone who puts in 70 hours produces nothing more with those extra 15 hours, according to a study published last year by John Pencavel of Stanford University."
-Bob Sullivan
Instead of putting in those extra hours, you can become more efficient at work by focusing on what really matters. And you can get started with that today, by following these five simple tips.
#1 IMPROVE YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Easier said than done? Well, no actually, because there are a few simple rules that can really help you to manage time better.
For example, when setting up a top priority task, you need to switch off the phone and ignore your email first. Then you need to abandon any ideas of multitasking as that will slow you down and ruin your focus. Finally, set a reasonable deadline and do everything in your power to meet it.
If you want to improve your time management skills even further, you can read “Top 10 Time Management Tips”
#2 PRIORITIZE YOUR DAILY TASKS
Not all tasks are created equally. Through setting smart goals, all of the elements on your to-do list will get done at some stage, but some are more important than others. As we don’t maintain the same energy or concentration levels throughout the day, it makes sense to work on the most important tasks at periods of high-focus such as in the morning or just after lunch. Correspondingly, activities which can be done when more ‘switched off’, such as checking or replying to emails can be left for periods of low energy, such as just before lunch or at the end of the day.
#3 DELEGATE THE WORKLOAD
Delegate tasks that you shouldn't be doing to someone who should be. Then, take on your own tasks in order of priority. Can it be done in less than a minute? Do it now. If it is going to take more than that, then schedule and prioritize it. If you pair this with scheduling your time effectively, it will allow you to get more work done.
#4 TIGHTEN UP MEETINGS
Limit meetings to 30 minutes, with a specific desired outcome. If you don't think you can cover everything in 30 minutes or certain people can’t contribute to the outcome, then you probably need a few 30-minute meetings with different groups of participants. Long, tedious or irrelevant meetings are not just a time-stealer for individuals, but they are a drag on organizational effectiveness.
#5 DO NOT MULTI-TASK
Though you might feel like you are getting a lot done at the same time, the unfortunate truth is that multi-tasking actually lowers the quality of your work and slows down the completion of all the different tasks. By focusing on only one thing at a time you will be bringing the full focus of your brain to bear on it and thus be able to complete all your tasks, in order, quicker.
When we think we’re multitasking we’re actually multi-switching. That is what the brain is very good at doing – quickly diverting its attention from one place to the next. We think we’re being productive. We are, indeed, being busy. But in reality, we’re simply giving ourselves extra work.
-Michael Harris
