Want to increase productivity? Stop working

In today’s hectic world, everything needs to get done, and it should have been done yesterday. Life becomes a series of running around, putting out fires, and always playing catch-up on our to-do lists.

So how can we be more productive? Or better yet, how can we add value to our productivity?

The fact is, when we take time to stop and think, we work smarter.

It’s true that ‘time is money’. But we're often so concerned with doing things quickly that we don’t take the time to truly build quality into our product, service, or company culture.

Here are 5 ways to stop working, start thinking, and add value to your productivity:

1. Learn from your mistakes.

How often does a project turn out horrible, only to see the same result repeated multiple times before changes are made? Take Wal-Mart for example. Despite being the biggest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart famously flopped in Germany…after 10 years of trying. The problem? For one, they tried to incorporate American style management and business practices in a market and work culture that neither needed them nor wanted them. If they had stopped for a moment to figure out what was going wrong…instead of plodding ahead with their plan…maybe they could have turned things around.

If things are moving in the wrong direction, stop working and figure out why. Because all of us make mistakes – that’s the human experience. When we learn from those mistakes, we gain value from that experience.

2. Learn from your successes.

We should also stop and consider the result when our project succeeds. Many successful companies get thrown off track when they are too ambitious, too eager to expand, or moving too quickly to identify what they are doing well. And it’s not just start-ups: It’s how LEGO suffered its first loss in company history back in 1998…before they refocused on core values and turned things around.

In business, moving forward is a must. But if you (or your company) are enjoying the thrill of victory, stop for a moment. Examine the reasons behind your success, and use those answers to focus on where to go next.

3. Listen to your employees.

Maybe you or your employees can identify with the following situation:

I see something at work that [is very inefficient / has a negative effect on our culture / is just plain wrong]. I wish I could change this…but [I don’t have time / it’s always been like this / nobody cares what I think anyway.] Oh, well – ‘C'est la vie’.

Companies spend millions every year on improvement reviews and ‘Business Process Reengineering’ – but what if we could build continued improvement into company culture?

If you want progress to be inherent to your organization, consider implementing this process: When employees encounter a process or problem they feel is damaging to the company, they should make a note of it. Then, at a set time each month (for about an hour or two), they should consolidate these thoughts into a document, complete with answers to the questions: Why does this bother me? How does it negatively affect the business? How can we change it? Then, they should send it to a responsible person for review and consideration.

Many companies have some type of 'suggestion box' in place, but they don't sufficiently encourage all employees (including the introverted, or those with great ideas but lacking confidence) to contribute. This process can solve that problem.

Of course, the larger a company, the more challenging it is to determine what changes are beneficial, then in turn implement those changes. But having a system in place that encourages employees to speak up – and at the same time takes their views seriously – can help your company to better utilize its most valuable resource.

4. See the big picture.

In the day to day grind, everyone makes poor decisions at times. Who hasn't on occasion sent an emotionally charged e-mail, or made an unwise investment only later to ask: What was I thinking? But poor decisions are productivity killers, because of the inordinate amount of time it takes to deal with the fallout.

The key is to limit those unwise decisions, and the best way to do this is to think before you act. We know when we’re about to do something that may have serious repercussions, but we often get caught up in the moment and do it anyway.

So before you press send, pick up the phone, or make that impulse decision, STOP! Ask yourself: How will I feel about this next week? Next month? Next year? How will my partners and colleagues feel about it? What are the long-term effects I'm not thinking about?

Just to be clear: By no means am I advocating indecision. But taking an extra moment to see the big picture now can save hours on damage control later.

5. Take a break.

The desire to prove one’s self in the workplace. High expectations – internal and external. An increased obsession with work. At one point or another, many of us have experienced these three symptoms of what the late researcher Herbert Freudenberger and Gail North included in their theory of the ’12 phases of burnout’. As a confessed workaholic, I’ve learned with time that I need to make a separation between work and everything else…but this is a constant struggle and I need constant reminders.

Work addicts begin to skip meals, view sleep as 'unimportant', and even avoid their families or loved ones due to a need to ‘get everything done’. But these practices are self-destructive, and in the long run will also reduce productivity. Make no mistake: You can’t keep a sprinter’s pace in the marathon of life.

So what can help?

It can be difficult to step away from work, so try to start small and build on that. For me, that means making sure I spend a full hour on lunch. Taking five minutes to call my wife or send her a text. Setting a time to go home to my family; then, sticking to it.

And what about working from home, the age-old arch nemesis of work/life balance? Traditionally, I've always been more of a night-owl...but I began training myself to go to bed (and wake up) earlier. This enables me to have a productive start each morning, and tiredness at the end of the day forces me to turn in at a reasonable hour – and get the rest I need.

These aren't ‘one size fits all’ solutions. But if you find yourself overworked, stop working! Take a moment to think of your own small, practical suggestions – or speak to your family, or to a professional. It can be just what you need to help you think better, feel better...and produce more consistently over time.

Life is about balance. A good work ethic is a praiseworthy quality, but it can be a waste of energy without the right focus. Take a minute to stop working, start thinking – and add value to your productivity.

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I also write for Inc.com:

• Empathy: The Basic Quality That Many Leaders Keep Getting Wrong
• Why Your Email Sign-off Is More Important Than You Think
• 5 Simple Steps to Better Writing
• So What Is An Entrepreneur, Anyway?
• What Falling in Love (and an Awesome Guitar Player) Taught Me About Setting Goals

Justin Bariso is an author, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker who believes in retaining the human element at work. He makes frequent attempts to stop working. Follow him here by clicking the FOLLOW button above or on Twitter @JustinJBariso.