Productivity

Practical steps to improved productivity

The benefits of increased productivity for individuals and companies are far reaching. Not only does increased productivity contribute to a sense of accomplishment but it also has positive effects on the bottom line.

The good news is that a few small changes to an individual’s daily actions and routine can have a big impact on productivity. Read further for some practical tips.

 1.             Keep your focus

For individuals to make the best use of available time, it is important to pay full attention to the task at hand.

In an online article for Psychology Today, Nancy Napier mentions recent neuroscience research which has shown that the brain can switch between tasks very quickly but can’t really focus on tasks simultaneously[i]. According to Arthur Markman, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, dividing attention across multiple activities is very taxing on the brain, and often comes at the expense of real productivity.

To improve your focus, turn off email, voicemail and message notifications while you’re concentrating. Constant notifications coming through can switch your focus to another deliverable and leave you with yet another uncompleted task. Rather schedule time in your day to give your full attention to reading, listening and responding to messages.

2.             Quick wins for faster progress

In his best-selling book, Getting Things Done, David Allen recommends immediately completing tasks requiring less than two minutes of your time. This makes it easy to take action and to stop procrastinating.

The 2-minute rule must also be applied to smaller and larger goals; once you start with something, continue until it is finished. The basic principle here is that starting and completing small tasks will give you the necessary momentum to move on to bigger tasks.

3.             Planning saves you time in the long run

When it comes to planning for tasks, it is best to plan for the following day in the late afternoon or evening. Plan for every hour of the day so that you can effectively utilize the time available to you. As Brian Tracy says: “Every minute you spend planning saves 10 minutes in execution”.

Carthage Buckley, in his book Stress Free Productivity, advises planning your day to help you identify all tasks needing your attention. That way you can prioritise the most important tasks. 

4.             Remember regular breaks and exercise

Regular breaks at 90 minute intervals increase productivity, as per research done at Florida State University. Most people do not concentrate effectively for longer than 90 minutes at a time.

Make sure that some of your breaks are combined with exercise, such as a brisk walk. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain which improves alertness, focus and, as a result, productivity.

Basic exercise, like walking and using the stairs at work and during breaks, has a positive impact on productivity, according to the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

5.             Maintain focus with access to helpful resources

Are you managing or do you employ a team of people? Interestingly, employees seem to spend only 39% of their working time per week on role-specific tasks, according to the McKinsey Global Institute. The remainder of their time is spent on tasks like answering emails and phone calls, collaborating internally, and searching for internal company information needed to complete their work.

As manager or employer, you can increase the productivity of employees by simply ensuring that they have the necessary resources at their disposal to keep their focus on role-specific tasks.

WorkOwlLearn is available to assist you with the process of improving the productivity of your Payroll and HR division. We do this by promoting better understanding of the applicable software and teaching users about time saving utilities.

 Visit www.workowllearn.co to learn more.

[i] Nancy K. Napier. The Myth of Multitasking. Available online at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creativity-without-borders/201405/the-myth-multitasking