Productivity at Work (part 2)
Aoife O'Brien
?? Happier at Work? podcast host | Driving retention and engagement in global teams using my Happier at Work framework | Thriving Talent | Career & Culture Strategist | Imposter Syndrome specialist | Keynote Speaker
Following on from the last edition of this newsletter , I want to share some practical tips on how you can be more productive at work. This was originally part of the first newsletter, but it became so long I decided to split it in two.
If you missed the first part, you can check it out here or scroll to the bottom to see previous editions of the newsletter. I covered what productivity actually is, why it’s important, and what hinders our productivity.
Productivity is something I’ve been interested in for as long as I can remember. Back in my corporate days, I used to devour any HBR articles relating to the best times to perform certain tasks - time of day/ day of week, ways to improve working life by being more productive.?
If you’re interested in running a workshop relating to this (or any other topics I speak about) in your organisation, you can book a call with me here: https://calendly.com/happieratworkhq/speaking ?
How can we be more productive?
Stop multitasking
Focus on one task at a time. I often get distracted by new information, shiny object syndrome or just bouts of inspiration. Previously, I could go down a major rabbit hole on a task that wasn’t even on my to-do list. What I’ve started doing is using the Notes app on my phone or a notepad to capture those ideas so I don’t lose them, and then continue with the work I was doing.
Turn off distractions
Distractions are anything that pull us away from our core work. Working from home can mean we are distracted by things like the doorbell or phone ringing. If you need to focus, make sure you are in a quiet space and set some boundaries around when and why you can be disturbed. Since I started my own business, I have never had my emails on my phone. I check my emails twice a day, and turn my phone to Do Not Disturb if I am working on something important or in a meeting.
Commitment rather than motivation?
By committing to the action you’re going to take to achieve your goals, you’re not waiting to feel motivated. This applies to getting up at 6am to train for the race, as well as doing the work in preparation for your big presentation.
Carve out time for deep work
Cal Newport wrote about the importance of deep work in order to move forward with our goals, and about the importance of deliberately making time for deep work. I typically have one or two meeting-free days per week (typically Monday, Wednesday or Friday depending on the work I want to get done).
Reflect and find what works best for you
Building a reflection practice into your work is crucial if you want to improve and grow over time. What works well for me may not necessarily work well for you. Having a framework to use to figure out what may work well for you certainly helps - use this newsletter as a jumping off point. For example, some people prefer to “eat the Frog” (Brian Tracy) others prefer to tackle the small tasks first.
Understand your chronotype?
Are you a lark or an owl? Understanding when you work best can be a game-changer. I am a lark; I do my best work early in the morning, though I do get bouts of inspiration at night before I sleep which is why I keep a notepad beside my bed! The world is generally set up for larks, but if you are an owl (i.e. you do your best work at night) you may struggle with doing your best work early morning and prefer to work at night. Thankfully, with the shifts to a more outcome-focused flexible world of work, things are becoming more inclusive to the owls as well.
Delegate what you can
There will always be parts of the job that we don’t enjoy, I think this is unavoidable. So long as you enjoy at least 80% of what you do, I think you’re doing well. We can improve our workplace happiness by focusing more on the work that capitalises on our strengths, and by working with others who have complementary strengths, and delegating the other work. This frees up time and mental energy to focus on what you do well and what you do with relative ease.
Cut down on the number of meetings you attend
Meetings have a sneaky way of making us feel like we’re working, when oftentimes our day job is still waiting to be done at the end of the day. Are there some meetings that can be cancelled, reduced in frequency or time? Meeting organisers should share agenda, type of meeting and expected outcomes ahead of time. No more “that meeting could’ve been an email”
Use time blocking
You can do specific types of work at the same time, this works well for phone calls and responding to emails, admin tasks, as well as allocating time for “deep work”.
Focus on energy management rather than time management
Notice when your energy is at its highest and use that knowledge to get your best work done. I work best first thing in the morning so I rarely schedule meetings before 11am so I can focus on getting the most from my energy.
Take regular short breaks
Don’t underestimate the power of taking a break, stepping away from your desk to boost your energy and give you a fresh perspective. It’s tempting to plough through work when you feel on a roll (I know I am guilty of this!), but by taking breaks, you’ll be able to approach your work more refreshed and won’t feel exhausted at the end of the day!
“What does ‘done’ mean? and what does ‘doing’ look like?” David Allen
Set clear expectations
What does success look like? How will you know when the task is finished? This is important for yourself as well as when you delegate. If you don’t do this, you may get stuck spending hours trying to perfect something when it was already finished. It’s important to clarify expectations around time and quality. I watched a great video with Enrique Rubio (he/him) from Hacking HR and David Allen , and one of the things I took away from it was “What does ‘done’ mean? and what does ‘doing’ look like?”
Two-minute rule
In his book, Getting Things Done, David Allen says that if something can be done in 2 minutes or less you should do it immediately.
Look after your physical needs
Make sure you are getting enough sleep, moving your body, eating nutritious food, getting outside to spend time in nature - all of the things that fall to the wayside when we think we are “too busy”.
Stop beating yourself up for not finishing your to-do list
Instead, set 2-3 goals for the day of things that must be done, this helps you clarify, prioritise and focus on what really needs to get done. If you don’t finish everything, reflect at the end of the day on what went well and what you would do differently tomorrow. Don’t forget to show compassion to yourself.
Ruthless prioritisation
This means spending time identifying your top things to work on. It also means saying ‘no’ to some things, even if you’d like to do them. This becomes harder the further we specialise or progress in our careers with lots of things vying for our time and attention.
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Accountability
Do you blame others or outside circumstances for not getting things done? Where is the ultimate accountability of you getting your work done? Have you heard of/ used the RACI model? (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) Use it to clarify everyone’s level of involvement in the task or project.
Outcomes
I see more and more that the forward-thinking organisations I am working with are shifting their mindset towards focusing on outcomes achieved rather than time spent at work. Empower employees to know what their strengths are, to use them at work, and to focus on outcomes (clearly defined by leadership) rather than inputs (time and energy).
Boundaries
Boundaries are there to protect you and your time. Our boundaries were largely blurred during the pandemic - work and home life became interchangeable. Understand what your boundaries are (you will probably know when they are being crossed, as you get annoyed), then make sure you have actually communicated your boundaries effectively (people are not mind readers) and share the implications if they continue to be overstepped. If you set a boundary, don’t forget to stick to it - otherwise people will think they can walk all over you. A common example of this is when we receive messages out of hours - set the boundary that you will not respond to messages after hours, turn off your phone or your notifications, and don’t respond until a time that is convenient to you.?
Pushing back and saying no
Related to the above, when you’re already busy and people ask you to take on more more - clearly inform them what you already have on your plate (often they need reminding), ask how things should be prioritised, ask if there’s only one thing that needs to be done this week, what should it be? Another ‘trick’ I learned a long time ago when dealing with conflicting deadlines is to ask “when will this be used?” as opposed to “when do you need this for?”
Other people
Sometimes we have to deal with others who have not prioritised. This was a running theme in one of my previous organisations, and the common thinking was ‘A lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine!’. This is where boundaries can come in useful, also setting clear expectations, and prioritisation of your workload. Don’t feel like just because someone else has made a mistake that you have to pick up the pieces.
Some questions to ask to clarify expectations
As I see it, the one core skill of being more productive is to focus on the things that matter. That means first of all knowing what matters. Some questions to ask yourself (and others!):
Productivity Books I have enjoyed
Atomic habits by James Clear ?
Deep Work by Cal Newport
?? Happier at Work? episodes:
Here are some of my podcasts episodes talking about how to be more productive:
Lasse Rheingans on the 5 hour day
Andrew Barnes ONZM from the 4 Day week
Andrew Barnes ONZM and Charlotte L. on the 4 day week
Niamh Moynihan on creating a better work day
Setting boundaries at work
Work life fit with Cali Williams Yost
What are you doing to support productivity at work? I’d love to know in the comments, join the conversation.
What to look forward to
In the next edition of this newsletter, I will talk about Good Bosses vs Bad Bosses. Available in 2 weeks.
On the Happier at Work programme, we focus on 3 pillars: workplace culture; empowerment; and balance.?
Happier at Work partners with business leaders to support them to create and maintain happier working environments by focusing on the pillars of: workplace culture; empowerment; and balance. We offer speaking, training and workshops; happiness audits; research; and corporate programmes.
Aoife O’Brien is the founder of Happier at Work, a business with the mission to support organisations in retaining top talent. She is passionate about ‘fit’ and specifically how creating the right environment can help individuals to reach their full potential and support organisations to thrive. She is a self-professed data nerd, with a 20+ year career in market research in the fast-moving consumer goods industry working with clients like Coca Cola, Unilever and Heinz to solve marketing problems using data analytics. Aoife has been featured by several media platforms and public speaking events talking about imposter syndrome, fit, employee engagement, and productivity. She has lived and worked in Dublin, London, Perth, and Sydney and has a MSc in Work and Organisational Behaviour, a Diploma in Executive and Life Coaching and a Certificate in Career Coaching.?
The Happier at Work podcast , features a combination of interview-based episodes as well as solo podcasting, and has more than 80k listens in more than 50 countries. It was recently runner up for 2 awards. You can sign up to the Happier at Work LinkedIn Newsletter to receive the podcast straight in your LinkedIn notifications when it goes live every Friday!
Founder-The 4 Day Week Global, The Forbes Future of Work 50, chair of Give-A-Little, Wine business owner.
1 年Keep up the good work.
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1 年?? love the term 'no agenda, no attenda', this simple mantra to maintain a professional boundary not only helps with performance but is an essential element for conflict management
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1 年Thanks to your recent live interview, I found out that my leadership kryptonite is 'The Belief That You Have to Sacrifice Your Personal Life' so this article really hit home for me. Boundaries are for life, not just for Christmas...
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1 年So many fab resources and tips here Aoife, thank you. I reckon I’m a frog-averse owl masquerading as a lark due to current circumstances. ?? Your point on energy management is spot on. I spent about two years miserably trying to push through and write stuff between 2-5 pm. Once I realised I could do twice the amount of work at about three times the quality level in the mornings, the game changed! I’m reading Suzy Reading’s “Rest to Reset” at the moment, with some excellent insights on what slowing down can do for the quality of your work. Have you read it?
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1 年I'll keep this in mind