Wrapping up Q3 with a Productivity Audit
‘Waste’ time to save more time
A productivity audit is originally meant to evaluate a company’s processes and tools to identify inefficiencies and improvement opportunities. These days, it is also utilized in individual scale to up productivity.
Some people might believe that as long as you deliver great results, it doesn’t matter how you do it. That focusing too much on methods, apps, or frameworks is counterproductive.
If you allocate the right amount of time though, and do it moderately, it would actually take your work results to the next level.
Some of the benefits that make productivity audit worthwhile include:
A productivity audit is aimed for you to measure your own performance. It also serves as a report you could refer to when you feel demotivated.
More on the benefits and purposes of general performance audit can be seen in the KPMG piece here.
Stairway to productivity heaven
The Toggl Method
ime-tracking software, Toggl, has put together 7 steps to conduct a proper productivity audit, which includes:
To simplify the guide above, you can start by focusing on the main 3 activities:
(1) How much time was spent on high-priority tasks vs. distractions?
(2) What types of work resulted in the most productive output?
(3) Are there recurring tasks that should be automated or delegated?
To understand how much time is being spent on different tasks, and whether these tasks are aligned with your most important goals, see if you:
The EisenHower Matrix
You can also use the free Eisenhower Matrix online tool here and do the following steps:
1. Divide tasks into four quadrants:
a. Quadrant 1 (Urgent & Important): Critical deadlines, high-priority issues
领英推荐
b. Quadrant 2 (Not Urgent & Important): Strategic planning, growth tasks, personal development
c. Quadrant 3 (Urgent & Not Important): Meetings, low-priority interruptions
d. Quadrant 4 (Not Urgent & Not Important): Distractions, unproductive tasks
2. Reflect on which quadrant most of your time went to and where you should focus more energy.
3. Go through the questions checklist:
a. Are you spending enough time in Quadrant 2 (important but not urgent tasks)?
b. Are there any urgent tasks you can delegate or defer in Quadrant 3?
c. Can you reduce or eliminate tasks in Quadrant 4 (distractions)?
Learn more on the each of 7 steps on the full Toggl article here.
Digital cluttering for personal productivity
At the end of the day, you are not a machine. Even when you’ve set goals, and done all the 7 steps correctly, you might still not hit your goals. That’s exactly the point of the productivity audit exercise—to detect and fix the inefficiencies.
Your wellbeing is a huge factor of your success in achieving the objectives you’ve set. And sometimes, what really makes and breaks your productivity plan is the way you consume media digitally.
The key for better digital content consumption is one word: intentional. Make sure what you decide to keep tabs on actually helps you move towards a goal.
Ask yourself these questions to determine whether you should continue to consume certain content:
When the answer is no, take action such as:
Check out this past Monday Mavens edition to find more tips on becoming a digital minimalist for a more productivity Q4.
Before planning out for Q4, make sure to look back at your Q3 to really make the next Q count.
Even if this is not yet the common practice among your colleagues, you can start the Productivity Audit movement and start small for your first time.
See you next quarter with a more enhanced workflow and productivity plan!