If you’re looking to improve productivity for yourself or even your whole office it can be overwhelming knowing where to start.
Many people have tips and tricks for improving productivity, but what we really need are effective strategies that promote productivity.
True productivity and motivation always come from within, but outside factors can affect the amount we achieve as well as making us feel more positive about our jobs. So how can we improve productivity in the office and get the most out of ourselves and those we work with?
Only Hold Meetings When Absolutely Necessary
Many of us have sat in a meeting we didn’t really need to be in and that we have nothing to contribute to. Meetings are often long and can be a huge drain on time and energy.
Make sure that you are only having meetings when they are absolutely necessary. Instead of a meeting could you achieve the same thing through an email or phone call?
Maintain a Clean and Tidy Workspace
Although often overlooked and underrated, maintaining a clean and tidy workspace, be that in the office or at home is crucial to increasing work productivity. It may be as simple as tidying up your spare room at home, giving you more physical and mental space to work with, or perhaps a quick clean of the office.
Many offices, particularly post-pandemic will have cleaning routines, but you may wish to take it upon yourself to give your office an additional clean. Particularly in the case of serviced offices, there will more than likely be a range of office cleaning products (more information here) that staff will be free to use as they see fit, to encourage a cleaner office and workspace.
Don’t Forget to Give Praise
This is such a simple habit but it can have a huge impact on the motivation of the people around you.
Give targeted, specific, honest praise to those in your team. When we have been working with the same people for a while we can forget to thank and praise our team. Make sure praise is sincere and don’t be afraid to give out praise in a public way, we all like to know that our hard work is being acknowledged.
Encourage Breaks
This tip might seem slightly counterintuitive, but studies have actually found that encouraging breaks can improve productivity over the day. One simple and often effective way in which to do this is to employ the use of a task manager app or programme (Source: Chanty), which can help teams organise their tasks and time more effectively. Instead of sitting at your desk and working with semi-focus for 8 hours, it’s much more sensible to work in 90-minute chunks punctuated by breaks. You will actually get more done over the day if you give yourself time to rest and recharge.
One of the best things you can do with your break is get active, head outside, get some fresh air, go for a walk, do some stretching or even just take a lap of the office. Getting your body moving on your blood pumping will help you to come back from your break focused and ready to do your best.
Ditch Multitasking
Multitasking is well known to be a good way to do a number of tasks very poorly. Studies have shown that doing one thing at a time is actually quicker in the long run because your brain isn’t having to switch from one task to another which takes time and energy.
To avoid this task fatigue just do one thing until it’s finished. If the task seems massive and not achievable, break it down into smaller steps and just achieve one step at a time. You will find yourself more productive, focused and energized throughout your day.
Reach Out for Help
Many of us spend our time floundering and struggling over things that could very easily be done by somebody else. Don’t be afraid to draw on the expertise and knowledge of those around you.
Instead of struggling to find the tool you want to use in a software you’re learning, just ask somebody you think they know. You’ll save yourself time and effort that could go towards more productive things and we guarantee nobody will mind you asking for their help.
Read more:
Effective Ways to Increase Productivity in The Office