Top 10 Ways to Increase Productivity at Work

Productivity at work means the output an organization gets when the desired number of inputs are placed. We will be discussing today how human resources i.e., the most important asset of a company could increase its personal productivity at work. The importance of productivity at work as well as the top 10 tips on how one can increase his or her personal productivity at work.

Importance of Productivity at Work

In this VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world, hard work is not the answer to your problem, but productivity is. You might sit in front of the screen and work all day long, but still be far behind your coworkers and the productivity standard set by the company. In simple terms, "productivity" at work means the output that you can deliver for the company in comparison to the number of hours you are working.

To be productive at work, you need to have certain time management skills and you should know how to prioritize your tasks.

Pointers to Increase Productivity at Work

Here, I would like to mention some of the simple adjustments that you can make in your work life to be extremely productive −

One task at a time

Being a multi-tasker may get us through interviews and create an impressionable image of us, but multitasking is more time-consuming. While we are multitasking, we might start 30 tasks at a time and leave most of them incomplete with a sense of personal dissatisfaction. We should focus on doing one task at a time. This will not only ensure quality deliverables but also reduce the time that our brain takes to adjust from one task to another.

Urgent-Important Matrix

There are four types of tasks that we generally come across while working. To be productive, we should set our goals straight.

• Avoid non-urgent and not important tasks for the time being.
• Delegate the urgent but not-important task to the subordinates.
• Put our wholehearted focus on an important and urgent task.
• Set aside time after the important and urgent task for the non-urgent but important task.

Set Small Objectives

Instead of writing down all the milestones that you have to achieve for completing all the tasks at hand, be realistic and write down the small goals that you need to achieve today or for that particular day. This will help you devote your time efficiently and will also ensure that you have taken care of all the important tasks.

Take Breaks in Between

To ensure quality work and better productivity, take small breaks in between. During those break hours, keep your phone aside and maybe read a book, enjoy a beverage, exercise, meditate, or just lie down for 10 minutes. These small activities will ensure that your mind is properly rested and ready for the next milestone. These small five-minute breaks will help you work for the next 60 minutes productively.

Prepare a to-do list and maintain the same

Haphazardly going out after work will only ensure chaos and a disturbed mindset. To be productive, ensure that you have your to-do list prepared for the day and maintain it while working. This is not a one-day task but a habit that you have to inculcate for productivity and job satisfaction.

Set Timer

Instead of letting the time flow while you are working on a particular task, set timers for yourself with a grace period. If you think you can do a certain task in 20 minutes, set a timer and work with all your focus at that point in time. Do not let yourself be carried away while working. This will ensure focused productivity. This is also known as the Pomodoro strategy.

Limit interruptions

The most important point of discussion is to limit interruptions while working. For ensuring quality work in the least amount of time, make sure that your phone is kept in DND mode, you are in a noise-free environment, you are well fed and rested, and you have asked your coworkers and family members not to interrupt you during your working hours. Those small chats on Instagram notifications can totally break your thought process. Nothing is more harmful to productivity than the fact that you are getting interrupted while working multiple times.

The two-minute rule

We generally have a habit of keeping all the chats and mail aside by suggesting that they are too simple and should be done at a later stage. Well, the study shows that any task that would take less than two minutes to complete should be done immediately. This will help in saving time and ensuring not a lot of work piles up. It just takes us 120 seconds, i.e., two minutes, to start some work, and if we do that now, we have already saved up a lot of time by not lazing around.

Take care of the most important task when you are most alert or most productive

Do not waste your golden hours doing all the menial work. Use your most productive hours for taking decisions, doing analysis, or the most important task that you have at hand. This will ensure that the task is done in the right mindset, and when you are tired, you can do the menial work of the job. This time is generally the morning hours when you have just started your day, but it might vary from person to person. Understand yourself to be the most productive while working.

Make meetings more productive

Brainstorming with your colleagues is a good approach, but do not get carried away. To ensure that your meetings are productive, list down all the items that must be taken care of or discussed in the call. Also, set time limits for each topic. Always make sure that some time is left for a general question and answer session. This point mostly applies to the leader or manager, but as an employee, you can also keep this point in mind for productive meetings. If it is a physical meeting, ensure that the person speaking is standing to get more attention, and if it is a virtual meeting, try to keep your videos on and ensure that people who are not speaking are on mute.

The above pointers will help you ensure that you have a productive day at work. Other things that you can keep in mind while working are to delegate certain tasks, time block your schedule, and have a good internet connection for better results at work.

Another thing to keep in mind is that not every day will be productive, nor will you be able to implement all these things at once, and that is okay. Keep doing your best and, most importantly, stay happy while working. Happy workers are the most productive workers.