Enhance Your Productivity with These Managing Tips

One of the most important working aspects people can learn from leadership development is how to enhance their own productivity and the productivity of their team. There are several simple changes people can make in their day-to-day work life that can lead to a less stressful and overall more productive day at work. Below are a few of the steps you can take to make sure you are working efficiently. 

Prioritize Your Most Important Tasks First

This tip may sound obvious, but completing the most important tasks of your workday first can be easier said than done. This is because the most important task of your day is generally also the task that requires the most brainpower to finish. It might sound daunting to dive into the most challenging part of your workday immediately, but studies have shown that this is usually the most effective method. If you put off the most important tasks until the end of a workday then it is likely that you’ll run out of steam before it is complete. Prioritizing your day’s most important tasks first will help us avoid scenarios like this. 

Visualize Next Week This Week

Another way to increase your productivity is to constantly stay ahead of the curve by always thinking about the future. Visualizing the coming week this week is a small tip that can make a huge difference. Being clear about what the day’s goals are the night before will give you a head start on getting them done. The easiest way to do this is with a to-do list. Spend a little time every evening thinking about what needs to get done the next day and jot three to five tasks down that you would like to complete. 

Remember to keep the items on the list specific, realistic and simple. Be practical about what you can get done in a single day. Avoid adding broad tasks that might include several steps such as, “finish project.” Instead, break that item down into a few individual steps needed to finish that task.

Complete Tasks in Batches

Grouping related tasks and completing them together is another great method of improving your productivity. One effective means of grouping tasks is by completing any tasks that can be done in two minutes or less immediately. This is referred to by many as the two-minute rule. The idea behind the two-minute rule is that by completing many short tasks at one time you can reduce your levels of procrastination and open up more time to focus on larger projects. So, if it takes roughly two minutes to complete a task then it is a good idea to get it done as soon as possible. 

Morning Huddles With Your Team: Invest in Your Team Development

Speaking with your team every morning, even if only briefly, will ensure that everyone involved is up to date about what the day’s goals are and how they need to be handled. This will go a long way in increasing the productivity of your team as a unit. The more time your team spends collaborating the better they will come to be at it. 

A tool that may improve collaboration between your team members is a Davinci Coworking Space. This will enable your team to reap the benefits of a physical office location regardless of their location. 

Stop Multitasking

Though it sounds like a good idea, multitasking is actually very bad for productivity. It would be nice to be able to work on three or more projects at once, but the reality of multitasking is that it prevents you from doing any one task efficiently. The human brain is wired to handle one task at a time. In fact, studies have shown that multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%. Multitasking can also hasten mental fatigue causing you to burn out before the end of the day has even come.

Set the Right Working Environment

Another major aspect of enhancing your productivity is making sure your office space itself promotes productivity. Make sure that your work space is free of any distractions. This includes limiting the time you spend browsing the internet, disabling notifications for any apps that aren’t relevant to work and avoiding noisy areas if possible. 

Having the proper equipment in your work space is also crucial to enhancing your productivity. Items like an ergonomic chair, wireless earbuds and good lighting can help create an environment conducive to getting work done. 

Take Regular Breaks

Taking regular breaks may sound counterproductive at first, but a large part of enhancing your productivity is fighting mental fatigue. Spending more time working does not necessarily mean that more work is being done. Even a short break such as standing next to your desk or walking to get a glass of water can do wonders to reduce exhaustion. 

About Nick Rojas

Nick Rojas is a business consultant and journalist who lives in Chicago and his hometown Los Angeles with his wife. His work often discusses social media, marketing, and branding in regards to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).