Posts Tagged ‘being more productive’

Sometimes delivering better results is not always about work harder but about working smarter. Discover my top tips in this short video.

These days getting more from the resources you have available is almost taken for granted.  You have more and more tools to help you yet you still struggle to be as productive as you would like.  Does it really need to be like that?  Here are my top 8 tips for being more productive.

1. Discover when you are your best

Some of us are at our very best early in the morning.  For others it might be late into the evening or even in the middle of the day.  Knowing when you are at your best has huge benefits when it comes to scheduling what you do and when you do it.

2. Set goals

Determine at the start of each day what outcomes you will have achieved.  Don’t worry if you don’t have every detail worked out as to how you will do it.  By setting an intention or outcome you will figure out ways of achieving it.

3. Know what matters

Many people lack clarity on what their key deliverables are.  We all know that about 20% of what we do accounts for about 80% of the results.  What is the 20% that gives the most impact for you?  If you don’t know, set out to find out.

4. Start with the biggest challenge

While it always tempting to start with easy stuff and start scoring things off the list, avoid doing this.  Start with the most challenging task first.  It might be a report, a project plan, a specification or an important customer call.  Whatever it is do it first.

5. Manage interruptions

Open plan offices are all the rage.  While they are great for team and group working, you sometimes need some quiet space.  Make it clear to those around you if you need a slot of time without interruptions.

6. Delegate more

If you have a secretary or PA they can often take a lot of tasks off your hands.  This might be for example routine letters or phone calls or operating a bring forward system for items that you have deferred.  If you are leading a team, delegate things to others that can do it better than you.

7. Book out time slots in the diary

The more senior you get, the more likely you are to get your diary filled with meetings.  With diaries also being open to others, it can mean there is no time to get things done.  Make a point of booking out tasks that you have to do as appointments so that the time is not grabbed by someone else.

8. Be realistic

Remember you are a ‘human being’ and not a ‘human doing’.  It is all too easy to set up lists of things to do that are totally unrealistic.  We all have done it.  We like to helpful.  Get into the habit of setting challenging but realistic targets.

At the end of the day improving your productivity is an ongoing process.  Start by taking some simple steps and watch as you start to achieve more and more with less and less effort.

From your own experience what else contributes to your productivity.  Share your experience and wisdom by leaving a comment.

When asked what their biggest challenge is, many managers say that getting everything done is what they struggle with most.  One of the major differences of being a manager is that you are no longer just responsible for one or two things.  You need to manage a varied workload as well as people and resources.  So what are the 5 top mistakes managers make when it comes to managing workload and what should they do instead?

Mistake 1: Failing to focus

The first mistake managers often make when it comes to managing workload is failing to focus on managing.  This is often more of a challenge for those that have been promoted within the same organisation to a management role.  If you are a manager you are no longer measured just on what you do but on the results you deliver through others.

Solution: Make a point of allocating a proportion of your time specifically for managing and get crystal clear on how your performance is measured.

Mistake 2: Not delegating

Delegating tasks and responsibility is often something managers find tough to do.  It might be that they were let down in the past and are reluctant to try again.  It is important to remember that if you avoid delegating you give a message to your staff that you don’t trust them.  How would you feel if your boss gave you a message that he or she did not trust you?

Solution: Identify tasks that can only be done by you and those that can be delegated.  Once you have identified those tasks that can be delegated, find the best person in your team to do the task and delegate it to them.

Mistake 3: Not being willing to say no

You want to be seen as someone who is helpful – don’t you?  The real question to ask yourself is whether you want to be regarded as the person who always offers to help but rarely delivers.  As a manager you need to know when you can commit and when you cannot commit to something.  It is better to say and explain your reasons than to say yes and not deliver.

Solution: Always be clear on what you have to deliver in the weeks ahead and how long it will take so that you can clearly identify what capacity you have to take on additional work or projects.

Mistake 4: Not planning

Failing to plan is planning to fail.  You would not go travelling without a plan or try to make something without a plan.  So why would you leave your productivity and effectiveness to chance by not planning?

Solution: Plan your workload for the month, week and day and ensure that you focus on your priorities.

Mistake 5: Being too accessible

Many managers talk about having an open door policy.  At the same time, you need to be careful that your open door policy does not become a constant interruption policy.  When this happens you start to lose huge chunks of your time, put the delivery of results at risk and put yourself under real pressure.

Solution:  Have designated times when you are available to deal with problem issues and people issues and schedule this time in your calendar.  When issues arise outside of this, make sure that the issues really do require your immediate attention.

Bottom Line – Mastering workload management will set you apart from many managers and help you deliver results.  So what action do you need to take to better manage your workload?