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How to Increase Your Workplace Productivity
How to Increase Your Workplace Productivity is a common theme amongst the top performers and business owners that we work with at Samurai Innovation.
When workplace productivity levels fall, upper management begins to scrutinize the work habits of employees in order to ascertain the root cause of the problem. Entry level employees often bear the brunt of termination decisions made by management because they have not yet developed effective work habits. If you are fairly new in your job and feeling unsure about whether you’re contributing a satisfactory amount of value to your organization, you should consider learning some basic time management skills and apply them to your job.
Most work habits that can increase production are immediately effective and easy to learn. This means greater personal yield in results for you and your business. Following are some time management basics that anyone can apply to his or her workplace environment in order to be more productive.
Leave the Texting for After Work and During Your Lunch Hour
Although it should go without saying, leaving texting for your own time is a smart workplace strategy. Because entry level workers tend to be younger people who grew up with texting, they often aren’t even aware of how it is often viewed by others. Many of them text occasionally or even constantly during work hours. This lowers your production rate, plus it’s also very noticeable to co-workers and even your “boss”.
Even though the economy has improved in many parts of the country, the job market is still competitive and there are many applicants who are ready to step into your position if you are terminated. Those who noticeably text during working hours are likely to draw the unfavorable attention of hiring and firing managers.
Don’t be that person who finds their name at the top of the list of employees to be cut because of declining productivity levels.
Be Engaged in Your Job
Jobs involving a great deal of mundane tasks can be boring, and the tedium can cause some employees to not pay attention to what they are doing. Although it can be difficult at times, remaining engaged in the task at hand will help keep your production level up. It may take some time to fine tune your focusing skills, but doing so will pay off in the long run.
Employees who are paying attention to what they are doing are also less likely to experience injury due to workplace accidents. Focus grows when your engagement builds. Focus equals greater productivity and results in both the short and long run.
Make Clear Communication With Supervisors a Top Priority
It’s difficult to be productive when expectations are unclear, so employees should make certain that they have clear communication with their supervisors as well as other co-workers. If you need more direction in order to properly perform a task, you should let that be known to your supervisor in a tactful way. If your work involves a great deal of teamwork, communicating clearly with other members of your team will result in optimal production output.
Staying Motivated is Key to Workplace Productivity
Motivation is an elusive thing that builds on itself. Becoming motivated in the first place is often achieved by pretending to be motivated until the time comes when the proper amount of momentum creates actual feelings of motivation. Different people do this in different ways. For some employees, bringing home a paycheck in a bad economy in a geographical location where jobs are difficult to find is motivation enough.
Others may have aspirations of rising in the company to higher paying and more interesting positions. Whatever the reason, motivation can amp up productivity levels substantially.
What get’s you fired up about going to work each day?
Are you simply trading time for a paycheque?
– or –
Are you taking your time and investing it into a meaningful business or career path?
(note the difference between each question above the the reaction you have to them… that’s a clue for you as to where to find your motivation)
Cut Down on Multitasking
Multitasking really doesn’t save time or increase your workplace productivity. Most of the time, multitasking impedes the workflow and creates frustration among those practicing it. Focusing only on specific tasks at hand is recommended if optimal production is your goal. Blocking out time to complete certain tasks is an easily learned time management skill that will serve you well throughout your career.
We show our students how to easily enhance your focus and productive ability with the Ultimate Information Manager.
Develop a Strategy for Handling Interruptions
Unplanned interruptions are the most common detriment to a positive workflow. Having a strategy mentally mapped out in advance will help you to minimize the effect of interruptions. If a co-worker wants some of your time, for instance, set up a time to discuss the matter later unless it’s something that simply can’t wait. It’s important not to allow distractions to dictate the course of your day.
The number one productivity boosting tip we can share with you is to… CLOSE YOUR DOOR. Closing the office door will cut down 90% or more of the distractions in your workday. But we also know that 90% of you are hesitant of trying this because you are afraid of many things that will never come true if you close your office door for a few hours a day. But the rewards go to the 10% of the people who do. Look around your office or your client’s office today. Who’s door is closed and what is their position and title with the company?
Other tips exist for increasing your workplace productivity on the job and some of them will be specific to your own industry or even to your individual workplace. If you are looking for other ways to be a better employee, you can always speak with your boss and ask for his or her advice on how to increase your job performance.
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Share with us your most pressing workplace productivity question and we will share our resources and best practices with you personally!
About the Author Shane Fielder
I am a grower of human capability and a business builder. The best part of my life is helping people become stronger and develop their skills, talents and character in order to lead powerful lives. I have had the great privilege to study under some of the greatest minds of business, leadership, health and fitness along with the most talented Martial Arts instructors. My passion is helping people to become even more powerful in life than they already are.
