Feeling as though you could boost productivity in the office? You need to work smarter not harder. This is how you work smarter.
Track time how long tasks take
How long you think it takes to do a task and doing a task are two different times I can guarantee. Only a small fraction of people can gauge accurately the passage of time. Using a tool like Toggl or RescueTime can help you track your time usage on daily task and jobs; with the ultimate goal to make your more efficient.
Take breaks
Yes, it sounds counter productive. However, your brain needs time to process information and taking breaks allows your brain to recover. This break helps to improve your concentration in the long term.
Proactivate not reactivate
Don’t let your emails dictate your day. You are in control of your own time. Try setting aside time to answer the phone and responding to emails but once that time is over; it is over. Set a plan for each day and feature time to answer to interrupting calls.
Do not disturb your phone
Everyone loves the sound of the phone going PING only to be disappointed by a notification to play candy crush. Instead of being of let down turn your notifications off while working and set aside time to check it while you are having a break.
Minimise disruptions
As innocent as it may be when your colleague pops into your office to ask you a question, this is a distraction interrupting your workflow. A disturbance in the force if you will, this does cause a drop in productivity especially if the simple questions turn into a full blown conversation.
