Modern businesses and organizations are challenged to do more, accomplish more and plan more than ever before. There have been countless hours spent by professionals searching for ways to improve daily workflow, and some of the things they have found are actually quite surprising.
Do you think you need to toughen up and force your eyes to stay open all night and day? If so, you might want to think again.
Here you can learn some rather surprising, yet effective, ways you can improve your daily workflow. Keep in mind, these tips are beneficial for individuals, a well as entire teams that are trying to improve productivity.
Stop Trying to Multitask
Believe me, if you are trying to work on several complicated tasks at the same time, the process can obstruct your daily workflow. Your brain may go into overload as you try to switch back and forth from one task to another. This is going to hinder productivity on everything. A better option is to focus on a single task at a time and avoid distractions whenever possible.
Handle Harder and More Complex Tasks First
By using Kanban boards, you can prioritize which tasks need to be handled first based on complexity. I use these all the time. When you handle the most challenging tasks first, then you can power through the rest of your tasks easily.
Use Better Communication Methods
A key to productivity in the workplace is communication. If you have a team member who doesn’t understand the tasks or goals, then they won’t be able to complete them properly. Also, if you fail to clearly define a person’s role, they may not be sure about what to do or how to proceed. All of this can lead to a lack of productivity and cost your company in the long run.
Use Collaboration Tools
Studies have shown that email isn’t as effective of a collaboration tool as it once was. The fact is, employees are interrupted by an email every five minutes, on average, which significantly impacts productivity. Each time an employee is distracted by a new email, it can take them up to 25 minutes to get back on task fully. Today, this is becoming more expensive and is not a smart channel of communication for time-sensitive decisions.
A great way to combat this productivity killer is by avoiding notifications being lost in email messages and eliminate distraction by using collaborative tools. With these tools in place, you will see productivity improve significantly.
Remain Transparent
If you need to make a change, let it be known. The same is true for your employees. If they have any type of concern or too much on their plate, then they need to let you know. If you have employees who are afraid to let you know what’s on their mind, then this can be a distraction to everyone, and slow everything down.
Keep Your Workspace Organized
Everyday you need to take about 10 minutes to go through all the papers on your desk and get organized. During your organization time, be sure to delete any resolved emails and get rid of other unnecessary information. Taking some time to eliminate the clutter will help to improve your workflow in the long run.
If you are looking for ways to be more productive and achieve more during the day, then it’s a good idea to use the tips and information found here. When you do, you will feel more accomplished and be a bigger asset to your team and company.
