Productivity
I don’t know about you, but I’m not really a morning person. Sure, I can happily motor along completing my autonomous and analytical tasks in the morning and throughout the day, but the afternoon is my ideal time to focus on creative tasks that require me to switch on, knuckle down and sink my teeth in.
That being said, there are definitely other physical elements, in addition to environmental factors, that enhance my work environment and encourage productivity, some of which you may or may not be familiar with. I’ve listed those I can think of below and would be interested to hear some of yours if you care to share:
- Playing quiet background music
- Maintaining a comfortable room temperature
- Working in a well-lit space
- Utilising comfortable, ergonomic office furniture
- Taking regular, short breaks and leaving my desk
- Organising my day the prior evening
- Identifying clear goals, objectives and deadlines
- Creating a procedure for every process
- Switching off social media during the working day
- Recording thoughts and potential ideas on a notepad to clear my head
- Practicing regular, light exercise
- Eating a balanced diet (although I’m a sucker for Haighs and will admit to the occasional slip!)
- Letting team members know when I’m unavailable
- Knowing that the enemy of good is perfect and at what point to finalise a task
- Delegating / outsourcing fundamental components
Consider your environment and the tasks at hand when completing projects to increase efficiency. Utilise the time of day that is most productive for you, and even consider delegating lengthy, time consuming tasks to a skilled professional to help manage your workload.
Author: Kath Angus, Business Development Officer at Dewick & Associates