Maximizing productivity is something every professional needs to master, whether running a small business, leading a corporation or becoming more productive in a current role.
With constant digital interruptions and an expectation for leaders to be available to their teams, staying focused can be hard. Lofty organizational objectives create demanding workloads and can be overwhelming. Communication and collaboration often get pushed aside as siloed operations take over and productivity suffers. Can you relate?
The struggle to be more productive and produce value is real.
Recently, during meetings with two high-achieving women, our conversation focused on productivity challenges. One woman was a successful millennial who was recently promoted to a leadership position, a task that no other woman in her firm has accomplished. We talked about the differences between an individual contributor and now, having to prioritize her workload, along with leading and managing people. The other woman was an experienced vice president wanting to maximize productivity in her fast-paced company filled with an ever-changing whirlwind of endless events.
With so many distractions bombarding professionals on a daily basis, understanding those distractions and having a strategy to handle them is imperative for success. If you struggle with productivity, check out these simple high-performance tips:
Tip No. 1 – Maximize Your Brain
Take breaks. I know, you don’t have time for a break. I hear this from so many high achievers. Today’s view of success is to work long and continuous hours, constantly answering emails and sacrificing to get the job done.
Humans aren’t wired to operate like this. In order to think clearly and creatively, and produce the quality of work you desire, your brain needs a break.
Tony Schwartz, author of “The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance,” states taking a break every 90 minutes will maximize your productivity. Why? The human body has energy cycles that operate on 90-minute intervals. After that time, alertness and focus levels go down.
When you start to feel fidgety, hungry, drowsy or notice your attention fading, get up and step away for a few minutes. Schwartz says giving your brain breaks of renewal allows you to focus far more intensely, getting more done in less time and yielding increased performance.
Think about this. How could taking renewal breaks impact your day?
Tip No. 2 – Shut the Door
There’s nothing more frustrating than being interrupted right in the middle of a big project. You’re concentrating, ideas are flowing and then, someone stops by with a nonurgent task.
Research shows that after interruptions, it can take up to 25 minutes to get refocused. That’s a lot of wasted time in the day.
In today’s business environments, not everyone has a door to close, and being in an open cubicle environment can make it harder to get work done.
So what to do? Here’s an example: Andrew Marsh, CEO of Fifth Column Games, developed a system to make sure employees could work without interruptions. Employees place a “cone of silence” on their desks, a tangible symbol, conveying that they should not be disturbed unless it’s an emergency.
What system do you have in place to work without being interrupted?
Tip No. 3 – Know Yourself
Are you most effective in the morning, or more alert in the afternoon? Knowing your patterns of energy and productivity is key. Then schedule your day to focus on concentration-intensive tasks when energy is high, and less-intensive tasks when concentration is lower. This helps to get the high-priority tasks done when you are at your best.
Personal development expert, Paul J. Meyer states, “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused effort.”
Mastering productivity is a task that must be learned and developed through processes, habits and behaviors. If you want to be more productive, pick a strategy you can control. You don’t have to make it difficult, but you do have to commit to taking action. Implementing even one of these tips can make a difference!
Beilsmith is an executive coach and professional development expert recognized for helping high-achieving professionals, teams and leaders reach their true potential through coaching, training and assessments. Visit jennybeilsmith.com for more information.
