Try These 3 Productivity Hacks Today
We all wish there were more hours in the day. Sadly, with more and more emails, longer work days, constant connectivity to our devices and other interruptions it can feel like we never get on top of our work load no matter how many hours we toil away. Try the 3 productivity hacks below. Just these ideas alone could help you work more effectively and create more time in your working week.
Work a shorter day
Can a typical workday can be condensed to five or six hours? Finance advisory firm Collins SBA told its staff there would be no pay reduction, but they needed to get eight hours of work done in five, still meet KPIs and keep clients happy. Work habits were changed, with stricter rules about start times, social chit-chat, breaks, and just two 15-minute meetings a week. Some staff found the efficiencies challenging, but for most getting home early was life-changing. Financials have remained about the same, with the firm since becoming an employer of choice.
Halve meeting times
Time spent in meetings is one of the biggest timewasters in the modern workplace, but according to speaker, mentor and author of The 25 Minute Meeting Donna McGeorge, who has led organisational change at companies, says it is possible to cut meetings to 25 minutes. To do so:
Identify your purpose
Be prepared before the meeting
Be on time
Make meetings a device-free zone
Meeting times can often be halved simply by doing them standing up or while walking. Throw a coffee in and it feels like a break from the office rather than a meeting.
Re-think the open plan office
Since the 1950s the open-plan office design has been a staple in Australian workplaces. It was designed to save space and enhance collaboration and office cohesion. However, a Harvard University study reveals employees who were moved to open-plan offices spent 73 per cent less time in face-to-face interactions, with email and messaging use jumping 67 per cent.
“When employees can’t concentrate, they tend to communicate less,” says Dr Libby Sander, assistant professor organisational behaviour at Bond University. “When people can’t concentrate, they become more withdrawn [and] can become hostile and less likely to collaborate.” At the least, Sander recommends taking a consultative approach to office design, as a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to produce an environment conducive to wellbeing and productivity.
If possible, try and choose the work space suited to the kind of work you are doing for the day. For instance, an open plan office will be perfect for days when you need to collaborate and share ideas. On days were you need to concentrate and focus try and work at home, at the library or a quiet coffee shop where you know you won’t be interrupted.