There typically is not enough time in the day for business leaders to accomplish everything, and it can be difficult to prioritize your workload and stay focused.
Knowing the key components of productivity can help you work more efficiently, according to uschamber.com. It is important to understand your workday so you can outline your daily objectives; carve out time for distraction-free deep work, avoiding the temptation to handle a faster task; prioritize wisely; and be consistent in your approach so your productivity tricks turn into habits.
Following are some tips to help with productivity.
- Make small changes to optimize your workday. Steps you can take include silencing notifications across all devices; setting a timer to check email or take a walk; identifying bad habits and breaking them down in incremental steps; and using a noise machine to muffle background noise.
- Define clear boundaries. Interruptions decrease focus and affect performance. Although leaders should be responsive, non-emergencies do not require an immediate reply. If you use a business phone or unified communications system, set your status to “busy” or “do not disturb” for 15-30 minutes at a time. Some services will allow you to automatically send a custom voice or text message to individuals trying to reach you to let them know you will be available shortly.
- Group your tasks strategically. Our minds function differently when creating versus processing data. For example, do not attempt to jump from brainstorming your content marketing calendar to analyzing metrics. Group like-minded tasks together and take a break before moving to a different set of tasks.
