5 MIN READ
WORK SMARTER
Most people know efficiency matters. Whether you’re an Auckland-based accountant or a Chicago SEO expert, the less time you waste, the more productive you are. Likewise, the more productive you are, the more opportunities there are to make sales, finish projects and succeed in business.
If that’s the case, why do so many people still waste precious time during the day? Here’s one theory: they don’t know they’re doing it. Even when you want to work efficiently, you could be unintentionally sabotaging your time management.
Here are five things you might be doing that are hampering your productivity in the workplace. Do any of these describe you?
1. Not running a tight ship
According to at least one organisation professional, the average worker wastes close to two weeks each year looking for misplaced items. Two weeks! That time could be better spent getting work done – at least if everything had a designated place, items were clearly labelled and work followed a predictable process flow.
Take a look around – what does your desk look like now? Pens loosely tossed into drawers, documents and loose paper piled high around you? What about your tech – is your desktop awash with random files and screenshots?
Luckily this is the easiest 'bad habit' to fix when it comes to your personal productivity! A simple system can help sort out the messiest of workstations. All you need to do is remember to put items in one place (and back after using them) and schedule a regular five minute tidy up sessions into your day. Even using a system like WorkflowMax by BlueRock’s collaboration manager, can help you make sure all job-related files are saved in one place.
2. Jumping on whatever project comes up
A new project always sounds more exciting than the one you’re in the middle of at the moment, with all its complications and bottlenecks.
When a new brief or project comes in, we tend to drop everything to start it, until of course it reaches the same sticky point and we promptly abandon it as well...building a backlog of unfinished projects.
The best way to tackle this is to plan your projects in advance (allowing a bit of wiggle room), set milestones and deadlines, and most importantly get an accountability partner to hold you to them!
Knowing what to prioritise helps you knock out the vital work first, rather than wasting time on smaller projects that can wait.
3. Having zero boundaries for distractions
Whether it's chatty co-workers, Slack messages, phone calls or the lure of TikTok, distractions – either work related or personal – are still distractions.
And they can be a good thing, if they’re managed. For example, allow yourself a few five minute mini breaks throughout the day so you have a chance to reset, and use this time to reply to that Facebook invite or talk to your coworker about her weekend.
4. Doing what you could be delegating
There’s no prize for doing everything solo. When you delegate some daily tasks to your team, you spread the workload, reap the benefits of collaboration and help them grow in their own roles. Determine which tasks you can delegate and which you must handle on your own, and simplify your schedule accordingly. With project management software like WorkflowMax by BlueRock, you can assign tasks and effectively plan staff capacity to lighten the delegation burden.
5. Holding meetings without clear agendas
To make meetings useful rather than frustrating, set clear goals. Open with an agenda and finish with action points. When you clarify a meeting’s agenda, you’ll often discover that items can be covered in a short email or Teams message instead.
Everyone is guilty of wasting time without knowing it at one point or another. The key is to check in with yourself regularly and stay vigilant against the sneaky little choices that stifle efficiency. By doing so, you'll make yourself more effective and more productive.
