Top 10 Productivity Tips to Deliver High Performance

Implement these tips to boost productivity like never before

Scrambling to meet deadlines, working on presentations, completing documentation, or for that matter, handling umpteen tasks-Sounds overwhelming, right?

The fact that a day has only 24 hours does not help either. So how do you cope with the workload? Postpone to the next day or become more productive? Latter sounds more feasible, ain’t it?

Well, you might be busy with loads of work, but that won’t classify as productivity.

Entrepreneurs, CXO, and high-performance executives know how to achieve more in less time. Time management is a crucial aspect of business and they understand it is crucial for the success of the business.

Here are some effective ways of becoming more productive and become optimal.

#1 — Don’t Multitask:

Do you think you can take on multiple tasks at the same time? Probably that won’t be the most optimal way to go about it.

Instead, take over one task at a time. Complete the same and move over to the next one.

Tip: At the start of the day, prioritize the most important task of the day complete it first, and then gradually move down the pecking order.

#2 — Outsource Non-Core Tasks:

So if you are a high-powered executive or on a commanding post and need to prepare documents or presentations. It is recommended to prepare a draft document with the essential details

Once complete, assign a junior to complete the formatting and beautification. It is simply not worth it for a high-level executive to be stuck with things that add very little value. Instead, utilize the time for more pressing work which delivers maximum benefits

#3 — Take Small Breaks:

Human beings, unlike machines, experience fatigue when overloaded with work. As per studies, continuous work results in a decline in productivity.

Try taking small breaks-say 5 minutes- after every 30 mins. Studies have shown this helps in rejuvenating the brain and increases concentration, leading to higher productivity.

#4 — Lesser Meetings:

While I certainly recommend meetings for creative discussion and brainstorming, not all meetings tend to be useful.

Meetings are — More often than not- time-consuming and eat into productive hours. Also, meetings usually don’t require all stakeholders to be present, but bosses do end up bringing up all the team members all the time.

Bonus Tip: Opt for Stand Up meetings. When people sit during a meeting they tend to slouch and engage in loose talks a bit more. While standing up, they are more attentive and keep conversations brief and precise. This way you can get the best out of meetings

#5 — Set Deadlines:

To gauge productivity, ensure to set a deadline for each specific task and measure the output. Were you able to complete the tasks within the timeline? If not, how can you improvise on the same?

Making incremental adjustments can help you to achieve more within a short period.

#6 — Work During Commute:

We spend an awful amount of time on the road and try to figure it out away. Why not engage in some productive work? Maybe you can send out an email, prepare excel sheets on a laptop or do some research during your commute.

This can also help to utilize the time that otherwise would have been a waste

#7 — Eliminate Distraction:

Many times while working, you may hear a beep of a message, notification, or anything else. You may be tempted to check the message. This happens very often and is a distraction of sorts.

Try putting aside your phone on silent mode to reduce any distractions.

#8 — Try not to be a perfectionist:

If you are trying to get things perfectly right, chances are most of the time you might end up being disappointed.

Perfectionism is an illusion. Beauty, after all, perfection lies in the eyes of the beholder. Spending some additional time to beautify a presentation or a document to impress clients or seniors might be futile. Instead, utilize the time to make an engaging presentation that resonates with the potential clients.

Focus on delivering the right message or details, rather than getting hung up on periphery aspects.

#9 — Take Help:

If you have been assigned a task and are struggling to complete it, do not hesitate to reach out to other people who can help you. This could be anyone-Your Superiors, peers, or even subordinates.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to them for any guidance or assistance. Chances are they might have a better way of implementing-Which helps in aiding productivity.

It would be a complete waste of time to figure out ways to do it by hit and trial. The learning curve would be steep in such cases.

#10 — Use Tech:

Tech has made our lives simplified and convenient. The same applies to productivity apps as well. Today there are umpteen applications and websites that can aid productivity.

A.Here are some of the ways you can leverage Tech to boost productivity

B. Reminder Apps to notify about important tasks

C. Project Collaboration Tools like Asana or JIRA to Project Management

D. CRM for maintaining relations with the customer

E. Analytics to Analyse Customer Preference

The list goes on and on, but these should be sufficient, to begin with.

So, folks. This was my take on increasing Productivity. Please let me know what are your thoughts on the same?