How to be Productive at Work
One of the questions I get asked often is, “how can I be (more) productive at work?” The word more is in parenthesis because some who ask are already productive at work…they just want to be even more productive.
You would think that your employer would want you to be productive at work. After all, they are paying you. And they probably have the best of intentions. However, they don’t always make it easy. Oftentimes, they put obstacles in your way which prevent you from being the most productive that you can be.
5 TIPS TO BEING PRODUCTIVE AT WORK
Here are five tips on how you can become more productive at work starting today. Note well: some of these tips may be overruled by your superior(s). While I encourage you to be firm and to remain in as much control as possible, exerting too much control may result in losing your job.
Being productive at work tip #1 — Those darn chairs! Picture this: someone walks up to the door of your office, knocks on your doorframe and without stopping, continues to walk into your office and says, “got a minute?” They then proceed to sit down in one of your office chairs.
But they don’t just sit down. They kind of get comfortable…they stretch out their legs and lean back.
Ugh, you think. Because you know that someone sitting comfortably is much more difficult to extricate from your office.
So what can you do?
Tackle this situation by being PROactive instead of hoping it doesn’t happen (because it will).
If possible (translation: what I would do), remove the chairs! This eliminates the problem altogether. But if you can’t, then stack books and papers on them.
The next time you receive a visitor, there will be an awkward situation as they look at the chairs and you and then back to the chairs and back to you.
This is where you calmly but strongly say, “I’m working on a project and I can’t move that stuff. But…how can I help you?”
You are setting boundaries here. Not to mention training people to respect your workspace and your time.
Being productive at work tip #2 — Don’t keep your schedule a secret. You’ve got things you need to do. You are a busy person. But…do other people you work with know that?
I once had a client who was bothered by people all day. It was so bad that she had to stay very late in order to get her work done. After I told her to begin sharing her calendar, her co-workers started noticing how busy she had suddenly become.
Well, she was always busy. It’s just that she kept it a secret. Once she started sharing her calendar, people began to appreciate how busy she really was and started leaving her alone (they probably started bothering someone else!).
You don’t share specifically what you are doing…just indicate that you are unavailable.
Being productive at work tip #3 — Purchase a ginormous wall calendar. In addition to sharing your electronic calendar, get yourself a huge wall calendar and begin to write on it. This serves a dual purpose.
One, it is a visual planning guide for you. It’s good to see the big picture of what’s on your agenda. And second, it serves as a reminder to those who come into your office that you are a very busy person. They need to understand that your time is valuable.
Personally, I use the At-A-Glance XL 2-Sided Erasable Wall Calendar.
Being productive at work tip #4 — How to deal with “got 5 minutes?” First of all, it’s never five minutes, is it? Especially if they get comfortable (see tip #1 above). Here’s how to deal with this interruption.
When someone asks you if you have five minutes, either firmly tell them…
- “Sorry, but no, I don’t. Let’s schedule a time when we can talk later.”
- ”Yes, I have just five minutes.” Then reach for your smartphone, actually set a timer for five minutes, start it and then say, “go!”
Their reaction to your firm but polite no will probably be an “oh” followed by an awkward silence. When this happens, remain in control but be polite. Offer a time when you are available. Always offer to be helpful.
Their reaction to timer being set will most likely be “seriously?” To which you must reply something along the lines of, “yes, I’m very busy. I’d love to help you — what can I do for you?”
If they admit that it will take longer than five minutes, say, “no problem…let’s schedule time on my calendar when I can dedicate time to answering your question.”
Don’t let them say “I’ll come back later”. If they do, say, “I’ll have my timer ready for when you return”.
This won’t be easy when you start. But you need to set boundaries and begin to train those who interrupt you throughout your day.
Being productive at work tip #5 — Learning the power of no. You’ve probably heard it said that every time you say yes to something, you are saying no either to yourself or to something/someone else. That is not entirely true.
In reality, you have no idea how many things and people you are saying no to.
Think once, twice, three times before you say yes to something. Tell the person asking you that you need to think about it. Only don’t just say that to get rid of them. Really think about it and get back to them with your decision. This maintains your credibility.
Thanks for reading! :) If you enjoyed it, hit that heart button below. It would mean a lot to me and it helps other people see the story.
Mark ‘Ski’ Struczewski is The Bald Productivity Expert. You can find more about him at MarkStruczewski.com.
