Work More Or Less To Be More Productive?
“Less is more.”
If you’re having issues with being productive, working, or staying focused for longer hours, you might enjoy this article inspired by the fifth session of our 3rd Bootcamp. The session was led by Eric Patel the Chief Innovation Officer at BostonExO
Let’s start by agreeing on a definition for the word productivity:
Productivity is getting things done and doing them the right way. It is not solely surrounded by quantity. It is also about quality.
To solve the dilemma of working more or less, let’s take a closer look at some laws:
1 — The Pareto principle:
This principle states that you get a lot of output for a bit of input: 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes.
2 — Parkinson’s law:
This law states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. In other words, if you have 2 hours to study for an exam, you’ll do that. Chances are if you had just 40 minutes, you’ll do the same.
3 — Illich’s law:
This law states that after a certain number of hours, you’ll eventually burn out and won’t be productive anymore.
According to these laws working more doesn’t seem to have a benefit or a direct positive effect on the output while overworking can lead to negative effects on the worker such as health issues.
So, why do we think it’s the opposite?
It all comes down to our beliefs around productivity. Socially, working more is honored, praised, and viewed as more effective.
They say practice makes perfect, but in reality, repetition rarely leads to high performance.
As edited by our expert, “Perfect practice makes perfect”. Thus, it is important to connect the dots and find that bridge that would save you time and energy. Ask for help, get a coach, or simply learn how to do things the right way. You’re not the first person on earth to try to figure it out all by yourself. First, know how you do it, then practice, and don’t forget to alternate work with rest.
- Use the well-known Pomodoro Technique. → Take a 5 minutes pause for every 25 minutes of work.
Other factors can improve your productivity as well, such as knowing your strengths, prioritizing important tasks, and improving your key skills.
To sum up, productivity is not about how many hours you work. It is more about working the right way.
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If you want to improve your productivity and learn more about the techniques that work for you through our intensive Bootcamp, apply through this form.
This article was written by Ghaya khamassi — Skills21 alumna.
