Productivity Hacks for the Workplace

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“Productivity is less about what you do with your time. And more about how you run your mind.” – Robin Sharma

If you are worried about not being able to focus on work and sitting idly in your chair for hours, then you are not alone. Millions of people fail to be productive almost every day in their lives. They struggle to stick to tasks, focus adequately, and get better outputs. The problem is real. And it’s big. 

Productivity is the key to better outcomes and better growth. But in the current scenario, we are surrounded by tons and tons of gadgets, which makes it extremely difficult to focus on a task without distractions. Moreover, it isn’t just limited to devices but also social media platforms. That urge to scroll through Instagram, and spend time gazing at other people’s lives, makes us forget to check the clock. And by the time we return to the real world from the virtual world, it’s already too late.  

Worldwide, this has been one of the most concerning factors for leaders. They want to identify the problem and instill a sense and knowledge of productivity within their team members. But you might wonder why team members? Why everybody? It’s because it’s efficient to reprogram the whole organization to bring effective and widespread change. As somebody said, leaders don’t just manage the work but also their team members. 

 Bhavin Patel, the founder of AtliQ Technologies, decided to take us through the productivity roadmap. Being productive most of the time can be challenging and tiring for anyone. He conducted a session to share his valuable insights on productivity hacks for a workplace scenario, which helps the team achieve their goals and perform to the optimum level.  While the members of AtliQ loved the session and came across some life-changing productivity hacks, we thought we would share a gist of the event through this post. 

Let us first begin by discussing what productivity is. 

What is Productivity?

At AtliQ, leaders have a unique way of defining productivity. Our leaders do not push us to work more and faster. Instead, they focus on a personalized approach toward productivity. 

There’s a simple definition of productivity. 

Productivity means only focusing on accomplishing the task at hand. Often the common misconception that comes in handy with the word ‘productivity’ is that it refers to doing a lot of things and ticking them off your list of to-do tasks. But there’s a different and better approach to the word. Productivity is about targeting and working out things better and correct way.

Whenever eating a packet of chips, we focus only on the chips. What about the air? It’s there, and it will always be there. So is the case with unimportant tasks. But it’s your job to focus on the larger picture and work hard towards the goals that will automatically improve your performance. 

We are growing with this basic principle. Why don’t you try it?

But you might come across another problem. Have you already guessed it? 

How can you focus? 

I can’t focus- the sentence spoiling the dream of millennials.

Focusing can be difficult, especially with buzzing smartphones around you and the increasing importance of social media platforms in our lives. But then smartphones are here to stay, and so are those notification-spamming apps that have become very common. 

How can you then tackle the situation? 

Simple. By prioritizing your work. Stephen R. Covey rightly said- “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.” Probably, it best sums up the task of prioritizing. Your main goal should always remain the priority without your focus getting diverted.  That’s the quickest and safest possible way to reach your destination. 

Why not put your phone on silent when you are working?  Leaders at AtliQ have always promoted the healthy usage of smartphones and social media apps. But during working hours, we focus on the work. During breaks, social media and all those chit-chats can get the chance to step in. 

Probably, one of your problems is solved. But there can be more to not focussing, apart from social media. While at work, there is a high chance of getting distracted by someone calling out for you or any discussion.  

What then? 

At AtliQ, we have a culture that appreciates saying ‘no’ if it helps the individual to focus on a task better. The employees are entitled to have time out from work to restore energy and produce high-quality results. We have it clear that there’s no shame in having me-time, and the leadership is comfortable with that. 

Apart from this, there are some other ways as well, to improve productivity. Let’s look at them. 

Some Ways to Improve Productivity

• Have a Clear Discussion About Your Expectations

A clear-cut discussion regarding the expectations of the task will improve the overall output exponentially. It will help you understand the goal and work more effectively toward it. Moreover, it will eradicate the chance of miscommunication, which saves a lot of time and effort.

Expectations are just like a roadmap of the whole journey. They lead you to the right place at the right time.   

• Delegate the Tasks Properly

Delegating tasks is as important as working on them. Assigning it to the right person will be a great decision to smoothen up the whole operation process. Moreover, it will ensure that more work gets done in less time!

After all, we are looking forward to efficient results, right?  

• Dividing Big Tasks Into Small Tasks

What’s your first reaction when you look at a big task? You find it impossibly challenging.  Well, that’s how most of us react. We get stressed and start procrastinating, which hampers our whole schedule. Result? The task is unnecessarily stretched till the last moment and causes even more stress.

But is there a solution to this problem? There is.

If the large picture complicates the situation, focus on the small pieces that constitute the larger picture. Your job will be much easier than before. 

Indeed we are talking about breaking the big task into smaller manageable tasks. It makes the whole work more approachable and doable. Furthermore, the magnitude of small tasks will never overwhelm you. 

• Prepare a to-do List of Reminders

A stressed and occupied brain can never be productive. Isn’t this a universal truth?

Therefore, it’s essential to keep your brain relaxed. How is that possible? By setting reminders! In today’s era, where one has to handle multiple tasks of varying complexity, a list of to-do reminders can come in handy. It will help you keep things organized and stay on top of priority tasks, which will subsequently help you be productive.

In addition, a to-do list can help you identify any potential roadblocks or obstacles that may prevent you from completing a task, so you can plan accordingly. And, it can also help you reduce stress and anxiety by providing a clear plan of action and helping you stay focused on your goals.

So, if you haven’t been fond of maintaining a to-do list of reminders to date, now might be the good time to begin. 

• Don’t Multitask 

The desperation to save time and be productive has always led people at workplaces to multitask. But not often do they realize that their objective isn’t getting fulfilled. Instead, things are just worsening.

You think you are saving time by focusing on two things at once. But if you notice, you will always take longer than usual to finish those tasks. And to add to the misery, the output might not even be satisfactory. 

To save yourself the trouble of going through this setback, stop multitasking. Instead of managing two things in one go, focus on one. It will only help you be more productive, and the results will be more effective!

• Work in Bursts to Work Better

The most common mistake while working- I will finish everything in one go. 

Instead of pulling off the whole task in one go, focus on completing it in short bursts. Studies have shown that the human brain can focus on a particular thing only for a short period.  Studies reflect different figures, but the average period is around 10-15 minutes.  

No matter what the studies say, one thing is sure there is no way we can sit for hours and expect our brains to be focused all the time. 

 

Due to this, it’s better to create working sessions of 25-30 minutes. Even the popular Pomodoro technique focuses on the same. It’s a time management technique that involves working for a set time (usually 25 minutes) followed by a short break (usually 5 minutes). Such working sessions will ensure you stay organized and work productively.  

• Work From a Dedicated Workspace

The pandemic allowed us to experience a new workplace type: the virtual one.

It is not easy to be productive while working from the comfort of your house.   And you would have noticed working productively from home is difficult when you don’t have a dedicated workspace. 

Imagine a scenario- you are working from a messy room where everything is cluttered and unorganized. Would that please your mind and inspire you to work with focus? No way and no day. 

Therefore, have a dedicated workspace where you can work productively and peacefully. You can set up a space in your favorite room by the window’s side, a couple of plants, a photo frame, and some stationary. It will give you positive and professional vibes while boosting your productivity. 

• Say No to Interruptions

How often have you felt that you were working productively and within the deadline had it not been for that one Instagram text? Too many times, right? That’s the case with most people.

Those email, text, and app notifications are the barriers between you and productivity. Therefore, while at work, restrict all interruptions. You can do the same by switching your mobile phone to silent or using a productivity app that cuts you from all those interruptions.  But ensure that your work communication does not get hampered. 

• Prevent Burnout by Engaging in Self-care Activities 

The excessive workload can lead you to a point where you might feel burned out. It can be because your energy & peace starts draining.  

But you can stay rejuvenated and relaxed by engaging in short activities like brisk walking, meditation, or laying down on your couch for 15 minutes. These activities help you disconnect from work only to reconnect better and be more productive.          

• Don’t Stay Overly Dependent on Productivity Tools 

While being productive is essential, over-dependency on productivity tools is dangerous. Moreover, things take a turn if you use the wrong app or tools. They might make you unproductive rather than making you productive.

Plus, an addiction to such apps should not mean spending 4-5 hours daily tracking your productivity performance. After a while, you will realize that instead of saving time, you are wasting time. 

Therefore, use a popular yet suitable tool and try to be productive!

Take Your Step Toward a Productive Future! 

Being productive at your workplace is essential as it helps you be purposeful. It helps you identify all your goals and work hard toward them. However, with the advent of social media platforms and the internet, we face too many distractions. And amidst all those notifications tones and pop-up messages, somewhere lies our dwindling productivity that needs attention.  It can be tough but not unachievable. At least at AtliQ, we made it.  

We have always tried to approach the problem like never before. It has helped our team in delivering results better than before. Moreover, we have made the process fun-loving so that our team members are never bored with what they are doing. A pinch of fun and craziness added to work is always a great idea. 

Hard to believe us? Our results speak for us. And when you try out yourself, nothing will stop you from success.