We live in such a fast-paced world. Getting slack messages at work, text messages from family, wanting to distract ourselves with social media. And in today’s fast-paced world, everyone is looking for ways to increase efficiency at work. But what exactly does it mean to work more efficiently? It’s not about working faster or harder. Instead, it’s about streamlining workflows, prioritizing tasks, and maximizing your output without burning out.
And what does it lead to? Being able to have a life outside of work. To watch Netflix, go on vacations, go with our parents’ to their doctor’s appointments and to be present with our kids’ firsts in everything.
And when it comes to work — you’ll achieve your goals faster and enjoy greater job satisfaction. Increasing efficiency in the workplace also has a positive effect on the company’s bottom line in the long run.
Don’t you want work life balance? Higher levels of productivity leads to being able to have a life outside of work. To watch Netflix, go on vacations, go with our parents’ to their doctor’s appointments and to be present with our kids’ firsts in everything. For work, teams are more likely to meet deadlines, goals are consistently achieved, and everyone contributes to a thriving business. With less time wasted on rework or fixing errors, projects are completed efficiently, and the organization moves toward its targets smoothly.
Here are some tips:
1 – The Power of 3: Improve Work Efficiency and Boost Productivity
Time management is at the core of any attempt to increase efficiency at work. Research from UC Irvine shows that even a single distraction could derail focus for up to 20 minutes. Just imagine how many times a day you get sidetracked by a notification or email. The key to taking control of your time is prioritizing tasks.
Here’s a tip that I do per day: focus on one thing, and then have a stretch goal is have two other goals. It’s not about doing the most, it’s focused on fewer things. So, ditch the multitasking habit and learn to focus on one thing at a time to maximize high levels of efficiency and productivity.
For some of my clients who have ADHD and need further support, they use management software tools like Motion can help by allowing you to visualize your schedule, set deadlines, and allocate your time effectively. Don’t waste any amount of time on automate repetitive tasks. For example, I use Zapier which connects with different tools like Acuity (my scheduling platform) to my google calendar so people can easily schedule sales calls with me.
2 – Decrease meetings
Research from MeetingKing revealed that unnecessary meetings take a heavy toll on time and resource. Take a look at your own calendar. See which meetings could be condensed into an email, a quick chat with colleagues, or even just eliminated entirely.
So be honest with yourself, what is your capacity of how many meetings you can take? On average I can take three meetings per day and four max. I also only do 3 days of calls so I can focus on other tasks in other days.
I know when we have a feeling of anxiety we want to distract ourselves with other things, for example I just distracted myself when writing this blog lol. I went on Instagram cause I wanted to distract myself but went back to writing. I had to remind myself to stay focused on one thing at a time.
3 – How to Work Efficiently with Your Team
Learning to work together is essential for work efficiency and to save time. When you collaborate effectively, projects get completed on time, ideas are freely exchanged, and everyone can benefit from the expertise of others. However, it’s not always so straightforward.
For some, the pandemic’s transition to remote work was an obstacle. Without water cooler chats and spontaneous brainstorming sessions, teams struggled to connect. If employees work with remote team members, remember to be proactive.
Here are some tips:
- Have an understanding of how each team member likes being communicated and how. So write a spreadsheet of all your team members, how they like being communicated and the tone or communication style.
- Before setting up meetings with team members, ask yourself is it necessary or can this be communicated via slack, email or teams and use these online communication skills in real time.
- Have an agenda prior to meetings, and set it where you have the major priorities, an update and what you have questions for, need support in and what will be done next time you connect.
- After meetings put it in writing
- And remember you are not a robot, get to know your team. Ask how their partner or kids are, or how a sports team are. Building good rapport builds trust, which leads to hitting measurements and goals.
Ultimately, increasing efficiency at work requires you to shift your mindset from simply “doing more” to “doing better”. Whether you prioritize better communication with colleagues or make a conscious effort to work more intentionally, those steps all play a crucial role in a successful plan to increase efficiency at work. You’ll create a workplace where teams consistently produce high-quality work, deadlines are met without excessive stress, and the company can pursue ambitious goals without falling victim to inefficiencies.
If you would like further support in your career, business, or executive and leadership coaching, my team and I would love to support you in creating a sustainable life through our coaching services! You can schedule a 30-minute legacy business or career review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together, and you’lll receive 3 action-items from me.
