Productivity in the workplace is as important as ever. Many people will get involved in what is known as “busy work. These are things that make you look busier than you actually are but do not add much to the bottom line. Employers want workers who get their work done accurately in a timely manner. In fact, most companies cannot afford to employ time wasters!
So what are some things that you can do to show your productivity in the workplace? Here are a couple of tips:
- Communicate. Supervisors are not always aware of your day-to-day tasks. Communicate regularly with your boss to discuss your assignments. This is also a great chance to ask any lingering questions you may have about specific assignments or projects.
- Volunteer. If you find yourself having some time to spare during your workday, ask your supervisor if there’s anything else you can do to help out the department. Perhaps another employee is on vacation and you could take over one of their assignments while they’re away. Or maybe a project is overdue and the team members could use your expertise to finish it up.
- Block Distractions. It’s easy to waste 15 minutes doing something pointless but if you can get into the habit of getting as much as you can possibly get done in a 15 minute period, you’ll be surprised of how much you can get done when you expand that time frame out to an hour. This means resisting the temptation to sit on the phone, check your Facebook or Twitter. Save those things for your free time at home or at lunchtime, and show your employer that you’re working hard to help the company succeed during work hours.
- Actively Listen. During meetings and at the office, actively listen and take notes about future assignments and new clients. It’s easy to switch off during a long meeting but stay focused, ask good questions and ensure you completely understand your assignments. This will undoubtedly keep you being productive in the future.
These are just some of the tips that if incorporated will make you a better employee and you will increase productivity by many times. And if you apply just one new productivity tip into your life each and every week, you will be amazed at the results within just weeks.
I’d love you to leave me a comment below – what are your tips for being productive, not just ‘busy’?
Lots of great tips that I can apply to my business, marriage and family life too!
Thanks!
Great:-)
I have managed to climb the I.T ladder using nothing more than my personality, determination and most of all enthusiasm .. I don’t read books and soak up the information like a sponge, so it goes to show how far you can go without qualifications. The amount of guys I know who (if they tried a little harder to be enthusiastic) would be much more likely to get a better paid job…
The other thing is always look at your job and the company and look at ways to improve the systems .e.g suggest a service desk to deal with incoming work rather than Outlook, look at software that can speed up processes, e.g monitor servers performance .. just a few ideas but i use the same approach every time and now i am contracting in London earning good money!
Hi Adrian,
I could not agree more. Personality, determination and enthusiasm are a must if you want to progress, or even just get a job. Glad you are doing well and thanks for commenting!
Regards
Margaret
Hi Margaret,
I felt i should given that I am now redoing my CV based on your video :0)
Cheers
Adi
P.S If you ever want to rip my CV apart then let me know – all criticism welcome.
Hi Adrian, you are welcome to email me your CV once you’ve redone it:-)
Kind regards
Margaret