Discover up-to-date productivity strategies for your company by utilizing the most important lessons learned from lockdowns.
Over the past thirty months, the global pandemic has wholly upended our professional and personal lives.
The hectic days before the pandemic have given way to calmer, more reflective days spent inside the house. The concept of in-person meetings, business travel, and power lunches have given way to hybrid virtual meetings, happy hours, meetings, and conferences. Clearly, we are prepared and willing to adopt a new way of life.
To increase productivity, you don’t need to work any harder or faster. It’s all about learning how to strike a balance in your life. Not only should we recognize the incredible historical event that we have been a part of, but we should also make the most of the opportunities presented to us by these experiences in our day-to-day lives.
Using the valuable experiences you gained during the pandemic, here are five ways to improve your productivity skills and become more efficient:
1. Think of different ways to approach the work.
In the early stages of the pandemic, people were quickly compelled to adjust their places of employment and living arrangements. The most productive structures or configurations might not always be those already in place. Things need to be shaken up from time to time so that we can improve upon what is no longer effective.
It is essential to reevaluate established business practices to determine whether or not they contribute to increased productivity. You should conduct a survey to determine which monthly meetings are inefficient or unnecessary. Conduct an analysis of the projects to determine whether working together in person or remotely would be more beneficial. Modernizing office layouts to foster work that is focused on the individual
If you make it a habit to streamline business procedures, you’ll not only exercise your creative muscles but also get yourself ready for the challenges that lie ahead in the future.
2. Become comfortable with stretches of inactivity
During the pandemic, you probably experimented with various activities, from making bread to crocheting a blanket, among other things. But after a burst of activity to start things off, boredom quickly set in. Stillness does not indicate that you are not productive; rather, it merely represents a different facet of productivity.
Encourage employees to use all the vacation and personal time they are entitled to throughout the year. Establish a routine of taking breaks away from your workstations for meals. Establish a culture of understanding and support for in-person and virtually employees who need to take time off due to illness.
The conclusion? People who get enough sleep and aren’t stressed out by their workload are much more productive than those who are.
3. Be clear about what it is that you want.
Your overall levels of productivity will benefit from your making decisions to prioritize your goals in a conscious and intentional way.
Make a habit of writing down a few manageable daily tasks that will bring you closer to achieving your long-term objectives. In your calendar, mark off chunks of time specifically for working on tasks. If an opportunity, invitation, or request is not solicited by you and it does not support or advance your goals, you should politely decline it.
You’ll develop pinpoint precision in your thinking when you commit to making decisions that are thoughtful and deliberate. There is a possibility that regularly, opportunities will present themselves to you that is entirely congruent with the goals you have set for yourself.
4. Put in a request for aid and assistance.
Neighbors helping neighbors, states helping states, and countries helping countries are all acts of neighborly kindness. The pandemic has shown us that we cannot solve every problem alone. It is not a sign of weakness but instead the internal strength to know when you need assistance and to ask for it.
Recognize when you need assistance, and do not hesitate to ask for it. You should ask a colleague for assistance with a particular client project emergency, delegate general administrative tasks to a junior staff member, and request detailed software training from a third-party vendor.
You’ll have more time on your hands, you’ll be able to respond more quickly to client requests, and you’ll acquire new skills. All of these benefits will become immediately apparent.
5. Acquire the ability to roll with the punches.
The pandemic has demonstrated to us that life will continue despite obstacles. People move on to new jobs, the seasons change, and new babies are born. We have not given up and are better at going with the flow.
Be conscious of your work’s natural highs and lows, and capitalize on the times when things are going well. When active, one must concentrate intently on matters that are time-sensitive and significant, whereas when passive, one must shift their attention to matters that are not time-sensitive.
During times of high activity, you should give your customers more attention than usual, hire more people to assist you, and make the most of the digital tools at your disposal. During times of low activity, you should clear out the backlog of client paperwork, review the hiring process, and upgrade your tools.
When you master the art of going with the flow, you’ll quickly realize how much more attuned you are to the conditions and circumstances already in place. You will be able to improve the quality of the decisions you make.
