Ellen Godfrey, Negosentro | Business productivity is one of the main objectives of any business. No business owner would want to get less done in a day. But, these days, there are plenty of tools at our disposal that allow us to be more productive without having to spend money or hire new staff. Here are some tips that will allow any business to increase its productivity.
Identify the Most Important Task and Complete – Delegate Secondary Tasks
If you want to make sure things will be done, you have to do them yourself. While delegating tasks is a great way to relieve some of your work load, delegating tasks that are crucial can be risky. The first thing you should do is come up with a to-do list of tasks that need to be done for the day. From these tasks, identify those that are the most important or that only you can perform. Make sure your most reliable team member is given your most crucial tasks, take care of any tasks you have time to do, and delegate the rest.
Also, if there is any task that you dread, make sure you get it out of the way before noon. Undesirable tasks can really slow you down if you drag them out until the end of the day but will be much less strenuous if you complete them while you’re fresh.
Make Good Use of Technology
There is an almost infinite supply of tools that can be used to increase your productivity nowadays. Project management software and cloud technology are great if you have a huge team to coordinate. There are plenty of cloud-based tools that will allow you to delegate and supervise tasks remotely. Tools like Asana, Slack, or even Google Docs can be used to share information and collaborate on tasks quickly and easily.
If you’re involved in a business that requires document redaction, dictation software with speech recognition can be a godsend. Using dictation software will allow you to turn over documents much faster. Not only that, but you can redact documents wherever you are working without having to be tied to your desk.
Make Sure You Complete Quick Task as Early as Possible
Another way to improve productivity is to take care of quick tasks as soon as possible. If you have short tasks like making a quick phone call or answering a few emails, take care of them right away. You will then be able to concentrate better on more important and lengthy tasks.
Speaking of lengthy tasks, you would be wise to monitor how much time you spend on those so you don’t get carried away. A good idea would be to put a timer on these tasks so they don’t encroach on other tasks you may have to perform.
Only have Meetings if they’re Necessary
Some business owners are just in love with the idea of having meetings. While meetings can be a great way to reiterate on policy or introduce new procedures, make sure that they are absolutely essential. Evaluate whether you can use other means instead, such as bulletins or by allowing management to trickle down the information to whom it may concern.
If you’re going to have a meeting, make sure the agenda is very clear from the get go. And you should also make sure that the meeting has a clear schedule and rundown of all subjects to be covered, including time limits for each.
Look after the Physical Well-Being of Your Employees
One aspect many business owners overlook is the well-being of their employees. Healthy and active employees are better able to work on all cylinders. Easy fixes, such as changing the type of food available in vending machines and the office cafeteria, or organizing exercise breaks during the day to keep your staff’s blood pumping can work wonders for your team’s productivity.
Conclusion
As you can see, increasing your business’s productivity doesn’t have to be difficult. First, make sure that you clearly lay out the most important tasks on your to-do list and either perform them yourself or delegate them to your most trusted employees. Make sure that you use all the tools at your disposition to automate, delegate, and collaborate on tasks. Push fast tasks out of the way first thing in the morning and make sure you complete the most difficult task before noon while you’re still fresh. Try to limit meetings as much as possible and make sure that they are thoroughly planned when inevitable. And last, but not least, try to improve the general well-being of your employees by instituting healthy changes around the office.
