We all have 24 hours a day and 7 days a week for performing our taks and meeting our objectives. But why some of us can do more in the same time frame than others? The answer lays in productivity. The more productive we are the less time is wasted doing things that do not count toward meeting the objectives. There are various ways to improve productivity. In this article I share with you four ways to enhance not only your own productivity but also the productivity of your team.
Prioritize
Based on the 80/20 principle, 20 percent of your plans create 80 percent of your results. Therefore, by prioritizing your activities list and coming up with the top 20 percent, you are able to meet 80 percent of your objectives by performing the tasks on your priority plan. In this way, you improve your own productivity and the productivity in your organization if you encourage your people to apply this tool properly and effectively.
Listen more effectively
Effective listening leads to higher productivity in any type of organization. When you listen to others, you show them that you care. Care produces respect and raises the level of trust in a relationship. Respect and trust will naturally result in better performance and higher productivity. In fact, the higher the level of trust in a leader, the higher the productivity and the more successful the organization as a whole will be, even in an economic downturn.
Put people in the right spots
If you don’t know what your people are best at, you may not be able to put them in the right spots and use their skills. In contrast, when you know people’s strengths, you help them use what they are really good at for the benefit of the organization. People feel supported in expanding their strengths and are satisfied with what they do. Enhancing satisfaction in the workplace enhances the organization’s performance, productivity, and profit.
Encourage sharing
In a team or an organization where sharing is encouraged, people start to model each other. Everyone does his or her best to help the organization improve as a whole. Through sharing, actions are done faster with less waste. Through sharing, teamwork reaches its greatest potential. Better-and higher-quality products are created as a result of working as a team through sharing; productivity soars to excellence.
I encourage you to implement these four ways or other ways that you can think of in the next few weeks and see their positive impacts on your own productivity and the productivity of your team.
