One of the goals of every manager, supervisor and business owner is to streamline their work processes so that their team can be more productive, more efficient and more cost-effective.
So here are three ways you and your team can optimize your daily workflow.
- Avoid Unnecessary Meetings
One of the biggest time wasters in the business world is meetings. And some companies love them just a little too much.
Sure, communicating with your team is important. And some people genuinely need face-to-face interaction with coworkers as opposed to more distanced methods like email, telephone and paper memos.
But many meetings are totally unnecessary.
Sitting through boring, unnecessary meetings isn’t just a cliche. It’s a real problem that hurts morale and lowers productivity – not to mention the monetary cost of paying employees to sit through those meetings instead of getting their work done.
- Say Goodbye to Multitasking
Multitasking was one of the business buzzwords of previous generations. But many workers today are finding that multitasking absolutely destroys productivity.
The brain simply does not function best when it is forced to switch focus from one task to another every few minutes.
But when you allow yourself to focus deeply on one task at a time and follow it through to completion, your productivity goes up exponentially.
Remember, it’s not about being busy. It’s about getting important things done.
- Work in Short, Focused Bursts
The traditional daily work schedule that many of today’s employees fall into is the standard 8-hour work day in which you get a break every two hours. Breaks are usually 15 minutes, with your lunch break in the middle of the day lasting 30-60 minutes.
That may have worked well for workers performing menial labor tasks. But for those who require more deeply thoughtful work, shorter blocks of work alternated with shorter breaks works better.
The popular Pomodoro Technique is a classic example of how to boost productivity using short, focused bursts of intense mental work.
If you own or run a small business and would like more information about how to improve your organization’s operations, improve cash flow and spur more growth, contact Spearing Capital & Consulting, Inc.