You're busy. We're busy. Everyone is busy. Although there may not be a whole host of face to face meetings, your diary is likely to be a matrix of Zoom or Teams meetings. In between those, your email notifications are pinging whilst the familiar ping of a new Slack channel interrupts your thoughts.
And we won't even go into the endless WhatsApp group notifications.
Whilst we can't magically create more hours in the day (we're still working on it, but we're not sure it'll be ready when we launch), we can share some of our top productivity tips to help you, and your team, maximise your time.
- The 80/20 rule
The gist of this technique is to look at effort vs reward. The thinking here is that 80 percent of your results will come from 20 percent of actions.
This could apply to many aspects of life - would it be fair to say that you probably only wear 20 percent of your wardrobe 80 percent of the time? - but is especially true when applied to our work or business lives, certainly if you're responsible for maximising your team's time as well as your own.
Take a moment to reflect on what projects are most important, what will support your business goals and importantly, what tasks you need to do in order to activate these - and what needs to be delegated (or dropped completely).
- Only check your emails once per day
This might seem daunting if you're used to responding to every chime of your inbox at lightning speed, but if you're in need of a productivity boost then it's a great technique to try.
In fact, there's also research out there that suggests that the more regularly we check our emails, the more stressed we become.
Remember to communicate your plans to your team so they know how to contact you if something can't wait. This may also help your team to consolidate email updates into one round-up, saving you time sifting through multiple threads.
- Try out the Pomodoro Technique
Developed in the late 80s but still very much a team Vyou favourite, the Pomodoro Technique.
How it works:
- Identify your tasks for the day
- Set a timer for 25 mins, and work until you hear the buzzer
- Take a 5 minute break, non-negotiable
- Repeat up to 4 times. If your tasks needs more time, take a longer break of 15-30 mins after your fourth round before returning to your laptop
The result? Highly focused work and some great big ticks on your to do list.
- Develop self-awareness around your work rituals
Last but certainly not least, developing self-awareness around your work rituals can save you heaps of time. This one is perhaps not the quickest-fix but you'll see huge return on investment once you're taking time to self-reflect.
Take a moment to think about your healthiest work rituals. Which aid your productivity? Do any hinder it? How does it affect your Work Energy levels and what can you do to boost or maintain these?
Understanding these on a personal level, and also understanding them for your team, is one of the best ways to drive long term productivity at work.
Not sure where to start? We can help!
In addition to aiding self-reflection and self-management, Vyou's AI coaching works with you, and your team, to help you identify the tools you need to do brilliant work, time and time again.
