Learning to work more efficiently can benefit you, your team and your employer. Efficient working helps to boost productivity, increase customer satisfaction, enhance employee engagement and optimise budgets. Here are our top hacks to get you started.
Prioritise Tasks
Prioritising your tasks is an easy and effective way to make your working day more efficient. Focus on high-priority tasks first so that they don’t hang over you and make you feel stressed or under-pressure. Colour-coded lists can help you identify which tasks to tackle first. Assign red to the most urgent jobs, yellow to the next most important, and green to the jobs that can wait.
If you struggle with procrastination, try the ‘eat the frog’ technique. Simply identify your most difficult or most important task for the day and do it first thing in the morning. Don’t give yourself the chance to put it off till later. Would you want to go through a day knowing you had to eat a frog at 4 o’clock! Do this every day and you’ll be amazed by what you can achieve in a short period of time.
Time-Blocking
Time-blocking can help you stay focused on a task and minimise distractions. Allocate specific time-slots for the jobs you want to achieve during the day. Take your personal peaks and troughs into account when creating your timetable. For example, if you often feel a little lethargic after lunch, you may want to schedule a few relatively straightforward tasks for this time slot.
When working on a set task, try to block out distractions. If you can work offline, consider turning the internet off temporarily so you’re not tempted to check your emails or start another job. If possible, put your phone on silent and ask colleagues to hold off asking questions till your task is done.
Set Clear Goals
Before you begin working, define a set of goals that are realistic and achievable. Break these goals down into manageable steps. This will help to prevent you becoming overwhelmed and help to ensure you accomplish everything you set out to.
Take Breaks
Taking regular, short breaks can help you to work more efficiently. Breaks give your brain time to rest and offer an opportunity to recharge your batteries and take a deep breath. You’ll generally find that, after a break, it’s easier to think creatively and stay focused.
As well as regular short breaks, it’s important to avoid burnout by maintaining a good balance between work and relaxation. Whenever possible, don’t work through lunch. Instead of sitting at your desk, head out for a short walk, chat to colleagues or spend some time in a nearby green space. Changing your scenery is a fantastic way to recharge your batteries and keep your energy levels up.
Delegate Wisely
Delegation is a powerful tool when it comes to boosting efficiency. However, it needs to be done well if it’s going to be useful and productive. Begin by identifying tasks that can be delegated. Give these jobs to colleagues who can tackle them easily and without a lot of supervision.
As well as saving you time and energy, giving team members more responsibility can empower them, benefitting your entire organisation.
Learning how to prioritise tasks, time-block, set clear goals and delegate, while looking after your own well-being, can help you to work more efficiently. Applying these practices will see you achieve impressive results and transform the way you work. Get in touch with a member of our team to find out more.
