Can you imagine a world where absolutely everything gets done? Where your business deadlines are met every time, and your staff are not only productive, but happy? It’s not as far fetched as it might seem. There are lots of things you can likely do to make your business more productive, and below, we’re going to discuss 11 of those things. Take a look!
#1: Set Long Term Goals
If your business has been feeling a little slow lately, there may be a few reasons for this. However, one issue may be that you don’t actually have any long term goals to work towards. You can just do what you’ve always done and hope for the best. Businesses and industries are ever changing, and you need to keep up with those changes. Setting long term goals is a great way to strive for something better and stay focused. Make sure everybody is on the same page, too!
#2: Set Short Term Goals
Short term goals can be just as important as long term goals to keep everybody focused and on track. Think about things like your major goals for the week, and your major goals for the month. What would you like to achieve? Setting actionable goals that you can actually track and measure is the best way to do this. Don’t make them so ambiguous that you can’t really tell if they have been met or not.
#3: Fall in Love with Lists
Lists are a great way to make sure the important things are prioritized. If you don’t make a list at the start of the day, you might start with the easiest tasks, only to feel demotivated when it comes to getting the harder (and more important) tasks done. Usually, the best thing you can do is plan to get the hardest tasks done in the morning, and the rest of the day can feel like a breeze in comparison.
Just don’t fill your lists with too much junk. Many experts recommend only have 2 or 3 things on your ‘must do’ list, and then anything else you get done on top of that is a bonus.
#4: Spend Time Planning the Day
As well as making a list, spend time planning the day before it begins. Do this as soon as you get up in the morning, before you’ve even made your coffee. What are the most important things you want to happen that day? How do you want meetings, and even journeys to go? When you picture these things in your head before they happen, you can actually see the events materialize later on. Just look at Tony Robbins and similar people – they swear by this technique!
#5: Use the Right Software and Technology
The right software and technology can help in numerous ways. Not only can it make your team more productive, it can help you to save time, money, and eradicate human error. Something like MDM from Electric could help your productivity with benefits like device provisioning and device and app management from a central console. Many entrepreneurs agree that they are more productive with the right tech behind them, so do your research!
#6: Cut out Unnecessary Meetings
Meetings can be great in certain situations, but they aren’t always helpful. Cutting out unnecessary meetings is key if you want to save time and keep everybody focused on what they are doing. Staying in touch using collaboration software instead, or even Skype, can make things so much easier and ensure everybody is on the same page.
#7: Be Mindful of How You and Others Procrastinate
Almost everybody in the world procrastinates at one time or another. Be mindful of how you procrastinate, and try to pinpoint how others procrastinate too. Winding down time and breaks are important in business, so you shouldn’t be looking to get rid of these altogether. However, you should make sure everybody is aware of how bad emails and Facebook can be throughout the day. Having set times for checking these things, rather than logging on and off throughout the day will help.
#8: Find a Mentor or Coach
A business mentor or coach will usually be able to look at your situation objectively and give you some great advice. You might be able to find somebody who you look up to who is willing to mentor you, or you could look for a service. Sometimes, an outsider’s perspective can be just what you need to make things more productive.
#9: Know When You Are Most Productive
There will be a time you are most productive, and it might not be the same as everybody else. Giving other people the choice to work when they are most productive can be a big help, too. Some people are most productive for the first few hours of the morning. Others do better in the afternoon, or even the evening, although this is rare. Knowing when you are most productive and encouraging others to do the same can be a great way to get more done and keep people happy. You can get big ticket tasks done when you’re at your best, and the smaller, more menial tasks done when you’re feeling less energetic.
#10: Encourage Exercise
Exercise before and even during work can help to keep the brain alert. With improved blood flow to the brain, you might just find that you and your team are more productive and creative, with better problem solving skills. Many people even find that it improves their mood, helps mental health, and reduces sick days. It could be a good idea to give employees a gym membership incentive. Make sure they are encouraged to get up and move around throughout the day, too, so they are not just staring at a screen.
#11: See What You Can Do to Make One Person’s Job Easier
Ask what you can do to make your team’s jobs easier. Take it one at a time, and do your best to meet their requests. Happy staff that feel like they matter will always work harder for you!
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