32. More, more, more – 5 ways to be more productive

The UK is expected to be strongest performing of the largest economies in 2014, with GDP growth expected to exceed its pre-recession peak this summer.

This is not the only good news for the UK however as productivity levels, albeit still below their pre-recession levels, are showing significant improvement, rising 0.3% in the final quarter of 2013.

Whilst this improvement is welcome, there is still work to do if productivity is to return to the levels seen during the ‘boom’ years, and it’s important for businesses today to understand how they can become more productive, in order that they can keep moving forward.

5 ways to improve productivity

Improved productivity in the workplace has a number of benefits; increased revenue, reduced cost, more engaged employees.

In this article, we explore 5 ways that you can improve productivity in your organisation.

Be prepared. It’s a simple one, but one that often gets overlooked. Taking time at the end of each day to plan the next, and encouraging your staff to do the same, can have a significant impact on how time is spent during the working day.

Prioritise. Putting a plan together is one thing. Prioritising those tasks which will have the biggest impact is another thing altogether. Too often, the bulk of time can be spent on non value adding activities, to the detriment of your business. Effective prioritisation can change that.

Be purpose driven. It’s easy to add tasks to your to-do list, and work diligently to complete them by the end of the day. The question to ask is ‘what is the purpose of this task?’ If the purpose of the tasks doesn’t drive the business forward, you need to re-evaluate which tasks are given top priority.

Delegate. A large number of business owners take on too much, and therefore can’t spend enough time driving the business in the right direction. It’s important to delegate, whether it be to a subordinate, or an interim executive. Let them do what they are good at, to free you up for other things.

Concentrate. Jill Konrath, author, speaker and strategist says that multitasking can result in tasks taking up to 40% longer to complete than if you were single tasking. To be productive, you need to focus on one task, and one task alone at any one time. Be focussed, and reap the benefits.

There is no simple answer to increasing productivity. Each business is different, and each business needs to find what works best for the individuals within it.

Taking the time to evaluate your business, and implementing the habits that increase productivity, can bring substantial benefits over time, to both revenue, and business sustainability.

To find out how your business could become more productive, or to talk about any of the topics covered above, please contact us through the Tectona website or call Mark Nicholls on 07818 407061.

Posted in Tectona Ten - Improving Profitability, Tectona Ten - Managing the Day to Day.

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