Increasing productivity doesn’t have to be complicated, and moving forward doesn’t always require charts, schedules, and complex plans.
We asked six of our experts for their favorite productivity hack — one simple, memorable tactic for accomplishing more. Here’s what they said.
A Little Help From Your Friends
When you know what you’re doing, work tasks fly by. But when you don’t, sometimes you struggle.
In those moments, said Charlotte Lee, Customer Experience and Innovation Strategy Executive at Granicus (GovLoop’s parent company), reach out to team members who are experts in the challenging task and ask for help.
That applies as much to managers as to new employees, she said, because nobody is a master of all trades. A paralyzing moment for one team member may be an opportunity to shine for another.
“Rather than always trying to do something yourself, consider who in your office is best at a task and ask them for help,” said Lee.
Take Breaks for Breakthroughs
Our bodies aren’t designed for nonstop physical work, nor are our brains designed for constant cognitive work.
Tucker Duval, Employment Generalist in the Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, Unified Government, said the best trick for increasing productivity is to rest.
A successful pace comes from “letting go a little bit and understanding that you’ll be more productive, do better work and feel better when you take breaks and rest as you need to,” Duval said.
What feels restorative is unique for each worker, so respecting their self-knowledge helps increase individual and organizational productivity.
Listen Up
Wouldn’t it be great if everything we designed and released into the world just worked?
Unfortunately, sometimes when something is put to use, it does more harm than good.
The best way to avoid that is “actually talking to people,” said Shonte Eldridge, Founder and CEO of Drake Strategy & Associates. She recommends convening small focus groups of fewer than 10 people. You can avoid many problems before they happen by consulting stakeholders and constituents, she said.
Those conversations can help by previewing the project, bringing stakeholders into the process,
and uncovering areas of risk — and possible solutions.
Keep the Cards on the Table
When you need to check in on a project, said Bill Brantley, Senior Training Specialist in the Navy Inspector General Office, email isn’t always the best solution. Online product management or workflow tools can keep things moving, even when a team member can’t respond. The information is always available and allows for asynchronous collaboration, which is especially useful with a distributed workforce.
That can save minutes, hours and even days that would be lost to trying to contact team members.
“If we can cut down the amount of time someone’s searching for things in the workday and let them just get to the work, that helps a great deal,” Brantley said.
A Coach Is a Game-Changer
Your manager and colleagues don’t have all the answers to improving your personal productivity. You’ll do most of that work on your own. But there is help.
Nefertiti DiCosmo, Supervisory Life Scientist for the Environmental Protection Agency, recommends enlisting a productivity coach. Coaching is available to federal employees through the Federal Coaching Network, and some states, such as Virginia, offer individual and team coaching.
“A coach is meant to tap into your potential as a person and find the way that works for you,” said DiCosmo. It’s all part of allowing people to work in the way that’s best for them, she said. “And a coach will help you do that. It’ll help you hack yourself.”
Nothing Beats a List
Technology gives us so many ways to keep track of things. But sometimes the best solution is a simple one.
“To stay on top of my workload, I list all my tasks and commitments throughout the week,” said Shakima Tozay, Senior Social Worker in the Department of Veterans Affairs. “It’s incredibly satisfying marking each one off as I move through the list. Not only do I appreciate seeing the progress I’m making, but this simple hack also makes life easier, too.”
So, keep your lists. As Tozay said, there’s value not only in the “to do,” but in the “done,” to reinforce your sense of accomplishment.
This article appears in our guide, “The 5 Habits of Highly Productive Agencies.” To learn more about making your organization more productive, download it here:
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