2009 has become the year of productivity; everyone
must find ways to do more with less to navigate the current economy
and there is an even greater urgency to improve business
productivity. A few months ago I posted on the current productivity
crisis facing our industry and it occurred to me before we take on
the challenge of solving this crisis why don't we start by
increasing our own productivity...yes start with your self! A wise
man once said "You must be the change you want to see in the
world." Increasing your personal productivity gives you the time
and energy to provide more to the people you work with, more time
to lead, and more time to increase the quality of your life. How
can we impact unit level productivity without leading by example?
So here are some ways to help you get started now and remember,
"Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a
commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused
effort."- Paul J. Meyer
We work over 90,000 hour in our
lifetime; small productivity improvements result in long -term
benefits. Finding ways to shave a few seconds off a task you do 50
times a day may seem insignificant but in the long run it can add
up to hundreds of hours of work time. You spend 25% of your time
just looking for information and every week, 42% of people use the
wrong information to make decisions, requiring rework. Install Rescue Time on your computer
track and benchmark your personal productivity online, I have been
using it for over a year. Here are some really basic tips that you
can get started with on your computer from
makesuseof.com. Lifehacker also has a great
Top 10 Productivity Basics list that is a great place to start
as well. A basic soft skill every worker must have is how to deal
with a high volume of email. Check out this Google talk with Merlin
Mann called Inbox
Zero great tips to improve your quality of life and
productivity.
You don't need any fancy cutting
edge technology to keep you productive either. There are great ways
to keep it simple stupid like the pocket mod. Also, read Getting Real by
37Signals. It will change the way you think and increase your
productivity, and you can read it for free online. Here is Seth Godin's take on it,
"Every once in a while, a book comes out of left field that changes
just about everything. This is one of those books. Ignore it at
your peril."
If you want a really abstract take
on productivity check out
The Cult of Done Manifesto. Finally and most importantly more
than anything else happiness is the key to productivity, here are
the
Top 10 reasons why happiness is the ultimate productivity
booster.
Become a productivity junkie, let
it inspire your team and spread throughout your organization.
I promise you it will be a fun and
interesting journey. Feel free to share your productivity tips with
us.