|

How to Optimize Your Workplace Performance: 5 Tips for enhancing productivity

Employers have been working for years on workforce optimization. The goal is to get the most out of their employees by improving productivity.

But what about improving your own productivity?

Better performance at work provides a sense of personal satisfaction and can lead to increased training opportunities, raises, promotions, bonuses, and more.

And when your career is humming, the rest of life hums along better too.

So if you’re looking to improve your productivity at work, check out these tips to help you fine tune how well you perform on the job:

5 Tips to Optimize Your Workplace Performance

professional african american male working in office setting

Struggling to stay productive at work isn’t fun for you and doesn’t help your coworkers, boss, employer, or customers.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to get back on track. Here are five tips to optimize your workplace performance:

1. Ask, arm, and agree

To effectively perform your job, you need to:

  • Be clear on expectations – ask what, when, where, why, and how until you’re positive you know what your boss, team, or clients are expecting from you and what you can expect in terms of information and support.
  • Have proper resources to perform responsibilities – arm yourself with the resources you need to get the job done. If you need data, tools, training, help from others, etc., ask for it. Make sure you’ll have what you need when you need it.
  • Agree to the plan – come to an agreement with your boss or client on what, when, and how you’ll deliver what they’re expecting.

Ask the questions so you make a knowledgeable agreement and have the resources you need to get the job down.

2. Optimize your space and schedule

Knowing your work style will help you identify the best physical space for you to work in and the best times of day for you to work.

Optimizing your space and schedule, can set you up for success and make it easier to get into a productive mindset.

This will be easiest to do if you have your own office space at home or in the workplace, but if you don’t a little creative thinking can help.

Start by identifying your work style and the optimal conditions for you to work in, then turn to your daily, weekly, and monthly schedule.

Here’s a list of questions to think through to get you started. Be sure to jot down your thoughts and any ideas for optimization.

  • Do you prefer complete quiet, or can you work with some background noise?
  • Do you like to have music playing or not?
  • If you work around others, can you wear earbuds to play music or noise canceling headphones to help minimize distractions and improve your concentration?
  • Do you work better standing or sitting at a desk or table or with your butt on the couch?
  • Can you flex your hours or work a hybrid home and office schedule to best accommodate your productive hours and lifestyle?
  • Is your workspace free of clutter or other distractions?
  • How can you improve your work area to help increase your focus?
  • Are you more productive in the morning or evening?
  • Do you like to work in short bursts or prefer to focus on one task for a more extended period?
  • Can you eliminate any non-essential tasks from your daily or weekly schedule?
  • Are there any responsibilities that you could delegate to someone else?
  • Can you batch similar tasks together for efficiency?
  • Do you have any daily tasks that could be done once a week instead?

Finally, it’s essential to set aside time for breaks and distractions. Distractions can be anything from checking your email to browsing social media.

If you allow yourself a few minutes to indulge in distractions each day, you’ll be less likely to do it when you’re trying to work.

Take some time to consider how and when you work best and creatively align your space and schedule to take advantage of what you discover.

3. Utilize project and task tracking tools.

Another helpful tip is to create a realistic to-do list and use the right tool to track it.

People often try to do too much, then when feelings of overwhelm come on they end up getting little accomplished.

If you create a realistic and achievable action item list, you’ll be more likely to stay on track and get things done.

Various task tracking tools are available to help you stay organized and on top of your responsibilities.

Some popular free and paid options include Trello, Asana, Todoist, Airtable, ClickUp, and Sortd.

4. Communicate!

One of the most important things you can do to optimize your work performance is to communicate with your boss or client.

Keep them informed about what you’re working on, ask any questions, let them know when you need help, and tell them about any issues that compromise what was previously agreed upon.

Regular communication will help ensure everyone is on the same page and help avoid any surprises down the road.

It can also help build trust and rapport, which are essential for a productive working relationship.

5. Deliver on your promises.

If you say you will do something, make sure you do it.

This goes for both big and small commitments.

If you can’t deliver on what you said you would, be upfront about it and offer a solution sooner than later.

This will also help build trust and respect.

Enhance your productivity

In today’s work environment, it’s more important than ever to be productive, and there are a variety of ways to optimize your workplace performance.

Create a conducive environment, utilize task tracking tools, communicate regularly, and deliver on your promises.

Following these tips can enhance your workplace performance, get more done, and set yourself up for success. Give them a try, and let us know how they work for you!

Next: The Art of Believing in You: Building Confidence

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *