Guest-Post
Today’s guest blog post was written by James Adams who works as a writer and a product reviewer at CartridgeSave, an online shop delivering cheap ink cartridges.
It is not always easy to get things done in an office environment. Whether the reasoning entails a lot of noise from the inside or the outside of the office, to the simple feeling of being overwhelmed, accomplishing something can be a challenge. With the right tips for motivation, however, there is hope.
Prioritization
One good way to increase office productivity is to prioritize any and all projects. In other words, it is important to first tackle the things that must be done the soonest, leaving other things with more time to finish them for later completion. For example, if a profit report is due within a few days, and another project is due within a week, the more urgent task should be tackled first. If it is not, the worker will no doubt find themselves feeling overwhelmed. They may even give up, believing they will not finish in time.
Don’t Procrastinate
Along with taking on what needs to be done the soonest, it is also good to fight the urge to procrastinate. Procrastination tends to happen for a few reasons. Perhaps the worker is plainly tired and they do not wish to take on anything that appears as though it will take a lot of time. Or maybe it is a detailed project that takes more effort than what they believe they can give. It is important to speculate on why the project is hard, and why it is so difficult to want to work on it. Long projects can be broken into smaller, more doable pieces. Confusing projects can be performed by more than one person, to make sure it is done right.
Effective Communication
Communication is something that could make or break the successful completion of something. When a person is giving instructions on what they want done, they should be very clear about it. Vague answers are a good way to make sure workers are lost and unmotivated. If they do get it done, it may not be done in the way that the person who assigned the task wanted. This leads to time spent redoing it when something more esteemed could have been worked on instead.
Planning
A number of people who work in an office setting plan ahead for the work they must do. If they know in advance that they have to get something done, they mark it on some kind of calendar or leave a note in a visible area. They can then think out what they should handle first, and when. This is a big help in making everything run more smoothly, ensuring there is less chance for panic or not finishing on time. Although this does not guarantee that procrastination will not occur, it can still help.
Division of Labour
When it is not necessary, one person should not be expected to complete a sizeable project alone. Certain parts of the project should be given to different people, which cut down on the amount of work a single person must focus on. This can take a lot of weight off a person’s shoulders, making them feel better about the situation. They may feel more confident that it will be done and work a little harder so that they do not disappoint others. It is usually easier to get something accomplished when the burden is not being carried alone, as it could be said.
Competition runs until January 2012 ! I made an error
Environment is so important for productivity. There is a contest running until the end of January 2011 called pimp my cube. This is especially for those who have disastreous offices or cubicles and would like to change them for free. The space with the most bizarre and worst machinery, furniture, mess etc. can be the winner of the makeover.
The contest is run by contest factory and entry is free – pimp my cube
Reminds me of Napoleon’s military tactics. Waste not, want not. Put everything to good use and get a good group of delegates who can do their jobs without having to be micromanaged.
Communication, planning and allocation of work are certainly key point one should keep in mind to make things happen… such tools are important in an organization no matter whether it is big or small .. human behavior can create a huge difference in company’s productivity…
Delivering results in efficient manner is a concern not only of big business but also small ones. Human behavior in the workplace matters. Where does politics at the workplace come from?
Office politics is another factor that affects productivity as well. From the guy that gets a fair share of the rewards but doesn’t do his fair share of work, or from the lady that puts her own interest first before that of the team’s — these are all de-motivating and thus kills productivity.
I think this list is missing leadership. But then again, those 5 things are components to a good leadership.
Jerry,
I agree to that. A good leadership should be able to put all these together. Only a good leader can make it happen.
Planning and Effective Communication are two things that are more valuable in any type of office environment. I have read in a book of Industrial Management that 60% accidents are due to lack of communication or bad communication.
Thanks
@Nazim
Spot on! We’re not only talking about accidents here. Revenues are lost, too. Millions of resources are being wasted; budget falling through the cracks. We can talk about this all day. Communication indeed is the most important element in office productivity.
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Great article!
I feel that effective communication plays a major part when improving productivity.
I have noticed that many times I may feel overwhelmed because of too vague instructions that are given to me.
Also, you can also speed up your work by using good old phone :) Many time we rely on e-mail only and in some cases it’s faster to decide something on the phone than waiting for couple of days for an answer by e-mail.
@Timo,
Effective communication is the critical factor. Your workflow depends on it. The office must be equipped with effective tools to make communication more efficient. Phone just doesn’t work for some. I know how email can be more effective in some areas – follow through, word trail, and less intrusive.
Thanks for the comment