Management and Productivity Articles

With working from home becoming the new norm, project managers are facing new challenges in order to lead a successful global team. The following...

What is the ultimate goal of every business, regardless of whether it has 5 or 5,000 employees? Well, that’s simple — the goal is to get things done. How do we get things done? With dedication, motivation and smooth workflow. To achieve that, parties have to establish a strong flow of communication where problems are discussed and solved. That’s why organizations run regular business meetings.

1️. Stop Multitasking

Doing multiple things at once doesn’t necessarily mean that you are an efficient and productive employee. If you’re wondering how to be more productive at work and work smarter, you have to cancel the idea that managing multiple tasks or projects at once will bring you glory and nothing but success.

Constantly switching between tasks, projects or any other daily responsibility you might have will disturb your focus and have a negative impact on your performance. Focus on one task at a time to get more done. This is a very useful technique to work smarter and not harder.

2️. Develop a Routine

Humans are creatures of habit. That’s why, developing a routine and sticking to it will help you do things faster since you don’t really have to “think” about the task. Moreover, you don’t have to prepare for it and can work on “autopilot.”

Ultimately, the secret to get more things done is to reduce the amount of decisions you have to take throughout the day.

There are plenty of calendar apps and note-taking apps that can help you create to-do lists and develop a routine that you can stick to.

3️. Improve your Skills Constantly

Every now and then you should take a closer look at your skills profile and determine whether there’s a gap to be filled. If you feel like there are things you can work on, set up a meeting with a mentor, talk to important connections in your niche or simply do research on your own.

Remember, you should always be on a steep learning curve. Keep up to date with trends and developments in your industry. We live in a technology-based, fact-changing world where early adopters are winners. Seize opportunities and you will definitely learn how to work smarter.

4️. Set Clear Goals and Intentions

When you have a clear goal, it’s much easier to choose how to spend your time. You know what’s important to you so you’re in full control of your own time management.

Set short and long term goals. What do you want to accomplish in the next month or six months? Focus on one goal per life area, such as business or family.

For set intentions, try using SMART goals. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. By using the SMART goals outline, you can easily set boundaries, define steps and track progress. SMART can help you get closer to your objectives by organizing your thoughts and ideas into actual actionable items.

5️. Use Productivity Tools

This is a straightforward solution to your question of how to work smarter not harder. There are plenty of useful tools worth downloading that can boost your work productivity and time-management skills. Some of those include Focus Keeper, Evernote, Rescue Time and more.

A high percentage of your working hours per week go to meetings which are often unproductive and a total waste of your time. To make sure the hundreds of meetings you have to attend don’t undermine your productivity and desire to work “smart,” you can use a meeting management software like Mombit, for example.