The benefits of increased productivity are wide-ranging, including lowering operational costs, improving customer service, and even improving morale. Yet, despite the obvious advantages, every workplace has its share of distractions, whether it’s dealing with interruptions or navigating a cluttered desk. The solution to increased productivity could be as simple as implementing one of these three productivity hacks.
With the economic uncertainty facing business leaders in 2022, specifically regarding inflation and a shifting job market, productivity has once again become a top strategic priority for businesses across industries. Because time and other assets are finite, every task that an employee chooses to spend time on comes at the expense of doing something else. With a company’s productivity playing a key role in profitability, competitiveness, and long-term success, learning how to use these resources most advantageously should be the main priority for business leaders.
As business productivity is directly tied to performance, the good news is that business leaders can directly impact workplace productivity by eliminating distractions, utilizing automation, and taking well-timed breaks. You can also trust your Safeguard Advisor to help meet your time, productivity, and business needs. With an extensive breadth of services and products, as well as specific expertise in your industry, your Safeguard Advisor can help by advising on projects, improving your marketing, and guiding business success.
What is a business hack?
Business hacks are effective shortcuts, often involving slight changes that would otherwise go unnoticed in order to bring about more meaningful changes. Business hacks frequently require creativity, innovation, and flexibility. These hacks are usually intended to help a business save time or money, helping leaders run and grow their businesses.
#1 Eliminate Distractions
Office employees often spend their days dealing with various interruptions and distractions. Emails, phone calls, meetings, and paperwork can pull employees away from the more meaningful tasks that drive business growth. In addition to taking up an employee’s time, research shows that simply recovering from distractions can take up to 23 minutes, resulting in a significant loss of both time and energy. Unfortunately, it’s possible for employees to stay busy the whole day without accomplishing anything substantial.
Beyond distractions having the capacity to halt company growth, a lack of productivity can also take a toll on employee morale. Employees want to be productive at work, and few things are more frustrating than not being able to complete assignments. Business leaders can take steps to address the distractions that consume valuable time and prevent employees from getting things done.
The first productivity hack for eliminating distractions is through time and priority management. This can be done by identifying the most critical tasks for each day or week and then blocking out time to complete those tasks with no distractions so you can fully focus on the job at hand. Business leaders may also have employees track time spent on productive tasks versus non-productive tasks to identify any specific places where time is being wasted.
#2 Utilize Automation
Employees frequently spend time completing tasks that could be automated or at least sped up with the right technology. While manually scheduling meetings or sending out a handful of invoices may not appear to take up too much time, those hours add up when compounded over days, weeks, or months. That’s why utilizing technology and automation is a useful productivity hack. Repetitive tasks, in particular, are ideal candidates for automation, freeing up employees to focus on other projects. Automation not only streamlines processes, but it can also cut down on errors.
Beyond automation, there is a wide range of other technology solutions that could improve workplace productivity. Whether it’s collaboration apps that can promote and simplify teamwork or an instant messaging app that also offers file sharing, giving your team the right tools for the job will go a long way to make them more productive.
#3 Take Breaks
While it may seem counterintuitive for taking breaks to be a productivity hack, working too long without a break can often cause employees to be less productive rather than more productive. The key is to be mindful of when and how to implement breaks throughout the day.
Also, keep in mind that a break is not always an interruption. It’s normal for an employee to continue to brainstorm on a task while they are taking a break. While breaks don’t have to be long to be effective, it is helpful to physically get up and walk away from the desk or workspace. A quick walk around the office, a trip to the water cooler or refrigerator, or even some quick stretches provide both a physical and cognitive break.
At Safeguard, we know that business leaders can significantly impact workplace productivity by implementing effective business productivity hacks. Your Safeguard consultant can help you be better organized, find files more easily, and process paperwork faster, boosting your productivity and saving you money. Rely on Safeguard for the right products, services, and ideas to help you maintain a competitive advantage. Call 855.778.3124 to get started.
Key Takeaways
- A company’s productivity plays a key role in profitability, competitiveness, and long-term success.
- Eliminate unnecessary distractions through time and priority management.
- Utilize automation and technology to free up employees and allow them to focus on more important projects.
- Taking breaks can help employees be more productive.
- Rely on Safeguard for products, services, and ideas that boost productivity and save money.