If you or your team are struggling to get things started or finished, you're not alone. Distractions, lack of focus, and hustle and bustle can make it challenging to stay motivated and passionate about your work.
When we lack motivation, we tend to look for quick fixes, such as a cup of coffee, chocolate, or watching a video. At first glance, they may seem like the correct answers to our problems, but not for long. It is worth working diligently on improving the state of mind, and then only on the level of productivity.
What can employees do to be more efficient? One of the ways is to find out what factors form a low level of productivity and find options for their elimination. Managers and business owners shared other ideas. Let's consider them in the article.
Solve complex and vital tasks at the peak of brain performance
If managers ask their subordinates what time of day they are most productive, the answers will probably vary. Someone is working in the morning until the emails start coming in. Someone – in the evening, when all urgent issues have been resolved, and you can finally concentrate on the main tasks.
Yes, most companies have a regulated work schedule. Therefore, employees cannot adjust the performance of tasks to their personal “waves of productivity.” However, some institutions support a flexible day schedule, and the time of the most concentrated work of employees can be seen even on the time tracker schedules. It's just important to remember the balance to be productive and focused without compromising sleep and health if the work day shifts to early or late hours.
Charge your phone as far away from your workplace as possible
One exciting idea we've seen in discussions among managers is charging your phone during the work day. This motivates employees to use the device less, especially if it is charging and not near the workplace. The next stage is to eliminate, if possible, other external factors that can interfere with productive work. For example, a series of work meetings during the day.
Unload “RAM”
A person gets tired much faster when he tries to remember everything simultaneously. You can save energy and strength for productive work with the help of a notebook and a pen. This way, you will free your brain from the excessive load (to keep information in your head) and get more concentration on work tasks.
Take advantage of the break
Employees' opinions regarding breaks and their number may differ. Some want to reduce the time spent on rest to finish the working day faster. Others need, for example, physical activity or a change of activity to better concentrate on the performance of work tasks.
Everyone knows the Pomodoro technique, which is used to increase concentration.
If it is difficult for your team to motivate themselves to work productively and then take a break, allow employees to create their work schedule and rest. Break reminders can be set not only in mobile applications, but also in a timekeeping program that is installed on your personal/work computer or laptop.
It is easy to explain with the example of Yaware TimeTracker.
1) the program collects statistics on how much time and with what resources a person works;
2) a notification about the need for a break is activated if it was absent during the specified time;
3) there is Focus Mode – an extension that helps you focus on work. When trying to switch to non-productive resources, the program will politely remind you of the goal to work productively.
The basis of all foundations is regular physical activity
Everyone knows about the benefits of water and exercise, but not everyone takes advantage of these two factors. We hope the article will be another impetus to increase work productivity through these habits.
Let's summarize
If you want to improve your productivity, start by analyzing your motivation. If you find that the team is performing at a low level or does not have much passion for what they are doing, you should find out why.
Although you may not have enough time to analyze the situation, it is crucial to realize where the problem lies. You can quickly find out the factors that affect the level of productivity with the help of a time tracker.
The next step is to gauge your level of interest. Observe the sensations in the process of work. If you love what you do, you should pay attention to your physical and mental state and the state of your team.
And finally, check which of the five methods mentioned in the article works best for your team. We hope they will be of use to you.
If you still have questions, please contact us:
Office in the USA
+16466478884
Office in Ukraine
+38 (067) 3512140
