Productivity Can Be Improved By These Seven Techniques

Staying on top of every project, task, and detail can be a challenge. However, productivity can be improved by improving just a few key skills. From procrastination to poor organizational methods, workplace productivity is impacted by a multitude of factors. Regardless, you’re not alone in this struggle! Difficulties with work place productivity effect people across the board. Fortunately, your productivity can be improved by implementing these seven productivity improvement techniques! 

Productivity Can Be Improved with the Pomodoro Technique 

The Pomodoro Technique is a productivity improvement technique that focuses on time management. Poor time management skills typically go hand in hand with reduced workplace productivity. The technique relies on the idea that viewing tasks in the time frame of the entire work day actually inhibits productivity. Thus, the technique forces you to work in small time increments. Let’s break it down!

1. Pick a task you need to complete.
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes and commit to working on that task for the entirety of the 25 minutes. 
3. Once the 25 minutes is up, take a short break (5 minutes) 
4. Repeat the process. After 4 completed 25 minute cycles, extend the duration of the break.

The Pomodoro Technique is a highly effective productivity improvement technique because it combats procrastination. The technique breaks up the day into short increments and positions you to commit to a singular task. It also breaks up big projects into approachable tasks. Consequently, you achieve greater productivity.

Personal Kanban For Visual Workers

This is a popular productivity improvement technique for the visual learner. The method relies on visual workflow cues that help you conceptualize a project’s completion. Many project management software systems are founded from this technique. Here’s how it works!

1. List the tasks you need to do in order to complete a project.
2. Place the tasks in one of three categories; To Do, In Progress, or Completed.
3. As you work,  move each task into its respective category. 

This technique allows you to see the components of a project that need to be done, and gives you a tangible list of tasks to complete. It also allows you to prioritize tasks as it relates to the completion of the project. This technique is great for people who need to visualize projects before they can decide where to start. 

The Eat the Frog Productivity Improvement Technique Helps Procrastination

The name may sound strange, but this technique is made for the procrastinator. The methodology behind it has to do with why we procrastinate. The theory is that procrastination does not necessarily stem from laziness or ineptness, but rather, the desire to avoid negative feelings. Therefore, by “eating the frog,” you get the most difficult task out of the way first. Additionally, you are prioritizing important and necessary tasks.

Getting the most important/difficult task out of the way first means you don’t put it off. Subsequently, it also means you don’t spend all day dreading it. The key in this productivity improvement technique is being able to identify your frog. The next key is having the willpower to complete your most difficult task. This method not only helps with procrastination, but it also helps with prioritization skills. 

Workplace Productivity Can Be Improved By Using Time Blocking

Time management is crucial to workplace productivity. Time blocking is a technique that provides more structure for people who may struggle with time management. It helps with the challenge of prioritization tasks efficiently. Productivity can be improved by this technique because it creates a structured guideline for what task you should be working on and for how long. This is how it works: 

1. Outline the tasks you need to complete 
2. Segment the day into time blocks 
3. Assign each task to a specific time block. (Be mindful of how long a task should take to complete and pair it with that duration of a time block).

This technique creates a clear and concise way to visualize the work you need to get done, how much time you spend working on each task, and when you will start working on the task. Productivity can be improved by using the time blocking technique to give yourself structure and clarity. 

The Eisenhower Matrix Improves Organization

The Eisenhower Matrix technique is a method that improves organization and prioritization skills. This technique is aptly named after the 34th U.S. president, who was well known for productivity and organization. The Eisenhower Matrix technique is a prioritization method that allows you to prioritize tasks as they relate to the bigger picture. It’s based on the idea that oftentimes you can find yourself busy, yet the tasks you are busy with aren’t actually serving your larger goals. Working in this manner is time consuming, draining, and ultimately unproductive. Here’s how the Eisenhower Matrix technique can improve productivity: 

1. Create a four box grid.

2. Label each box of the grid with one of the following: urgent, not urgent, important, and not important.
3. This creates four categories; urgent and important, urgent but not important, important but not urgent, and not urgent or important. 

3. Create a list of the tasks you need to complete and categorize them within the category boxes.

4. Do the tasks within the category of urgent and important. Schedule time/create deadlines for the tasks that are urgent but not important. Delegate tasks that are urgent but not important. Delete tasks that are not urgent or important. 

This method helps visualize projects in context to your larger goals. With this productivity improvement technique you can prioritize tasks and then complete them in order of importance. This methodology also allows you to trim off excess tasks that aren’t contributing to your overarching goals. 

Getting Things Done Method Helps With Cluttered Minds

A productivity method called ‘Getting Things Done’ seems pretty straight forward. However, it’s one of the more complex techniques. David Allen, a renowned productivity consultant, came up with the technique in his book ‘Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity.’ The concept is founded on the idea that many people just have too much going on inside their heads. From work to personal life, there’s a lot to think about and it can be challenging to sort through all the information to determine what needs to be done. Incomes the Getting Things Done productivity improvement technique! This technique involves the following five steps:

1. Capture everything that has your attention; professional, personal or otherwise.
2. Clarify what each item means in the larger picture. Is it part of a project? Is it an action item? Is it something that can be put on hold? Is it non important? This step serves to declutter your “mental inbox.”
3. Organize your mental inbox by placing tasks into “folders.” of actionable items, calendar for meetings, non important items may just be trashed so that you don’t have to worry about them anymore. 
4. Reflect on your items and tasks frequently to ensure your lists are clean and updated. 
5. Engage with the items/tasks that you have organized and clearly defined for yourself.

This process is for the person with a cluttered brain and entirely too much going on at once. It’s a mental filtering system that ensures that all the important pressing needs are being met, and unimportant clutter is discarded. This technique, much like any habit, needs to be done consistently in order to work effectively. 

Accountability

While all of these productivity techniques take a different approach to improving productivity, they all rely on accountability. Productivity can be improved by improving accountability. Accountability means accepting responsibility and ownership over your own actions. In the context of workplace productivity, this means committing to your productivity goals and doing what you say you’re going to do. However, this can be challenging at times. Below are 5 ways to incorporate accountability into your productivity improvement techniques. 

1. Outlining clear and concise goals and sharing them with team members/manager 
2. Weekly check-ins with a colleague or manager 
3. Setting deadlines and sticking to them 
4. Accept feedback 
5. Be kind to yourself  

Identify what areas of productivity you struggle with and then find a productivity improvement technique that addresses it. Do you procrastinate tasks until the last minute? Do you have a hard time identifying which tasks are most important? Or do you find that you are so overwhelmed with information and thoughts that you can’t get anything done? Whatever the case may be, productivity can be improved by one or a combination of these methods. So try them out and watch your productivity soar!