Are you having a tough time adjusting to the ‘work from home’ routine? Has your productivity plummeted in the recent months? Your productivity factors that might have gotten hit by the recent pandemic.
Productivity refers to the efficiency of a person to complete a task. It’s not about doing more in less time but being adept at what you do.
Certain productivity factors influence your work pace, your overall efficiency, and the quality of your work. Let’s look into these factors and how they influence your working ability.
Top Productivity Factors Known for Influencing PM’s Work Routine
Productivity factors are the elements that have a direct or indirect impact on your performance. We have compiled a list of productivity factors that influence your work. A few tweaks here and there can go a long way. Following these techniques might help you get back on track.
Let’s take a look at the list:
- Listen to understand, not to reply
- Communicate and comprehend
- Think, plan, and execute
- Divide and subdivide for improved results
- Keep yourself motivated
- Try project management software
- Rest well
- Change the way you think
- Find a mentor
- Evaluate and reevaluate
Without further ado, let’s look at all of these productivity factors in detail and see how they affect your efficiency.
10. Listen to understand, not reply
One of the main productivity factors that influence the working of a team is miscommunication. Do not just listen for the sake of replying but listen to understand.
Listening intently helps you focus better. It also alleviates the risk of mistakes and misunderstandings in the later stages. Listening closely means lesser space for errors hence better efficiency.
Instead of thinking about a counterargument, listen to what the person is saying and understand their viewpoint.
Here’s how you can improve your listening ability:
- Pay attention to the content
- Encourage the speaker through your gestures and body language
- Do not interrupt them while they speak
- Repeat whatever you hear to make sure you are on the same wavelength
- Avoid judging the content of the conversation or the speaker
- Formulate your response after the speaker has communicated his concerns
Following these tips can help avoid the risk of miscommunication. Moreover, it can lessen your burden and create a harmonious working environment.
Featured Readings:
“Most people are time pressed and they tend to move quickly in their conversations and rush to get their point of view across.This will not save you time – listening to understand is a case of ‘go slow to go fast.’ If you start every conversation with an open mind and let the other person speak first and listen with the intent to truly understand their perspective, you will save so much time and strengthen all of your relationships (which will dramatically increase your productivity).”
Quote by: Stephanie Berryman, Leadership Coach and Consultant
9. Communicate and comprehend
‘Communication is the key to success’- is something we have seen a bit too many times. While this stands true, we would like to add comprehension to this sentence, ‘Communication and comprehension are the keys to success‘.
You may not make much progress unless you and your team are on the same page. Communicate your expectations and ensure that the message is comprehended clearly. Also, ensure that they are no lapses and the message is sent across without any confusion.
Make sure your team members have clearly understood the prerequisites of the work they are assigned. Listen to their opinions as well and resolve the issues beforehand to avoid any setbacks later.
8. Think, plan, and execute
Avoid immediately diving into your work. You can enhance your productivity by structuring your work. First of all, think about the requirements of the project. Carefully analyze all the important points and prioritize them accordingly.
Next, keeping in mind the fundamentals of the task, plan the process. Organize, categorize, and structure your tasks to avoid unnecessary complexities.
Once you are done with planning, execute your plan and see the results yourself. Incorporating these three steps in your working routine significantly improves your productivity.
7. Divide and subdivide
Dividing and subdividing a project lessens your burden. Split your project into small-sized chunks and assign these chunks to your members. You can also mark time durations for each task for a timely delivery.
You can assign one task to one member if it’s a simple one. Complex tasks can be given to designated teams. The team members can further subdivide their respective tasks for more efficacy.
Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to optimize your productivity. WBS breaks down a project into manageable tasks. These tasks are easy to manage and can be delivered timely.
6. Keep yourself motivated
It is easy to lose interest in your work when it gets too monotonous and redundant. The lack of motivation is an important productivity factor that negatively affects the efficiency of your work. You can easily lose your focus and it might be a bit too hard to get that drive back.
To keep yourself motivated you can take do the things you usually do for motivation. Go to that restaurant you like or have a meal with your loved ones.
BUT sometimes it might be hard to find that spark in the things you usually do. You cannot always find the motivation you need in the things you habitually do. The ice-cream you love might not taste as delicious as it generally does or the things you love to do might not seem as interesting as they typically do.
In times like these, you need to change the course of your thinking. Redirect the train of your thought and think of other ways that might help you find your muse back.
Some of the motivation tricks that might come in handy include:
- Defining your aims
- Clarity on your vision
- Dividing your project into deliverable tasks
- Overcome the fear of deadlines
- Focus on one task at a time
- Have fun with what you do
Once you have your motivation back you can jump back to your work and get your tasks done in no time.
5. Try a project management software
If you are having trouble managing your team and dividing the tasks, we suggest using project management software.
Just as the name suggests, project management software helps you keep track of the progress of your work. It aids in the planning, organization, and management of your resources.
The division can help you focus on one task at a time. It can also aid in the efficient management of your team.
Some of the most popular tried-and-tested project management software out there include:
Take a look at these and find one that satisfies your requirements and suits your budget.
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Try the Best Project Management Tool.
Manage all your tasks, projects, team collaboration and more in one place. Sign up today!
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4. Rest well; Unwind and start over!
Do not delude yourself into thinking that those extra hours of work can make you successful instantly. Skipping lunch or your much-needed break time will not make you more productive.
Rest is an important productivity factor often ignored by many. You need those couple of resting hours to better your pace.
Allot appropriate time to each of your tasks. Rather than working for long, tiresome hours, get more work done in lesser hours.
Avoid overburdening yourself with excessive work. Do not fret over the minutest details. Professionals suggest taking regular breaks during the working hours to freshen up your mind.
You might not notice but sleeplessness and long working hours put a strain on your nerves. Not only do you get crankier, but you also have a hard time completing the easiest of tasks. We recommend getting rid of all the baggage you carry on your shoulders.
Get a good night’s sleep and treat yourself to a sumptuous meal. A good rest will lower your stress level. And keep in mind, this is not a one-time thing, you need a good dose of rest every day to keep up with all the work you have to do.
3. Change the way you think
Sometimes changing your perspective can make things easier. Changing your typical mode of thinking might open new horizons. You may be able to complete a task by changing the course of your actions.
You can also take help from your team members. Listen to their opinions about a particular action, you might find a better way to do things.
Instead of focusing on the problem, try to look for different solutions. You might even be able to create something innovative.
Try to look at things from different standpoints. Thinking from the viewpoint of the consumer rather than an owner can give you more choices. Trying something new will certainly give you better results.
2. Find a mentor
It can be hard to manage everything yourself. Sometimes you might even find yourself at an impasse with no way out. At times like these, you need the help of a mentor.
Seeking help from those more experienced and skilled is not something to be looked down upon. A second opinion will help you find the loopholes you might have missed and fix them.
Find yourself a mentor- a person who can objectively look at your work and give an honest opinion without being judgmental. His rational insights, tips, and suggestions will help you improve your work to near perfection.
Make sure that you attentively listen to the criticism of your mentor, respect his opinion, and accept it with an open heart. There is always room for improvement and a mentor can help you find that room.
Once you understand all the errors, you can start work on the repairs.
1. Evaluate and reevaluate
Perfection is flawed, there is always scope for enhancements. If you think you have done everything you can, think again. It’s always better to evaluate and reevaluate your work.
As soon as you are done with your work, take a rest, relax your nerves for a couple of hours and then get back to it.
Analyze it thoroughly, look for minor mistakes, and nip them before they hinder your work. Afterward, reevaluate your work to make sure that you have gotten rid of all the unnecessary garbage.
Revisions can help you clean your work, make improvements, and make it as close to perfection as humanly possible.
Think about the factors that reduce your productivity
In opposition to productivity factors that enhance your efficiency, there can be other factors that negatively impact your work.
Some of these factors are listed below:
- Elevated stress levels
- Lack of sleep
- Malnutrition
- Excessive starvation
- Skipping breaks
Any of these factors can have an adverse effect on your working ability. You might lose your focus. Be mindful of all these factors.
Address these issues. Never overlook your health. You need a healthy mind and a healthy body to work efficiently. A stressed-out brain and a barely-able-to-keep-up body may not be that much of a catch. Pay attention to the things that matter.
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