How to Be Productive and Efficient at Work

No wonder it seems like you can never finish that crucial task; the average American worker spends more than two hours a day dealing with interruptions, according to a 2005 study of workplace productivity by consulting and analysis firm Basex. Although technology has been touted as a solution for increasing productivity and efficiency, it can also contribute to interruption and distraction. Organization is central to productivity, and employees should learn the most effective way to structure their day for maximum efficiency.

Instructions

1. Utilize schedules to maximize your productivity. Plan to perform your most critical duties at the times you are naturally most efficient. For example, a morning person will schedule important tasks first thing and devote the afternoon slump to duties of less importance or that require less concentration. If the task involves multiple people, plan to complete it when everyone is typically available to prevent wasted time waiting for colleagues. Being constantly busy also prevents coworkers or subordinates from engaging in idle chat with you.

2. Avoid multitasking. Although you might feel as if you are getting more achieved, multitasking actually reduces overall productivity, reports cognitive scientist David Meyer in a 2007 article in "The New York Times." If you have an essential project to complete, devote some time to concentrate on that issue and nothing else. Shut your office door, divert your phones, turn off the alert for new emails and put your undivided attention toward the task.

3. Prioritize your tasks according to the 80/20 principle, otherwise known as Pareto's Law. Pareto was an economist who theorized that 80 percent of results come from 20 percent of effort. Consequently, employees should identify the 20 percent of critical tasks which -- if effort was exclusively focused on them -- would yield about 80 percent of the overall results and objectives. Similarly, you should try to determine the tasks which demand a lot of input and effort while yielding few appreciable results and spend as little time as possible on these items.

4. Minimize interruptions whenever possible. Eric Horvitz, a Microsoft researcher, revealed to "The New York Times" that he was "surprised by how easily people were distracted and how long it took them to get back to the task," noting that workers took approximately 15 minutes to return to work after being interrupted by an email or phone call. Set specific times in which you will respond to email and don't be tempted to check every time a new message arrives.

5. Reduce clutter. American workers spend an average of 30 minutes searching for documents each day, according to a March 2011 survey by Harmon.ie, a software developer. Clear the paper from your desk and implement a workable storage system for essential emails.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't focus on productivity to the exclusion of other workers. Although some alone time might be necessary for concentration, isolation can lead to a breakdown of team morale and mean you are out of the loop of essential information sharing, which can also impact your productivity.

References

• Federal Occupational Health; Let's Talk: Path to Productivity; Fall 2009
• Wright State University: Effective Time Management
• Basex; The Cost of Not Paying Attention: How Interruptions Impact Knowledge Worker Productivity; Jonathan B. Spira, et al.; September 2005
• "The Wall Street Journal"; Managing Workplace Distractions; Sue Shellenbarger; February 2011
• "The Wall Street Journal"; How Distracting Is Technology?; Aatekah Mir; May 2011
• "The New York Times"; Slow Down, Brave Multitasker, and Don't Read This in Traffic; Steve Lohr; March 2007

Resources

• Harmon.ie: Distraction Survey Results