Following in the footsteps of a number of our blog posts this past month, July’s news round-up is focusing on productivity and work efficiency within your company.
Find your productivity style
Carson Tate’s article on 99U.com, discusses the four types of productivity styles commonly found in people both in and outside of the workplace. Carson outlines the four productivity styles and reveals the strengths and preferred tools of each style. Firstly, there is The Prioritiser, someone who will always defer to logical, analytical, fact-based, critical, and realistic thinking, yet are so focused on execution that they don’t spend much time or energy on how a task is completed. The Planner is next, a team member who thrives on organised, sequential, planned and detailed thinking. They are not known for their spontaneity, and have missed opportunities due to their resistance to deviate from plans. After that comes The Arranger, an individual that prefers supportive, expressive and emotional thinking. They are the ultimate team player, yet don’t participate in much casual chat during work hours. Finally, there is The Visualiser, who is drawn to holistic, intuitive, integrating, and synthesising thinking. They focus on the big picture, however may have a tendency to overlook details and value the possibilities over process. Which productivity style most suits you?
The pursuit of happiness
In her article for Fast Company, Jonha Revesencio reveals why happy employees are 12% more productive, with new research suggesting that we work more effectively, creatively and collaboratively when we’re happy at work. The recent study, conducted by economists at the University of Warwick, finds that happiness leads to a 12% spike in productivity, while unhappy workers prove 10% less productive. The research goes on to show that when workers are happy, they’re more effective collaborators working towards common goals, along with having the ability to make better decisions, excel at managing their time, and other crucial leadership skills. Ways that employees can boost their own workplace happiness include helping out co-workers, meditating for at least two minutes, and reflecting on three things to be grateful for every day.
Motivating yourself and the workforce
Lynda features an article, written by Scott Fegette, on the six habits guaranteed to boost your productivity. Scott discusses his history of poor time keeping and often disorganised life, and outlines the six habits that keep him productive and on track. One of the key points begins with the phrase, ‘plan your work, work your plan’. It stresses the importance of both setting those big, lofty goals, and then breaking them down into small, bite-sized, attainable steps. By clarifying your long-term, big picture goals and then regularly breaking them down into short-term steps, you’ll find yourself more focused, less overwhelmed, and better poised for success. The final, and perhaps most pivotal habit, is to finish everything you start. David reminds us to be a closer. Don't start anything that you don’t have the time, tenacity, or focus to finish, and you’ll find yourself less cluttered and distracted.
David Lavenda writes a piece for CMSWire on how to conquer your workplace distractions, by turning off all notifications from our phones and other portable devices. With help from a recent study at Florida State University, David reveals how owners who set their phones to vibrate are less capable of accurately completing tasks than colleagues who don’t receive silent notifications. He believes that in order to suppress interruptions and distractions, we must stamp them out completely. This can be achieved by turning off notification popups for mobiles and email, along with turning your phone off, or setting it to silent and putting it in a drawer. You should try to find quiet places to work, and set aside time and space for deep-thinking tasks that require undivided attention.
Concluding this month’s theme is Charlie Wilson, who for TalentCulture, discusses the theories of motivation for workplace productivity. Charlie, taking inspiration from Dan Pink’s book The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, delineates motivation into three easy to understand categories: autonomy, mastery and purpose. He also quotes the book How to Get People to Do Stuff, by Susan Weinschenk, that lays out the roadmap for using the seven basic drivers of motivation as an advantage. Some of these include the need to belong, the desire of mastery, and the power of stories. Charlie informs us that one of the ways to work harder and encourage employees to do the same is to surround yourself with high performers, allowing their energy and commitment to bolster yours.
Are you doing enough to motivate yourself, or improve productivity within your workforce?
