Five Steps to Productivity
By Marilyn Weiss Cruickshank, Consultant, Creative Simplicity Organizing & Productivity,
Can you guess which day of the week tends to be our most productive? Tuesday consistently wins the prize, with, you guessed it, Friday as the least productive. No matter what day of the week it is, too little time and too much to do is a common condition for many of us. Our days are filled with interruptions and distractions, too many meetings, cluttered desktops, and the pressured feeling to stay connected in our busy-every-minute world. Stretching resources and doing more with less is familiar territory for most of us, but feeling obligated to work all the time leads to burnout, which we all know is unproductive. As museum professionals, we know that working smarter can increase our staff capacity and result in better service and programs for our audiences and communities. And, learning to adapt and adopt new ways of working can help us to be better workers and colleagues with a more positive outlook and a renewed sense of enthusiasm for the work we do. What could be more important?
Here are five steps to consider on your journey to becoming more productive:
- Make the most of your peak energy times. When do you work your best? If you are like most people, the morning is your most productive time. You can find your most productive work times and patterns by paying closer attention to your daily habits, as well as your energy and focus levels. Schedule your most important tasks for the time that you have the most fuel in your tank.
- Get Organized! Did you know that piles of paper in your office are deferred decisions? Are you working or meeting in spaces full of clutter, with little or no clear surface to focus on the task at hand? An Office Max study found that nine in ten (90%) Americans admit that unorganized clutter at home or at work has a negative impact on their life and their productivity. Our cluttered spaces are making us less creative and able to focus on our work. Often the way your office is set up is just as important as the items you choose to keep. Take some time to see your space with a fresh set of eyes, clearing unnecessary items and making an effort to implement systems that work for you and the way you work.
- Limit interruptions and distractions. The average office worker is interrupted 7 times per hour and office distractions eat up, on average, 2.1 hours a day. Distractions come in both human and digital form - co-workers, volunteers, and even ourselves! Sometimes we are our own worst enemy with constant digital and social media interruptions. Be sure to create a sign or signal to let colleagues or volunteers know you are busy. Institute quiet times for your entire office and don’t forget to turn off signals that indicate new messages in your inbox.
- Reduce the number of meetings. Employees rank meetings as their #1 distraction and road block to productivity. What is the meeting for? Is there an agenda? Is there a time limit? Can your staff agree not to have more than a certain number per week? Though meetings can be wonderfully effective ways to communicate face-to-face with colleagues, remember that less is more. Museum staff often tell me that meetings with outside vendors and collaborators also take up too much of their time. If this is your challenge, consider setting tighter parameters for this type of meeting, just as you set guidelines for accepting objects into your collection.
- Take Breaks. Research has proven that taking breaks at work boosts productivity, motivation, and the ability to perform to your true potential. Whether it is a five-minute break to stretch and re-focus during the work day or a planned vacation, breaks are essential to your well-being and to your ability to be a positive contributor to your museum’s staff.
We owe it to ourselves to create the best possible working environment we can. Apply these tips and strategies to your spaces and schedules to be more productive and satisfied with your accomplishments.
