Unlocking Productivity: Two Key Strategies to Boost Efficiency

How do I increase productivity in my office? Increasing productivity can feel like an uphill battle. Often, it’s not about working harder—it’s about working smarter. In this article, we’ll explore two effective strategies that can help you get more done without adding more hours to your day.

The Complacency Trap: Are You Just Busy, or Are You Productive?

Here’s the thing: one of the main causes of decreased productivity is what I call our first complacency model. You’re so busy throughout the day that you become complacent. You’re doing all these different tasks—jumping from one thing to another, answering phone calls, checking emails, getting sucked into Facebook, helping an employee, dealing with clients. You’re scattered throughout the day. You have wins and losses, but at the end of the day, you feel complacent because there is no real progression or elevation in your business. You weren’t focused on the most productive things that push you forward.

Strategy 1: Time Blocking—Your Key to Real Focus

If you want to increase productivity, a great tip is to stop doing multiple things at once. Multitasking does not work. You need to focus on your priorities. This ties into time blocking. When we get a new client, we have them audit their day. For 14 days, they write down everything they do in 15-minute increments. We then analyze their day to help them time block the most important activities. When we have time and focus, magic happens.

So, if you want to increase productivity, time block what you need to accomplish. Here’s the thing: when you get an email, it doesn’t require an immediate response. People don’t send emails expecting you to reply right away. It’s perfectly fine if you wait two hours to respond. Time block specific slots on your calendar for replying to emails. Time block a certain time for returning phone calls. Time blocking allows you to focus on the most important tasks that need to be accomplished. Also, make sure to set time for income-generating activities—the tasks that make you money. This should be your number one priority.

Strategy 2: Stop Task Duplication—Empower Your Team to Share Knowledge

Now, the second tip: stop having two people doing the same task at the same time. When I was a trainer, I saw this happen all the time. One employee didn’t know how to do something, so they asked their agent. The agent didn’t know either, so both of them called me to find out. This was a waste of time for both parties.

Instead, if an employee doesn’t know how to do something, assign them the task of finding the answer and have them teach the rest of the team. That way, you’re productive on your end, and they gain confidence by teaching their peers. This process builds a better culture and saves time because everyone learns from one person’s effort.

Conclusion

These are just two tips you can implement in your business right now. Start by time blocking your most important tasks, and avoid duplicating tasks among team members. You'll see a big difference in your office's productivity.

If you want more tips on boosting productivity, comment 'Productivity,' and we’ll connect for a call!