Do not let these things drain your productivity

Bestselling author and Podcast superstar Todd Henry is coming to town and I will share the stage with him this coming Nov. 9. This will be a whole day conference featuring many of the top business leaders and top professional achievers to present ideas on how to build passion, increase productivity in work and life and find purpose in the digital economy.

Todd Henry’s concepts at work has been instrumental in helping me achieve productivity over the years. And having him come and share his models would definitely help many--especially the millennial in not only increasing their productivity but to live a life of meaning and purposefulness.

To be productive is a must but it is not easy, there are many things around us that drain our productivity that we need to remove, eradicate or simply reconfigure so that we can deliver our best every day.

Today, I will zero in on the workplace. There are many things in the office that drain our energy and keeps us from being productive: office machines that do not work; files that are poorly organized or are simply missing and guess what happens over time? Rather than fixing or eliminating these things we adapt to these poor setups and live with it everyday as if there is no problem.

Take a look around you and seriously assess your workspaces and see if the following elements drain your productivity:

1. Poorly Run Meetings

Now this one in my book is the biggest factor why not much work is being done. Some managers love to have meetings because this breaks the boredom of their jobs and provides them a stage where they can speak. And they love to speak believe me. I remember seeing somewhere a poster that says: “The meetings here will continue until we figure out why no work is being done here.” Have a prepared agenda. Keep meetings short and effective. Perhaps some meetings are not even needed. Just converse or share documents as this would save you lots of time and energy.

2. Obsolete Technology

This one is not immediately noticed but it is a drainer of time and energy that prevents productivity. Computers, printers, software that have outlived their usefulness having to wait 30 seconds or more just to get images loaded or saved, slow internet connections and computers that crash to the dismay of the people working it. You need to do the math. The investment in new equipment or a software upgrade can easily be recovered through faster and more productive workflow.

3. Poor Filing Systems

You need a file and you cannot find it. So you spend a great deal of time on paper chase. Perhaps it could be something as simple as adding more filing storage system or even something simpler like moving old files into a secured storeroom with a proper filing system that would make your people easy to locate the papers when they need it. Cut the clutter. Clutter leads to disruptions that lead to inefficiency.

4. Distractions And Poor Workspaces

Noises from co-workers, clacking keyboards, loud conversations, people coming in and out of doors, loud chatters, speakerphones and all the noise pollution caused by poorly designed workspaces. Perhaps the place is cluttered and movement is hindered. All these elements reduce productivity and may even cause low morale.

5. Poor Company Culture

Business organizations that do not invest in growing and developing their people will always find their people operating in mediocrity. They spend lots of time gossiping, discussing entertainment and sports. While others keep on playing video games or going on Facebook.

Sometimes it is merely an overflow of unneeded information. There are so many news, marketing messages, junk mail and personal communications and these things really suck your productivity.

Recheck, re-evaluate and inspect your workspaces and see where these elements lie. You may be surprised to see your productivity increase when you just clean up and clear up your working space and create a culture of performance the way any good business is supposed to be.

(Unleash Your Best Work Everyday – Die Empty! This is what bestselling author and Podcast personality Todd Henry will present on November 9, 2017 at Samsung Hall, SM Aura. Vic Gregorio, Francis Kong and a host of surprise guests will talk on passion, productivity and purpose. For registration or inquiries contact April at +63928-559-1798)