7 Tips to avoid wasting time at work
1. Systematise everything – Take some time to see what processes you have in place and look at whether you can automate or outsource them.. Focus on low-value tasks that don’t earn revenue for your business so that more time can be spent on higher value or higher revenue generating activities.
2. Track your time- There are plenty of tools out there to help you track your time, including countless apps. Track your time and keep an agenda in place that expands your business, rather than simply maintaining it.
3. Do the hardest things at your peak time – Tackling the hardest tasks when you’re at your peak performance is the best way to schedule your day. If you’re at your best first thing in the morning, tackle those jobs first. If you find your brain works better after lunch, then make that your peak performance time. The key is to make sure you’re not making big decisions when you’re either not as energetic or efficient.
4. Switch off from others- Having the interpersonal skills to avoid long conversations in the office can save you buckets of time. Some people adore long conversations that are unrelated to work, which can be challenging at times, so it’s important to keep focused.
5. Work in blocks of time- This means restricting yourself from checking email all the time and answering the phone. Certain times are set aside to check social media.
6. Collapse time- When a certain period of time is allocated to any task, most of us use the full amount of time we’ve allotted. But people need to look at how long each activity needs, then reduce the time you allocate to the task.
7. Avoid meetings- Your diary is no doubt full of meetings with colleagues that you’ve been roped into attending. Assess which meetings you really need to attend. If there are some you can avoid, send a brief email to the meeting co-ordinator giving your update via email to be read out at the meeting. If possible, politely explain that you’ve got a busy week, and that you’d like to give your update via email to be heard by attendees.
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