To Be More Productive, Become More Efficient

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here

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Do you find yourself struggling to finish your to-do list — even after prioritizing, planning, and delegating? If so, consider whether you could work more efficiently. Small changes to your work style could end up saving you hours each week.

o For instance, before eagerly jumping into a new project, talk to stakeholders about their expectations so that you know what to prioritize. Maybe they want a detailed project plan, but maybe a rough outline would get the job done too.

o It’s also helpful to ask yourself if you could reuse any past work to complete the project at hand. Say you’re preparing a presentation to senior leaders — can you pull language from the proposal it’s based on, or draw on other materials to flesh it out?

o Lastly, use timeboxing to organize your efforts: Decide in advance how long you will spend on each task, and stick to it. Even if you don’t finish everything in the allotted time, timeboxing will help you focus for short bursts of productivity.

Adapted from “5 Strategies for Getting More Work Done in Less Time,” by Elizabeth Grace Saunders

Here’s a direct link to dozens of other Management Tips.

 

 

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