Increase your productivity

Editor’s note: Michelle Stockman is an independent consultant with her company, Fort Smith-based Msaada Group. Stockman earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University-Chicago in communications and fine arts, and earned a master’s in entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University. Her thoughts on business success appear each week on The City Wire.

The United States is known for being the nation that spends the most time at work yet seems to produce less than workers in other nations. Do we spend too much time playing with our iPhone’s when we should be working? Are we more distracted at work than any other country? Are our increasing workloads too overwhelming?

Many people get stuck into the trap of working longer in order to complete tasks. Entrepreneurs are surely victim to this mentality. However, working smarter over longer is the key to achieving more in less time. When you wear all the “hats” in the business, it can be difficult to prioritize the tasks screaming for attention at the same time.

In “How to Double Your Productivity in One Week” Zeke Camusion gives guidance to entrepreneurs on the StartupNation Blog. Camusion gives 11 tips on how to cut your 14 hour day into a 6-8 hour day. His advice includes:

• “Do the important before the urgent.”
This implies that one needs to re-prioritize the priority list. We all have 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week, that is all we will ever receive. Now choosing to take the time to return an overdue library book over finishing a financial report that is about to uncover a cash flow problem is how most of us think. However, your business needs the financial report complete and the time spent to finish that task may alleviate a larger problem later. Besides the library could use the extra $.05 late fee for their operations.

• “Do only what is really important.”
For the list makers out there, this means taking items off the list that are not necessary. With looming deadlines and a lot of distractions around, take a moment to ask what the goal is or mission you’re trying to achieve. This simple question provides guidance on what tasks are truly important to address. Ironically, addressing the real needs often resolves the minor issues.

• “Avoid Multitasking.”
After decades of being programmed to multitask, the message was wrong. We are more efficient as humans to address one task or problem at a time. Now that we have created an arsenal of tools to support multitasking, it is now time to learn how to turn those tools off while focusing.

• “Good enough is good enough.”
The pursuit of perfection has infiltrated all areas of life. However, one needs to balance completing a task with perfecting the task. If one is spending more time adjusting column widths in Excel than completing the financial analysis, then productivity is lost.

• “Break it Down.”
When faced with a large project, like starting a business, start the process by breaking down the steps. This is often done in project management. Creating steps for getting from point A to point B creates a road map that can also help you measure progress.

• “Rest.”
Doing more and working longer hours may actually stunt your productivity. Rest is critical for keeping the mind sharp and the body capable of working efficiently. Staying awake all night worrying about payroll or accounts payable does nothing to solve those problems over night, nor does it provide the stamina to face those problems the next day.

In addition to Camusion’s suggestions, one may consider adding in time for creativity. Changing the routine for the day or allowing your mind a recess to think of something different is helpful in re-engaging in the task at hand with fresh thoughts.

While cliché, “using the right tools for the right job,” the statement has value. Using Microsoft Word to create a cash flow statement is not helpful nor the best use of time. Using Facebook or Twitter directly to post comments and market your business is wasteful when tools like Hootsuite are available to program a block of messages at a time.

The smarter one works, the more can get done the shorter the day for the entrepreneur.

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Stockman can be reached at [email protected]