Tip 159: 5 Ways to Make the Way You Work More Productive
Many leaders feel they need to be immediately responsive to their team and management needs. This makes it hard to control your schedule, allowing you to make time for your own work. Consider these five tips. Give some thought to how you can implement them to get more of your important work done and still be as available as you need to be.
Look at your typical day and analyze how much time you spend on “deep work” (requiring concentration and few interruptions) and “light work” (requiring less attention and effort). When you become aware of this, you can look for ways to claim and protect your time.
Schedule your deep work for times in the day when you typically have the most mental energy. Develop a routine, discourage disruptions, and take smart breaks.
Schedule your light work outside of peak-energy times. Consider scheduling “office-hours,” batching small tasks into 30-minutes blocks during low-energy lulls, and clustering your meetings.
Match your physical work environment to the type of work you are doing. Consider wearing headphones, seeking a quiet or secluded space, listening to music, or standing at your desk to work.
Have conversations about your schedule, habits, tendencies, and environmental preferences with your co-workers, including your manager and team. Explain why you are trying to be more intentional about how you work.
