Work smarter, not longer or harder
18 February 2010
Redundancies, recession, unemployment, pay cuts – scary words for scary times. With words like these being bandied around most offices, it’s no wonder people feel they need to work harder, longer, to have job security. But what good is job security if you’re burnt out?
Here are some simple tips to help you work smarter rather than harder:
1. Work with your body clock, not against it. Most of us have a time of the day when we feel more alert – recognise when that is for you and try to base your work around that. I do my best work in the morning, for example, so I come into work early and try to keep that time for writing and creative work; in the late afternoon, when I know my brain is less sharp, I try to do filing, return phone calls and emails etc.
2. Drop off the radar. Don’t be afraid of turning off the phone and not opening your emails for a while – you’ll achieve so much more in that hour or two without distractions and I promise the world won’t stop! If you need to explain why you weren’t available, simply say you were in a meeting.
3. Reward yourself with your life. Instead of trying to organise your life during your lunch break, ‘reward’ yourself with a personal task after you complete a work task. After I’ve finished a task, for example, I’ll check my bank balance online, email a friend about after-work drinks or book a haircut – that way I get through my daily tasks but still have a life!
4. Drop, decrease, delegate. You’re not the only person who can do it and not everything has to be done today – use the three Ds to manage your workload so that what you do tackle gets done well and on time. That’s much more impressive to your boss than taking on too much and not achieving any of it!
5. Have a clear priority each day. If you know the top thing you have to get done in a day, you’re much more likely to put other things to one side and focus on that. It can even be helpful to think about what you need to achieve each morning and afternoon. And when you’ve identified your top priority, it makes it much easier to say to pushy colleagues ‘I’m sorry, I am working on X this morning and will get to your task when that is completed.’
If you’d like some help in working smarter and getting more out of the working day, email me now at carole@caroleraycoaching.com for a no-obligation, free 15-minute chat about how I can help you
