As busy professionals, it is easy for us to get lost in our work. It seems that there are just not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that needs to be done, and if you need help with your workload there’s nowhere you can turn. That’s where these five tips come into play says Brian C Jensen.
Adequate research, good organization of information, etc…
These 15 methods will allow you to reduce your workload while keeping on top of all projects and staying productive at the same time:
1.) Get organized –
Keeping things well-organized will cut down on needless stress and wasted time upon finding misplaced documents later on down the line.
2.) Prioritize –
By taking the time to prioritize your project list, you can weed out several unnecessary projects and focus on those that will produce the most results.
3.) Delegate –
Simply handing work off to an employee, if done correctly, can take a great burden off your shoulders and allow you the opportunity to focus on more important matters at hand.
4.) Minimize distractions –
Just as we should be focused at our jobs, we should also take personal responsibility in minimizing distractions such as unimportant emails and phone calls during business hours.
5.) Reward yourself-
After successfully getting everything done within a time frame without losing any productivity or quality of work, it is important to reward yourself for your hard work.
6.) Make goals –
Long-term planning and setting lower objectives to meet the larger one will help you focus on what is important instead of getting overwhelmed or discouraged by a seemingly huge project.
7.) Take breaks –
It’s perfectly fine to take a short break from work, as it can help relieve stress and allow you to come up with new ways to do things that may be more efficient than your previous methods.
8.) Do it fast, do it right-
If there are two projects that need to be completed at once, don’t let you get caught up in doing one correctly? It’s much better to have one done quickly but not super well than both turned in late and perfect.
9.) Plan ahead- sit down every night before you go home and plan out your work for the following day. This will allow you to prioritize your tasks better, as well as give yourself time to do other things in life outside of work.
10.) Checklists-
Using checklists on everything will save you so much time! Not only is it easy to simply check off each thing on a list without having to remember what needs doing next, but it also allows you the opportunity to reflect upon whether or not some items can be delegated, eliminated, or even combined together explains Brian C Jensen.
11.) Use templates-
Making templates for commonly used documents such as contracts, memos, etc… can help keep your business organized and running smoothly with little effort required from you. Was that all?
No, there are still more tips on how to reduce your workload without losing any productivity. Keep reading.
12.) Using an assistant-
Getting someone else to help with busy work will not only take some of the burdens off of your shoulders, but it can also lighten the mood in your office and make you seem like less of a tyrant. Plus, they might be able to do some things that you cannot do yourself due to a lack of knowledge or expertise says Brian C Jensen.
13.) Have a schedule-
using preset times for all staff members to get together so everyone can discuss what is going on with their projects will help keep everyone on the same page and increase efficiency overall. Plus, this allows people who would otherwise feel left out to be included in more of your meetings. So it is an ideal way to foster better teamwork.
14.) Do the work yourself –
If you are unsure of whether or not someone can do something well enough for you to accept their work, then just take some time out of your day and do it yourself! You’ll find that more often than not, they can handle their own responsibilities with ease.
15.) Redirect tasks-
This method is only good if there are some employees who seem to consistently block others from doing their jobs. Before resorting to firing them, try redirecting these problem workers’ focus by having them do something else instead (even if temporarily).
Conclusion:
In the end, it is important to remember that everyone has a work/life balance and can accomplish more by knowing what they need to do each day and being able to set priorities for themselves says, Brian C Jensen.
Don’t let heavy workloads discourage you from doing an excellent job- just follow these five simple tips and watch as you are able to accomplish more without sacrificing quality or productivity.