Most workers would probably describe themselves as competent in their positions. Interesting enough, though, if you think you are highly competent you likely aren’t as competent as you believe yourself to be. The reason is because competency is relative. While you may be relatively competent in some tasks, you are also relatively less competent in other areas. As a leader, you likely witness incompetence on a regular basis. When you constantly point out employees’ mistakes and offer solutions for them but they keep making the same mistake over and over again, you likely question their overall competence and team value. All may not be lost, though. The answer to these bouts of incompetence may fall on you, the leader. Focus on the big picture rather than the detail.
When you set your eyes on the big picture and main goals of your business, you are better able to look past minor incompetence and create strategies for greater productivity in the workplace. Given this, what are some strategies to make the most of your work day?
Making the Most of Your Day
Organize your work space.
Furniture and lighting may not seem like a precursor for productivity, but they play a bigger role than you realize. When you and your employees are comfortable in your workplace, you are all likely to be more productive. Your desk and chair are important because you spend the majority of your day sitting at them, so you want to choose options that are supportive and the right height for you. Your chair should have armrests and allow you to keep your feet on the floor and your arms at a 90-degree angle. Your desk should high/short enough to accommodate your chair. Lighting is also important, as natural sunlight leads to better moods and higher productivity. If natural light is unavailable, the space should feature adequate artificial light to perform daily tasks. If you have the option to screw in all spectrum lights, this is better than florescent light with green tones rather than full spectrum.
Think like a productive person.
To get the most out of your day, take a look at your existing daily habits. This gives you a picture of how you view your time. Productive people separate their time into minutes, rather than large chunks of time. They know how to plan their days and tasks almost down to the minute so they can get the most out of their day. Another strategy productive people implement is focusing on only one task at a time. Multi-tasking might seem like the more productive option, but when it comes down to it, you are able to accomplish more in a timelier manner when you focus on just one task at a time. So put down your smartphone and close out of your email when you are working on a task to make the most of your time.
Create a healthy view of productivity.
Productivity is an important topic, but sometimes an interest in how to get the most out of your day can turn into an unhealthy obsession that defaults to long hours. Evidence shows that working over 10 hours is counterproductive. And, you might potentially be a productivity addict if you shame yourself for not getting as much done during the day as you hoped; stay awake at night thinking about your to-do list; or compulsively check your emails to ensure you haven’t missed anything. While it’s definitely a good idea to strive to be productive, an unhealthy view will only hurt your health and lead to burn out in the long run. To combat this, you can change your inner dialogue to positive and affirmative statements, say no to extra work and taking action. Another way that leaders can promote a healthy view of productivity is by taking advantage of the TIGERS Den Leadership Training Membership Program. With training and support, leaders learn how to build cohesive teams that resonate with trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success.
Competency in the workplace is a relative term, as many competent people can prove to be incompetent in some areas. As a leader, your employees’ incompetence can prove to be quite frustrating, but all hope is not lost. With training and support, leaders can implement strategies to improve productivity in the workplace. Some strategies include organizing the work space, thinking like a productive person or creating a healthy view of productivity. The organization of your work space may seem inconsequential, but when lighting and furniture are strategically placed, employees will be more comfortable and more productive during the day. When you think like a productive person and make a few changes to your daily habits, you may find yourself to be much more productive than you thought you could be. And lastly, you want to focus on creating a healthy view of productivity, as it can easily slip into an obsession. With these strategies, you will likely find that productivity improves in your workplace, saving you time and money.
Here are some additional resources to expand this conversation:
- The Extraordinary Incompetence of Extraordinarily Competent People
- 9 Ways to Create a Workspace That Enhances Your Productivity
- 15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently
- 6 Signs Your Obsession With Productivity Is Hurting You
Copyright TIGERS Success Series, Inc. by Dianne Crampton
About TIGERS Success Series
TIGERS Success Series is a Bend, Oregon Leadership and Team Improvement Consultant that helps committed leaders build more cooperation among employees and collaboration between departments for improved growth and revenue.
We do this by deploying the TIGERS team process that improves workforce behaviors that are anchored by trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk resolution and success. Providing diagnostics and customized team interventions, you can improve both work culture and transform your adequate teams into exceptional ones. We also license and train HRD Executives, Project Managers, Managers, Trainers and Team Consultants in the use of our award winning resources. For more information, call 1+ 541-385-7465.
