What is productivity?

There are two different kinds: workforce productivity and personal productivity. Workforce productivity is about the total volume of goods and/or services a person produces in a given period. Personal productivity is about the relevant output of an individual in a given period. As an individual you do not always have influence over workforce productivity, because that depends on several factors. You do have influence over your personal productivity. To improve the first, you have to improve the second. It is also worth remembering that you can be highly productive and produce a lot of output, but if the results you achieve are useless, they still get you nowhere. So it matters that you focus on relevant output.

Why does this matter?

When you work on the right tasks, you get better results. That is how growth happens. High productivity leads to more innovation, more confidence and higher engagement.

What gets in the way of your productivity?

Productivity goes hand in hand with a number of obstacles. To work more productively, the first job is to tackle those obstacles. The biggest one is distraction. A workplace can be a very distracting place. There are almost always colleagues around who are talking to each other, getting coffee or holding meetings. On top of that, we are constantly surrounded by devices demanding our attention. Mobile phones, for instance. A second obstacle is personal circumstances. Life sometimes asks a lot of us: working five days a week, doing the shopping, keeping up with family and friends, and so on. All that pressure brings productivity down. Be aware of these obstacles when you want to raise your productivity.

How do you improve it?

To help you reach your full potential, we have put together a few tips. These will help you become more productive:

1. Find your own way of working

How do you prefer to work? How do you know what you need to do each day? It does not matter whether you keep it all in your head or make a checklist every day, as long as you know what works best for you. Being clear about that and applying it every day will raise your productivity. Do share your way of working with your colleagues. That way they know what to expect and how they can support you.

2. The Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro technique is one of the best productivity techniques there is. You pick a task that needs to be completed, set a timer for 25 minutes and get to work. After those 25 minutes you take a three to five minute break, then work for another 25 minutes. After four pomodoros (4 x 25 minutes) you can take a longer break. It is a great way to work productively.

3. Start with the boring tasks

We usually save the dullest jobs until the last moment, or push them back so far that we never do them at all. From now on, try starting with those jobs. You have more energy and focus at the start of the day, so they will be done faster.

4. Learn to say no

Something many people could still learn: saying no. You will recognise it. Colleagues asking for your help at every turn. 'Could you just do this?' 'Do you have a minute?' Saying no is still hard for a lot of people, because you want to help the other person too. Unfortunately that regularly comes at the expense of your productivity. So next time, ask whether it can wait until another moment, or simply say no.