Profit from the Positive

If you’re a manager, you’re probably always on the lookout for new ways to increase both your own and your employees’ productivity. Let’s take a look at a few simple tricks for achieving that.

First of all, always take the time to formulate a plan before leaping into action.

The importance of this can be seen in a study by psychologist Peter Gollwitz, where he told his students to write a report on how they spent Christmas, and hand it in on 27 December. While half the students just got the assignment, the other half were also asked to identify exactly when and where they would complete it. It turned out that this “plan” made a huge difference: 71 percent of the second group submitted their reports on time, compared to just 32 percent who’d made no concrete commitment to getting it done.

This insight is easy to apply in other areas too. For example, saying, “Could you bring that report to the conference room after the 10 a.m. meeting?” is more effective than, “Could you hand it in tomorrow?” because the former creates a specific plan for the other person to follow.

Another way to improve productivity is tricking yourself into getting started.

Let’s say you’ve got a long, daunting to-do list and you’re having trouble getting started. Just pretend you’ve already begun! Jot down a few additional tasks that you’ve already completed, and then cross them out. This simple act will make you feel like you’ve already done something, which will motivate you to continue.

Finally, if you really want to be more productive, create positive habits and routines.

Consider Deborah. She used to check her email all the time, interrupting her other work. To improve her productivity, she decided to adopt a new positive habit: checking her emails only four times a day, at specific times, and not just whenever a new email arrived in her inbox. This allows her to better focus on her work, saving her time in the long run.