Productivity Tips/Advice

That's good advice.. I remember asking my boss if I could skip lunches and leave early. He said the same thing as you did, working long hours without a break decreases your productivity. So I was not allowed to skip breaks..

Here is what works for me:
1. Work in bursts, usually 20mins. See Pomodoro Technique
2. Don't schedule more than 1-3 high-profile tasks for the day. Anything more than that and I will get overwhelmed/stressed/not get them done.
3. Check email/social networks only twice a day (11am and 4pm) and do everything that needs to be done there in one go
4. Have set bed/wake up times. Nothing makes me more unproductive than an erratic sleep schedule.
5. Set firm boundaries on work/free time. I used to check emails or even work on weekends but I had to cut that out in order to preserve my mental health.
6. Work out regularly. This is a keystone habit for me which cascades down to so many other areas of my life, including productivity and focus. If I go to the gym regularly, my life is 100% better.

These are just a few. I might come back and update this if I remember more. Hope it helps someone.

Yes, l took breaks but also worked up to 10 hours a day, with only a few hours off every few days, and after three months got close to burning out.

Breaks is fine, but no human being can keep up a rigorous schedule, without getting grumpy.

The advice is good or ok for those tasks that cannot already be done better using tech .or the latest ai,computers or automated/robotic .

The average farmer today in the western world is about 60 years old easily produces 4-5tims more per acre than farmers 100 years ago and farms much more land . And many do this working full time jobs off the farm.

Because of container shipping much more is shipped around the world than was shipped 50or 60years ago.

How about an author using a word processor over a typewriter ,able to digitally send hisor her work to an editor then get it self published at much lower cost that 20 or 30years ago

Can an upgrade in the tech you use boost productivity or allow you more time to work on high value parts of the business.

And this isn't just tech in your business .

I'm curious - why do you think multi-tasking reduces productivity?

Hello Jonathan

I remember some things my Dad told me when he was my mentor. He said most people say they work an 8 hour day, but would be lucky if they actually did 4 hours of productive work. Most don't organize their day or focus on their work, they are easily distracted and often welcome distractions.

For years we worked from opposite ends of the world, he in Australia and I in England, so we had both distance and time zones to contend with. Our solution was to use a lot of tech resources like online conference rooms, planners and so on. We worked 16 hour shifts so did exactly what you suggested with your "clean breaks" Every 2 hours we would schedule a 15 minute break. If we were on the 2nd shift I would often take a 15 minute nap, he usually took his dog outside for a short walk. Though he was 32 years older than me he sometimes worked 40 hours or more straight, while I was collapsed in a heap. He told me he could out party me anytime. We carry the break rule through to our staff, even moved the coffee machine, drinks and so on downstairs so they have to take real breaks.

We use both low and high tech solutions to gain productivity. We start really low tech, my Dad still maps his day out on a paper pad, I use a Samsung tablet, Our plans and schedules are then added to an online planner by one of our staff. The other low tech is our use of 3 large wall whiteboards which list daily tasks for staff and projects we are working on and next projects for us.

Then we start adding tech. First is more whiteboards, but large ones on stands that we can move around. these are electronic whiteboards with attached printers so we can print out our jottings/plans. Our office suite (in our home) is open design, usually 20 or more girls working per shift (3 shifts) Even though everyone is within talking distance and usually chatting away, everyone is also connected in the conference room, so can share their screens, ask for advice and so on without leaving their computers. We also use the conference rooms with our clients, much faster and more productive to be able to both talk with them and at the same time show them what we are suggesting, or work in progress for them. So we can share our screens, or any files such as PP, Videos and so on. Click of a button and we can also send them files while talking with them. We use a Messenger program called Brosix to keep in contact with overseas staff and our sales team.

We use a lot of software like online planners, programs like Evernote and Freebie Notes (FN is like sticky notes for your screen) plus heaps of others.

My Dad and Anna and I carry Olympus Digital Recorders everywhere we go, including to bed. (can wake up with ideas and not lose them) But we are using them constantly, can record notes or dictate emails or letters. I am often dictating or recording ideas while I'm driving down to the farm to check and feed our horses each morning, or while driving to and from London. Can then download the audio files to our computers. If dictating emails or letters Anna then runs the audio files through software called Dragon Naturally Speaking which then transcribes the audio into text. The Digital Recorders are worth their weight in gold.

We use another similar system, a Phillips Conference Recording System, (which is based on a similar small Digital Recorder, but also has powerful external microphones and so on) to record meetings with large clients or our own weekly staff meetings, where our staff contribute ideas or give feedback that can help grow our business.

Last just a few more things that streamline our workflow. One girl on each shift is checking email accounts every 15 minutes. They have wide knowledge on all our services but if they can not answer a query they transfer that email to a shift Supervisor. Supervisors only transfer emails to us if we personally need to answer them. If I then need to answer I will dictate to Dragon, Anna will then check and send it.

Our setup here looks like NASA Control Centre. lol. Anna and I work together from a U shaped console with 4 computers running. (Anna works as a PA for my Dad and myself, We have been together since we met on our first day of school when we were 6, and she and I own half the company) One computer is running the conference room while we might be working on the other 3. Multi-tasking! Yikes!


Another thing we do is plan for the future. We have a current year plan, a next year plan and a five year plan. These are quite detailed plans but we are constantly adding or making changes to them. For instance a new service might become available and we might fast track that to keep ahead of our competition, but working to detailed plans/schedules, from daily to 5 yearly keeps us very organized and way ahead of most. It acts like a roadmap, gives us detailed plans on where we are going and how we are going to get there.


I'v left out a lot but we are super productive in how we work, and that gives some idea of what we do.


All our automation and productivity hacks allows us time to have loads of fun, so it's hardly the normal working environment around here. The latest razz was one played on our two newest and youngest employees on their first day of work. While they were downstairs having lunch some of the girls reset the passwords on their computers. When they returned and couldn't log back in, the girls were telling them they better work it out and get back to work fast before I found them just sitting there doing nothing. The girls had been feeding them stories on how tough I was too so that made their razz all the worse.


Cheers
Lindy

Every time multi tasking is not bad, rather it helps in boosting your overall motivation. But yes, working at a stretch reduces your productivity. It is therefore important to take small breaks.

There are many other things that are related to productivity and that should be taken note of. For instance, productivity increases when you get appreciation, given a task that is of your choice and when you do something as a team. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Question is ... into which Timesink Noplacehole do I wish to sink my self-startingly THROBBING 'enthoosiasm hardware' stuffs?

Oblivion's vacuum is a cool place to start makin' out in that direction.

Bcs if you the last person on Earth, you still gotta want stuff -- an' alla them desires constitoot baseline needs in the void.

But, hey -- you wander round the Desolation Island an' find sumone else wantin' for stuff jus' like you, mebbe you got a companion.

So prolly you pool smarts.

Ain't no advantage shootin' nowan in the tits at this point! (!)

Thing is, all productivity stuffs rock out sweet on pullin' in potential conflux momentum GOODIES an' teasin' 'em up sweet 'gainst WHATEVAH WORKS, jus' in case perfectly advantageous routine turns out to be actschwlly kinda frickin' stoopid.


At which point, your life flows into tamara, havin' neither ossified so's to be fit only for a world dyin' by the day ... or so inopportoonely optimistic you figure pursuit of crazed ideas is a bloodsport worth your mortal heart.


Shaddap.

I think the best advice I ever got was to find and set a routine that works best for you.After all, we all have our quirks! Whether it is devoting an hour a day to mail, skipping meetings that don't concern you at all, or listening to music, communicate your needs openly to your colleagues and manager.

Also, don't stay stapled to your desk and emerge out of your cubicle only for meals.
There's evidence that employees who take frequent breaks are actually more productive in the long run .

Remember to set realistic timescales too.If you're a yes-person, you'll find yourself taking on more work than you can complete, which will mislead people into thinking that you're not spending your time on the right priorities!