Best Productivity Hacks for achieving true Business Greatness

It is quite astonishing how many people cope with that terrible feeling of being stressed and overworked. Money and time are easily the greatest commodities an entrepreneur possesses, but we will demonstrate how far off the tracks we have fallen. Lack of vision and understanding in the business world has obfuscated the big truth, which is that we should work smarter, not harder. So, it is high time to get organized and take your productivity to the whole new level.

Myth-busting

One of the gravest pitfalls of modern business is the infamous multitasking. It is seen as a false necessity and tool for boosting productivity, while it is in truth, it is one of its most sinister banes. This way of going about business actually reduces both the quality and efficiency of work. Thus, any time savings are offset by poorly conducted and rushed job. You are much better off focusing on one task at a time and doing similar tasks in blocks.

Another misleading myth is that you need to race against time and work without breaks. Well, scientists have found that out brain can operate efficiently for up to 120 minutes. After that, the focus and concentration plummet, and we are in a desperate need of a break. So, take your time to rewind every now and then: A change of scenery can be highly beneficial and sometimes all it takes is a long look out the window.

The art of de-cluttering

Next, we have to face all those little stressors that impede our focus. A bulk of them originates from the vivid digital landscape: Social media, apps, notifications, messages, reminders, etc. It is easy to get entangled in a plethora of these cues, and this is a disaster when you are trying to get something done. Before you know it, you realize that you have entered a cyber time warp and behind on daily obligations.

Furthermore, an average person checks the precious smartphone the staggering 221 times each day. Some of us are trapped deeper in the rabbit hole and even experience phantom vibrations. Putting the phone out of sight is a good idea if you cannot seem to control yourself. What is more, you would be wise to turn your attention to digital clutter, primarily your inbox. Simply organize it like you would a drawer full of files.

Tools of the trade

Bear in mind that even if you manage to keep it short, every time you interrupt the workflow your mind has to undergo the back and forth process of refocusing. And if you want to really harness the power of technology, check out amazing applications for business users. Likewise, note that you have a wide array of other performance-boosting tools at your disposal, including cognitive enhancers like Lucid Pills or handy apps in the league of Evernote.

And if you are still pressed by tight deadlines and tasks that demand immediate attention, you can delegate some work. Also, check out innovative business methods such as Scrum. This agile framework breaks big tasks and to-do lists into smaller, manageable bits, and the volume of the tasks ahead becomes much less intimidating.

Besides this, many entrepreneurs often use frameworks like OKRs and KPIs to be efficient. Though some people use the terms interchangeably, KPIs and OKRs are not te same thing.

OKR (Objectives and Key Results) is a popular ‘goal management’ framework that helps companies employ and execute plans. One of the benefits of the framework is that it gives a better focus on results that matter. Not to forget that it can also increase transparency and provide better strategic configuration. OKR achieves this by organizing employees and the work they do around achieving common Objectives.

On the other hand, KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a framework that demonstrates how efficiently a company is achieving key business objectives. Organizations make use of KPIs at multiple levels to gauge their success at reaching targets. High-level KPIs may focus on the overall functioning of the business, while low-level KPIs may emphasize processes in departments like marketing, support, sales, HR, and others.

So, that was OKR and KPI in a nutshell. Remember, these tips can help workers get more things done. Also, this can help managers and business owners to foster an atmosphere of bustling productivity across the board.

Cutting edge

There are many ways to get ahead in the business world, and efficiency should be our lodestar in the constellation of business greatness. This journey consists of a myriad of steps, but you can start by setting up a daily schedule and sticking to it. Steer away from the ordeal of multitasking and perpetual work. Do not make time your enemy and stop fighting an uphill battle against it. That is no way to climb up the career ladder and gain a powerful edge over the competition.

http://www.inc.com/larry-kim/11-best-productivity-hacks-for-2016.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/entrepreneurs-best-productivity-hacks-2015-3