What You Need To Know
Exercise has been proven to improve energy levels and positive thinking through endorphin rushes.
Make yourself available at specific times and you'll be surprised at just how much can wait.
There is no such thing as multitasking as you are really just switching between two tasks.
"If you're not exercising regularly, stop making excuses. If the billionaire head of one of the world's biggest business interests can do it, surely you can find the time."
This article is sponsored in part by Gillette (What's this?)
If you're struggling to get more done at work, you're not alone. The study of workplace productivity is a timeless topic, and generations of workers have tried to get more done in less time. If you believe that success results from hard work, then it follows that successful people know the most about getting things done. With that in mind, we've gathered productivity tips from some of the most legendary businessmen What are the secrets of work success at the highest level? Read on.
Edit ruthlessly - Steve Jobs (Apple Inc.)
Steve Jobs' vision for Apple has pushed the company, and modern technology, into the stratosphere. Gadgets like the iPod and iPhone have captured their respective markets by being easy to use, while providing users a great experience. This is done by boiling the experience down to just the great parts. Nike CEO Mark Parker told the story of how, shortly after rising to his current position, he received a call and a productivity tip from the legendary Jobs. "Nike makes some of the best products in the world," he said. "Products that you lust after. Absolutely beautiful, stunning products. But you also make a lot of crap. Just get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff."
Apply it: Take an unforgiving look at your commitments, projects and goals. If you're spending time and energy on projects that just aren't that “good,” figure out ways to cut them loose and apply the freed-up resources to one that is.
Get in Shape - Richard Branson (Virgin Group)
When asked for a tip on how to be more productive, Richard Branson sat back and thought for a moment before replying “work out.” Here's one of many, many clips of the man himself explaining his philosophy. Indeed, exercise has been proven to improve energy levels and positive thinking through endorphin rushes. You will approach work with a clearer head since exercise helps you to destress. You'll also feel more confident, look better and feel better about yourself. And being in better shape means you fight off illnesses and injuries easier, letting you miss less work for minor health problems.
Apply it: If you're not exercising regularly, stop making excuses. If the billionaire head of one of the world's biggest business interests can do it, surely you can find the time to follow this one simple productivity tip.
Skip Meetings - Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks)
Mark Cuban will never be accused of not having strong opinions. It's fitting that he owns a team called the Mavericks as the loudmouth business magnate has earned his share of headlines for telling it like it is. No surprise, then, that he calls meetings a huge waste of time. Between the time required to get everyone together and get things started, to meetings that drag on and on with no final objective in sight, it's easy to lose a good portion of your day to meetings. Cuban's productivity tip? Rely on email instead. Cuban has often praised it for its ability for two people to communicate asynchronously. Additionally, Cuban uses extensive filters and labels to keep his emails organized as a reference file for past correspondence.
Apply it: Unless you own your own company, you probably don't have total control over what meetings you attend. Blow off the ones you can and look for ways to minimize your participation in the others, such as sending one of your staff members instead. However, even when you are the boss, some meetings are unavoidable. Just make sure every meeting you attend has a clear objective and a set end time.
Instead of switching back and forth between tasks, you should work on one for a set period of time, then move on to something else."
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Organize your Interruptions - Danny Meyer (Union Square Hospitality Group)
As one of the top movers and shakers in America's food industry, Danny Meyer has plenty of people asking for his time and attention. In a terrific interview with Inc. Magazine, Meyer supplied us with one productivity tip by explaining his process for cutting these interruptions out of his daily work, while still getting to them in time. Meyer's assistant prepares and emails him a daily brief, which he reads in the evening. This document is in four parts: his schedule for the next day, questions that came up during the day, FYIs, and longer-term reminders and projects. This way, everything gets fielded in a timely manner, but he isn't constantly derailed during the day.
Apply it: Stay focused on your work and bunch up your interruptions. Check your calendar each day so you know what's coming the week ahead. If you're a manager, have “office hours” where your staff can come to you with any concerns. Of course, you should always be available for genuine emergencies, but once you get truly organized you'll be surprised at just how much can wait.
Image Credit: Financial Times/Flickr
Avoid Multitasking - Douglas Merrill (ZestCash.com)
As the former CIO of Google, Merrill knows all too well about the distractions available to workers on their PC, and especially online. It's easy to open up five program windows then launch your browser and get 10 or more tabs going as well. As high-tech as this all may be, Merrill argues that it isn’t productive. In his book Getting Organized in the Google Era, Merrill provides a number of new-school productivity tips. However, in spite of his history, constantly checking his email or letting his blackberry drive him crazy isn't one of them. Merrill points out there is no such thing as multitasking: In reality, you are switching between two tasks. This is hard on your brain and you lose context for both. Instead of switching back and forth, you should work on one for a set period of time, then move on to something else.
Apply it: Minimize distractions while you're working. Try to keep as few programs open on your desktop as possible and resist the temptation to jump between them. Let your phone go to voice mail, then return the call once you've completed what you're doing. Check emails at set times of day or between projects and disable any pop-up notifications when you receive new ones. Finally, if you're pushing to accomplish a certain task, follow Merrill's productivity tip ironically by paying special attention to any time you're spending on the internet.
Image Credit: Joi Ito/Flickr
Learn from the greats
As you probably noticed reading through this list, problems at work are universal. From the mightiest CEO to the lowliest stock boy, struggles with distractions affect everyone. Know that you are not alone in the challenges you face at work. While your work may be different from that of a CEO, the same solutions still apply. Look into how the productivity tips from top-level executives apply to you. Keep pursuing better results at work and maybe someday YOU can be a top-level executive, handing out productivity tips of your own.
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