personal productivity Archives - Hybrid Business Advisors

15 Barriers to Personal Productivity

Posted on by Joan Nowak

When it comes to personal productivity, many of us recognize there’s room for improvement. By eliminating a few bad habits or time-wasting activities, imagine how much more we could achieve. This newfound efficiency could grant us more time to spend with family and friends or indulge in activities we genuinely enjoy. The journey toward increased productivity begins with modifying certain behaviors. So, what are you doing or not doing today that is hampering your personal productivity at work or home?

Common Obstacles for Personal Productivity

Struggling to remember your tasks? If you lack an effective method to capture tasks requiring your attention, things inevitably slip through the cracks. Without writing it down, you simply forget. Fortunately, a plethora of apps is available to help you capture tasks efficiently. Many of these apps sync seamlessly across all your devices—computer, tablet, and phone—ensuring your to-do list is always within reach!

Tasks not making it to your calendar? It’s crucial to allocate specific times to complete the tasks on your list. While lists serve as reminders, tasks won’t get done until they are scheduled on your calendar. Most task management and to-do list apps integrate well with your calendar.

Scheduling tasks at the wrong time? Are you working against your natural energy levels? Some of us are morning people, while others thrive at night. Align your tasks with your energy levels and try scheduling important tasks when your energy is at its peak.

Underestimating task duration? We often think tasks will take less time than they actually do. It’s a common problem. Be realistic about what you can achieve in a day and include some buffer time for unexpected interruptions.

Are you the wrong person for the job? Recognize your strengths and weaknesses and don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed. None of us are experts at everything. Don’t waste time on tasks that you can delegate or outsource. Your time is valuable, so spend it wisely. You’ll be more productive and likely a lot happier too.

Is the task overly complex? It’s human nature to avoid tasks that seem too complex or cumbersome, as they often require significant time. Finding large blocks of time to work on them is challenging, making it easy to procrastinate. The best approach is to break complex tasks into smaller, manageable pieces and tackle them incrementally.

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. — Vincent Van Gogh.

Is your space disorganized? A cluttered workspace can sap time and energy from your day. If you spend a lot of time searching for things before you can get started, it’s time to organize your workspace.

Lack of clear goals and priorities? Without well-defined goals, you lack a foundation for making decisions about how to spend your time or prioritize the numerous choices you face daily.

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. — Jimmy Dean.

Unrealistic workload? Sometimes life overwhelms you. Typically, these periods are temporary. Recognize when you’re overloaded and delegate or eliminate non-essential tasks during these times.

In transition? Life changes can make it difficult to determine how to invest your time. The best way to navigate this is to re-identify your goals and create a roadmap for the transition.

Distracting work environment? Being easily accessible can be a double-edged sword. Acknowledge this and plan accordingly. Designate a block of time each day that is free from interruptions and entirely under your control, even if it means leaving your office or home to achieve it.

Overly eager to help? Assisting others can be rewarding both personally and professionally, but only when kept in balance. Overcommitting can lead to feelings of resentment and overwhelm. Sometimes, our desire to feel appreciated and valuable prevents us from allowing others to help. Empower people by letting them contribute; it’s beneficial for everyone involved.

Love starting projects but struggle to finish them? Incomplete projects fail to deliver the results and sense of accomplishment that come with finishing tasks. This drains energy and hurts productivity. Engage results-oriented individuals—employees, colleagues, or a business coach—to help you complete projects. Surround yourself with people who excel at getting things done.

Striving for perfection? Not all tasks require the same level of excellence. Do you feel the need to perfect every task? If so, you’ll never finish anything. Adjust your standards according to the task at hand. Some tasks merit extra effort, while others do not. Remember, sometimes good enough is truly sufficient!

Fear of losing creativity? Some individuals fear that imposing structure or routines will stifle their creativity. Consequently, their lives are chaotic and stressful. Trust that you can incorporate structure into your schedule while still nurturing creativity. You don’t need to plan every minute, but establishing a general rhythm to your day can be immensely helpful.

The initial step toward making meaningful changes is recognizing the need for them. Don’t attempt to fix everything at once. Focus on one area and then move to the next.

Fed up with productivity roadblocks?

Are productivity issues and other obstacles hindering your progress? Would another set of eyes and accountability from an expert help you achieve more? If your answer is a resounding YES, let’s have a conversation. Click here to schedule a discovery call.

About Joan Nowak. For over a decade, I’ve been assisting business owners in transforming ideas into profits. My comprehensive, common-sense approach empowers clients and fosters improvements in crucial areas, including revenue, operations, team development, customer satisfaction, and overall profitability.

7 Keys to Effective Delegation

Posted on by Joan Nowak

As an entrepreneur, delegation is an essential management and leadership skill. It saves you time, helps you avoid burnout, and allows you to work on more critical tasks. But often overlooked are the benefits it provides to others in your company. Effective delegation helps you develop, empower and motivate your team – a key to retention and employee satisfaction.

When you entrust others to take on important tasks or projects, you send a message that says, “I believe you can do this.” It gives employees a chance to learn new skills and builds their confidence. It also opens the door for them to take on additional responsibilities and contribute more to the success of the business. When used properly, delegation is a great team-building tool.

How to Delegate Better

Engage People. If you pay people and tell them what to do, will things get done the way you want? Most of us realize it’s not that simple. Getting work done through others requires engagement and persuasion. Remember the Chinese proverb, “Tell me I’ll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me and I’ll understand.” Effective delegation requires a two-way conversation and works best when you get people engaged.

Provide Clear Direction. Asking an employee to ‘take care of it is fine for routine tasks that they have done before. But taking on new tasks or projects requires direction and communication. Be specific and set clear expectations relating to goals, activities, and authority. A written procedure is a definite plus as it helps with the how-to and resources the individual may need to accomplish the work.

Invest Time Now. In most cases, doing it yourself is faster than teaching someone else – the first time. But investing the time upfront to teach and motivate the employee will pay off down the road. The work gets done right and produces the desired outcome without your day-to-day involvement.

Don’t Abdicate. Delegation is about giving responsibility and appropriate authority to others – not relinquishing all accountability. As a business owner, you can’t simply pass the buck and walk away. Provide guidance, get feedback, track results and hand out praise as appropriate.

Start Small. If delegating is a challenge for you, start with less-urgent or non-critical tasks and projects. You will still need to provide direction and guidance, but it is less problematic when you eliminate tight deadlines. While the employee benefits from learning something new, you will see first-hand that others CAN do it just as well – if not better!

Match Skills With People. In small businesses, employees often wear a lot of hats and may have skills outside their normal job responsibilities. Delegation allows you to tap into different talents or experiences and expand your skills through a team project. It’s also a good way to create a sense of belonging – a key to job satisfaction.

Recognize and Reward. Delegating is easy when your people WANT to take on new challenges and work. If you want them to go the extra mile or step up and take on more responsibility, develop a reputation as someone who appreciates and recognizes good work! Pay increases, bonuses, and promotions are obvious ways to incentivize people. But rewards do not always need to be wage or salary based. A personal thank you note, special luncheon, recognition at a team meeting, gift cards, or paid time off work too! Match the reward to the project or task – and always say thank you for a job well done.

Documented procedures make hiring and training people easier. But they also make delegation a lot more effective too! So don’t underestimate the value of systems when it comes to improving your delegation skills!

Ready to Put Your Business on a Better Path?

Would another set of eyes, ongoing support, and accountability from an expert help you take your business in a new and better direction? Then let’s start a conversation. Schedule your free discovery call today. Book appointment.

Is Information Overload Stealing Your Time?

Posted on by Joan Nowak

From emails and text to social media, is it any wonder that many of us operate on information overload. While relevant information certainly builds knowledge, we often need to cut through the clutter to get the nuggets that make a difference in our lives and business.

In the early 1900’s, John Wanamaker, department store founder, said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” The same can be said about email, text and social media – about 50% of it is worthless, but you don’t always know which half.

So the key to managing all the information today is simple. Handle each message once, decide what to do with each message and take one of the following actions:

Delete It
Do It
Delegate It
Defer It

Delete It
Half of the information you get can be quickly read and deleted. But many in business hesitate to delete anything but the most obvious junk mail for fear they may need the information later. Certainly, some information is worth keeping, but much of it can be deleted.

Not sure what to delete? Here’s some questions from productivity trainer, Sally McGhee of McGhee Productivity Solutions that may help:

Does the message relate to a meaningful objective you are currently working on? If not, you can probably delete it.
Does the message contain information you can find elsewhere? If so, delete it.
Does the message contain information that you will refer to within the next six months? If not, delete it.
Does the message contain information you are required to keep? If not, delete it.

Do It
If you can’t delete it, then ask yourself “Can I take action (do it) in less than two minutes?” Some common quick actions include a simple response to a question, confirming a meeting, making a quick phone call or filing it for future use . If you can do it in less than two minutes, do it. There is little value in closing it to do later. Once you have handled it, delete the email from your inbox.

Delegate It
If you wish to delegate the ‘doing’ to someone else, do so right away. And remember to include specific instructions — what you need him/her to do. Typically delegating emails can be done in less than two minutes – and the person on the receiving end will appreciate your timeliness. After you delegate it, delete the email from your inbox or move it into a follow-up system file.

Defer It
At times, the action required is something that only you can accomplish – and it will take more than two minutes. These emails should be deferred – to work on later. While you can leave it in your inbox with the greatest expectations to act on it later, buried emails are a recipe for missed deadlines and blown opportunities.

Deferred emails typically require time to work on a project or task or need collaboration in the form of a meeting or conference call. The easiest way to handle this is to create an action item on your to-do list or tasks application if you use your computer or smartphone. Then, as part of your daily and weekly planning, you can prioritize the tasks and schedule time to act on them.

Ready to Put Your Business on the Path to Success?

Would working with a business coach help you take your business to a whole new level? Then let’s explore the possibilities with a complimentary consultation. It’s a chance to get to know each other, discuss your goals and the obstacles that hold you back. Together we can determine if there is a good fit between your needs and my services.

To learn more or schedule an appointment, call me at (856) 533-2344 or drop me an email Joan@HybridBizAdvisors.com