Regarding efficiency, the quality of the output supersedes quantity. It is, therefore, important to be both productive and efficient if you are to succeed in your work. And while you might have read endless resources on productivity, work efficiency remains to be a top-secret for many people. That is why this article explores 4 top secrets to improving work efficiency without lowering productivity.

1.      Improve your work environment

The general atmosphere in your working space could determine the quality of your output.  If you work around noisy people, in an excessively hot or extremely cold office, or if your desk is awfully cluttered, your chances of making costly errors in your work are very high. If your office tech is outdated or faulty, at the other time, you will not only be prone to error but your productivity will be in total jeopardy as well. Invest in the latest workplace technology. If your HVAC system is malfunctioning, buy new HVAC parts to ensure that the office is livable. If there isn’t enough lighting, switch out the outdated lighting for new, more efficient LED bulbs. Install a new window to improve indoor air circulation. Bottom line: Create an environment that makes it much easier to concentrate and bring out your best version of everything you do.

Note: The office is the place you spend most of your time if you work a regular 9 am-5 pm job. Improve that space to not only improve efficiency but also cater to your physical and emotional wellbeing. At times, it might be recommended that you change your working space, and try new places. For instance, if you work in Texas, you can try coworking spaces in Houston that offer the ideal environment to increase productivity. Your working space should be a place that optimizes your comfort and happiness. 

2.      Refine your workplace procedures and protocols

If you are a supervisor or manager, you can greatly boost your subordinates’ work efficiency by revising your work structures and removing unnecessary protocols. This is what we mean:

  • Ensure you correct mistakes at work as they come. Don’t allow them to pile up because they will become impossible to rectify. It is better to discontinue a project rather than have a substandard output that can potentially damage your brand reputation.
  • Streamline workflows to minimize interruptions. If a process doesn’t demand your approval, don’t demand updates from team members. If a document doesn’t necessarily require your signature, don’t let it come to your desk. Too much bureaucracy doesn’t help workplace efficiency at all. It only makes decision-making slow.
  • Train your employees to handle one task at a time. Multitasking is an efficiency myth no one should believe!
  • Create an office where workers don’t have to switch between workstations within a task. That reduces time wastage and idle talk in the office.
  • Facilitate employee training, evaluation, and recognitions  to heighten performance
  • Create work policies that are favorable and do not overstretch the worker’s abilities.

3.      Enhance teamwork

This allows workers to complement each other’s weaknesses and to put their strengths to better use. It enables division of tasks and knowledge sharing, consequently saving time and giving quality output. Another way to save your time and money is with the help of employee time clock calculator. In addition, workers in a team inspire each other to be better. Working individually sometimes brings unnecessary competition which lowers efficiency in a company, even in as much as it can promote productivity. Teamwork also promotes innovativeness in solving workplace and industry challenges.

4.      Efficient communication

Whether working individually or as a team, it is important that you learn the art of effective communication.  It is through proper communication that you can share ideas with other workers or workplace challenges with bosses. If you are the boss, effective communication helps you pass clear instructions to workers, consequently minimizing their chances of error.

Final Word

It is absolutely necessary to maintain a steady work-life balance if you are to become more efficient in your work. Over-investing in your professional life could not only lead to stress and depression, but you lack time for yourself to work on your physical health. When you are physically or mentally unfit, you are less likely to achieve the desired quality of work. 

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