AdminSecret

Career Advice >> Browse Articles >> Career Resources

Increased Efficiency in 3 Moves

Did you know your productivity decreases 20% to 40% when you switch tasks mid-stream? Pretty astonishing, isn’t it? Although it’s hard to believe, it’s true according to a 2001 study conducted by the University of Michigan. The good news is this. You can dramatically increase your productivity simply by staying focused on a single task for longer periods of time.

In your current work life, what is the longest stretch of time you can reliably count on for uninterrupted work? If you’re like most workers, you get interrupted an average of 8 times an hour, or every 7 ½ minutes. Yet it takes 20 to 30 minutes to transition into deep, critical and creative thought. If you end your typical work day frustrated by what you’ve been able to accomplish, hopefully this new information will help you create a plan for increased productivity. Schedule uninterrupted work sessions into your work day and respect them like an appointment with your most important client. Here’s how.

Step 1: Identify Your Interrupters

Interruptions come in two forms. Those brought on by others. And those we bring on ourselves. For the next day or two, make a “distractions list” by jotting down each interruption you encounter. Start with the ideas below and add to them until you come up with a comprehensive list of your daily efficiency robbers.

• • telephones / email (land-line, cell phone, Blackberry)
• • beepers / pagers
• • people / drop-in visitors
• • your own thoughts
• • visual distractions and physical clutter

If you work in a home office, be extra diligent in your search for interrupters. In addition to the list above, you’re likely to be distracted by incomplete housework, a buzzing dryer demanding your immediate attention, or fuzzy boundaries between your work life and personal life, both in terms of time and physical space.

Step 2: Create a Workable Schedule→

---