Have you ever heard your boss saying that your organization needs to “Become more productive? Work harder? Be more efficient?” Hearing such pronouncements has the potential to send many people into instant panic mode. “The management thinks I’m too slow. I need to work faster! My job depends on it!” The truth, however, is that efficiency and productivity have little to do with how fast we work. Simply adding speed to our work processes does not necessarily result in us being more productive.
Efficiency and productivity come from the following:
- Making sure what you do contributes to fulfilling your company’s strategy. (Justified by strategy — adding value)
- What you do — do it right. (Right quality)
- How you do it — do it the right way. (Right process)
- Prioritizing initiatives and choosing which ones to do first, second, and which ones to never do. (Project management)
- Making sure what you do can be justified economically. (Financial management)
- Making sure that you have the needed skills to perform the job. (HR management)
- Making sure that what you do has acceptable risk. (Risk management)
None of the seven items on the list asks you to “run faster.” The key to productivity and efficiency is doing the right things and doing them well. Stay focused, keep your distractions under control, prioritize, and remember to take breaks. Learning to be more efficient and productive will not only ease the stress of your job, but it will also make you a more valuable asset for your company.
