flevyblog

Flevy Blog is an online business magazine covering Business Strategies, Business Theories, & Business Stories.
MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP STRATEGY, MARKETING, SALES OPERATIONS & SUPPLY CHAIN ORGANIZATION & CHANGE IT/MIS Other

How to Improve Your Professional Productivity

Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Organization Design Toolkit (103-slide PowerPoint presentation). Recent McKinsey research surveyed a large set of global executives and suggests that many companies, these days, are in a nearly permanent state of organizational flux. A rise in efforts in Organizational Design is attributed to the accelerating pace of structural change generated by market [read more]

* * * *

pexels-photo-515167No matter how dedicated and hard-working you are in your career, sometimes it can seem as if your efforts are leading down fruitless paths. Like most other aspects of life, productivity is hugely important for creating a more solid base from which a business can operate.

Without people who possess strong ambition and efficiency, it is difficult for a business to remain productive. While these may not be as simple for increasing productivity in large working environments all at once, here are some useful tips to help improve your own professional productivity.

One: Be Available

The operation of a successful business often relies upon strong and effective communication between its moving parts. Ideas are at their most useful when they are easily transmitted between employees who are paying attention and are ready to relay information to its relevant destinations. This is impossible to do when one link in the chain is unavailable. Make yourself easy to contact as this will reduce the number of delays in communication and help to keep your business running smoothly.

This does not necessarily mean that you must apply your entire life to your job, sacrificing leisure time and family. However, striking a good balance is important to maintain the frictionless operation of your business, keeping up its productivity.

Two: Be Flexible

Occasionally, people in business are challenged by external obstacles that seem to have no visible solution. Other times, these obstacles are merely a result of their personal inflexibility. By training yourself to adapt better to unexpected circumstances, you open yourself up to more opportunities and fewer hindrances.

For example, running a business with no easy way of getting around can limit you to a small location where clients may be difficult to contact. As simple as it may sound, transport and connectivity are vital in the productivity of a good business. Even on a tight budget, a used car loan can make a difference between a functional business and a truly productive one. You will be better able to meet your colleagues and clients as well as reduce the stress of a public transport commute.

Three: Be Calm and Aware

Another obstacle that professionals can face is the emotions of either themselves or their co-workers. Whether positive or negative, these emotions are often justified and understandable. However, they can become a nuisance to the efficiency of your business should they be taken to the far extremes.

For example, a disappointing result might cause you or your colleague to react with anger. It is important to separate these extreme emotions from your business dealings as they can bring about negative consequences later. Instead of reacting immediately, allow yourself to pause and approach the issue logically. This will give you more time to arrive at a solution instead of acting on instinct. By behaving in this way, you will lead by example and encourage others to do the same, thereby increasing the productivity of your business altogether.

Excel workbook
Accountants, accounting firms, and real estate property owners can all benefit from this cost segregation study (CSS) template. It makes the estimated benefit easy to figure out and has flexible assumptions for high level or detailed segregation analysis. You get a summary of cost [read more]

Do You Want to Implement Business Best Practices?

You can download in-depth presentations on 100s of management topics from the FlevyPro Library. FlevyPro is trusted and utilized by 1000s of management consultants and corporate executives.

For even more best practices available on Flevy, have a look at our top 100 lists:

These best practices are of the same as those leveraged by top-tier management consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and Accenture. Improve the growth and efficiency of your organization by utilizing these best practice frameworks, templates, and tools. Most were developed by seasoned executives and consultants with over 20+ years of experience.

Readers of This Article Are Interested in These Resources


70-slide PowerPoint presentation
Organizational Design (OD) is a structured approach to aligning the structure, processes, and systems of an organization to achieve its strategic objectives and enhance performance. It encompasses various components, including defining the purpose of reorganization, determining supportive [read more]


 
Excel workbook
 
 
79-slide PowerPoint presentation

About Shane Avron

Shane Avron is a freelance writer, specializing in business, general management, enterprise software, and digital technologies. In addition to Flevy, Shane's articles have appeared in Huffington Post, Forbes Magazine, among other business journals.




Complimentary Business Training Guides


Many companies develop robust strategies, but struggle with operationalizing their strategies into implementable steps. This presentation from flevy introduces 12 powerful business frameworks spanning both Strategy Development and Strategy Execution. [Learn more]

  This 48-page whitepaper, authored by consultancy Envisioning, provides the frameworks, tools, and insights needed to manage serious Change—under the backdrop of the business lifecycle. These lifecycle stages are each marked by distinct attributes, challenges, and behaviors. [Learn more]

We've developed a very comprehensive collection of Strategy & Transformation PowerPoint templates for you to use in your own business presentations, spanning topics from Growth Strategy to Brand Development to Innovation to Customer Experience to Strategic Management. [Learn more]

  We have compiled a collection of 10 Lean Six Sigma templates (Excel) and Operational Excellence guides (PowerPoint) by a multitude of LSS experts. These tools cover topics including 8 Disciplines (8D), 5 Why's, 7 Wastes, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), and DMAIC. [Learn more]
Recent Articles by Corporate Function

  

  

  

  

  


The Flevy Business Blog (https://flevy.com/blog) is a leading source of information on business strategies, business theories, and business stories. Most of our articles are authored by management consultants and industry executives with over 20 years of experience.

Flevy (https://flevy.com) is the marketplace for business best practices, such as management frameworks, presentation templates, and financial models. Our best practice documents are of the same caliber as those produced by top-tier consulting firms (like McKinsey, Bain, Accenture, BCG, and Deloitte) and used by Fortune 100 organizations. Learn more about Flevy here.


Connect with Flevy:

     
  


About Flevy.com   /   Terms   /   Privacy Policy
© . Flevy LLC. All Rights Reserved.