When at work, we are required to always be productive so that all assignments can be completed quickly and thus we can produce the highest quality of work, and easily move on to other work.
Sometimes, you think that you have applied some ways which aim to increase work productivity, such as by making to-do lists, planners, sticky notes, and even an hourly alarm as a reminder. However, these methods might not always go smoothly to make you as productive as you want to. There might be times where you feel distracted and this results in decreased work productivity.
What is Work Productivity?
Work productivity is a measure of the comparison of the quality and quantity of employees in a unit of time to achieve results or work performance effectively and efficiently. Productivity is the relationship between the input of what employees do and the output of the work result. This is illustrated by how much time is in the work process to achieve the quantity and quality of the work output.
Work productivity has two dimensions, the first of which is effectiveness, referring to achieving maximum performance (in terms of quality, quantity, and time). The second is more related to the efforts to compare inputs with actual use
What Are the Factors Affecting Work Productivity?
Productivity definitely can be increased or decreased due to a couple of factors. To know what those are, here are the ultimate things that you should be aware of.
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Knowledge
Knowledge is the accumulation of the results of the educational process both obtained formally and informally. With better knowledge, you will be able to contribute to problem-solving, and creativity, including in doing or completing work.
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Skills
Skills are obtained through the process of learning and practicing and are related to a person’s ability to perform or complete technical jobs. With the skills possessed by an employee, they will be expected to be able to complete work productively and on time.
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Attitude
Attitude is a habit that has a pattern. If employees have good habits, this can guarantee good work behavior. For example, an employee who has the habit of being punctual, and disciplined, will also have a higher chance to finish the job on time and with a great result. Thus, their working productivity will be better improved when employees have a good attitude.
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Behavior
As previously explained, behavior comes from a person’s attitude. A good attitude will produce good behavior too. With good behavior, work productivity will be created efficiently.
What Are The Do’s and Don’ts to Increase Work Productivity?
Often we feel that we are not productive enough. This can happen due to many factors, such as shifting moods, external distractions, and so on. Productivity can be increased in several simple ways that we might not be aware of. Here are several ways you can be more productive while working.
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Do’s: Create a to-do-list
Increasing work productivity can be done by making to-do lists. Try to complete them by giving a tick one by one so you can focus on doing them. Write in order of priority which must be done first during the day. Remember, when writing a to-do list you must remain rational in setting goals and tasks to be completed. A to-do list will help you stay on track with the things you’re working on. Avoid being too pushy to finish work on the same day, because this will make you tend to work beyond your capabilities.
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Do’s: Clean the workspace
To stay comfortable and not easily get distracted while working, you should ensure that office cleaning is done regularly to tidy and clean up your desk. Papers or documents that have piled up for so long will make employees uncomfortable at work. You will tend to lose important documents as a result. Thus why focusing on workspace cleanliness is important to increase your work productivity. To keep your desk clean and tidy, prepare about 15 minutes in the morning before work to sort out whatever you need that day.
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Don’ts: Multitasking reduces work productivity
Are you still multitasking? Maybe you feel you are very productive that day, but in reality, you are not at all! Doing the same thing at the same time will turn out to solve nothing and instead makes you easily tired. You won’t be able to focus on the work you are doing and it will instead make your productivity decrease.
According to a professor of neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, multitasking is impossible for humans. Therefore it is important for us to only maintain our focus on one thing, finish it, and then move on to another job. Apart from that, multitasking can also make you make a lot of mistakes in your work.