Contents
The wrong approach to solving problems can take you up to 16 hours a week. We tell you what else affects productivity, and explain how to evaluate and improve it
What is productivity
Productivity is a measure that allows you to evaluate the results of activities. It measures the amount of output produced over a period of time. For example, a company has two factories. Plant “A” produced 100 parts in a month, and plant “B” – 150. This means that the latter was more productive.
Productivity can be compared among employees, departments of companies, corporations themselves, and so on. It can also be measured in your daily life to assess personal success. For example, today in training you ran 5 km in half an hour, and last 4 km. It turns out that your productivity has increased.
What is the difference between productivity and efficiency
In economics and agriculture, it is often added that productivity must be measured in relation to costs. However, this is not entirely true: the term “efficiency” rather corresponds to this measurement format. Efficiency is the volume of production, taking into account costs.
If productivity measures the quantity of a result, the way in which you achieved it is also important for measuring efficiency. Let’s go back to the factory example and dig deeper. The more productive Plant B produced 150 parts but had twice as many employees. Then, at equal costs with plant “A”, he would have produced only 75 parts. Plant A, which made 100 parts, is 25% more efficient.
Performance and efficiency criteria
Since the 2000s, companies have been widely using the KPI (Key Performance Indicators) methodology to evaluate these metrics – key performance indicators. Usually they are expressed in specific figures that need to be achieved within a certain period of time.
Indicators can be formulated for departments or individual employees. For example, a good KPI for an HR specialist is the number of hired employees who have successfully passed the probationary period. For the sales department, the number of new customers for the period. For an enterprise, it is the amount of revenue for a certain period of time.
A progressive way to measure efficiency and productivity is the Objectives and Key Results system. Initially, the method was developed at Intel, but today it is used everywhere. OKRs are used by both startups and giants like Google and LinkedIn. With it, you can set any goals, effectively track results and achieve the necessary productivity.
The essence of OKR is to formulate big goals (Objectives) и intermediate results (Key Results) to help you achieve them. Set deadlines and quantify success and track progress as a percentage. The method assumes ambition – the implementation of the plan by 70-75% is considered a victory.
What factors affect productivity
The productivity of a person is strongly influenced by the state of his body, which depends on external and internal factors. For example, this is evidenced by a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health. The experiment showed that the higher the concentration of carbon dioxide in the room, the lower the cognitive functions of the subjects. So even simple office airing and good ventilation can already increase productivity.
In the workplace, not only fresh air is important, but also natural lighting. This conclusion was made by scientists at Cornell University. Office workers with adequate sunlight experience 84% fewer problems affecting productivity. They do not overstrain their eyes and have less headaches.
Another study from the same university showed that productivity is also affected by air temperature. Subjects working at 20°C and below made 44% more errors than those working at 25°C. But too high a temperature can adversely affect performance.
To stay productive, you need to monitor the quality and quantity of sleep. A Washington State University study proves that the less sleep a person gets, the more bad decisions they make. According to the University of California, lack of sleep reduces the ability to learn by 40%.
Sports are also essential. There is scientific evidence that regular aerobic exercise, such as cycling, increases concentration and improves memory. Also, aerobics helps increase creativity and improves mood. Positive emotions from exercise reduce stress levels that negatively affect productivity.
How to increase productivity
To maintain a high level of productivity, it is not enough to monitor external and internal factors. To do this, it is important to learn how to properly plan, manage time and distribute the load.
Find your productivity peaks
Most people are most productive in the morning hours. Research shows that we perform better on tasks between the hours of 8:00 am and 14:00 pm. Therefore, it is more efficient to plan complex cases for this time, and routine ones for the rest of the day. To more accurately assess individual peak productivity, you can use the system of Chris Bale, author of the blog A Life Of Productivity. Make a table and track three indicators on a scale of ten: the level of concentration, energy and motivation. Do not think too deeply about the number of points – write down the first number that comes to mind. Evaluation should be given to every hour throughout the day. In three weeks, you will get an accurate understanding of what time you are most productive.
Stop multitasking
Switching between tasks can reduce productivity by up to 40%. That is, the wrong approach to organizing work can take up to 16 hours of your time per week. A University of London study shows that multitasking lowers IQ, EQ and negatively affects the physical state of the brain. The best way out is to fully concentrate on one thing, without being distracted by extraneous things.
Learn time management techniques
Many are familiar with the “method of tomatoes.” Its essence is to work for 25 minutes, and then rest for 5. After four such cycles, you should take a big break for half an hour. However, data-driven studies show different numbers. So, the Draugiem Group company found out that the most successful ratio of work / rest is 52/17 minutes.
The elephant method helps to cope with large projects. It’s simple – you need to divide the “elephant” into small subtasks and gradually solve them one by one. Another similar way to handle bulky cases is the “Swiss cheese method.” Pick out the most interesting tasks from a large project and start with them. This way you can easily get involved in the process, and when you get to the boring parts, there is not much work left.
The Eisenhower matrix, a special framework for prioritizing tasks, has long proven its effectiveness. It helps to understand what needs to be done in the first place, and what should be abandoned in principle. We have already talked about this tool in detail in a separate article.
Kanban can be used to effectively track progress. The method allows you to visually display all important indicators on a special scoreboard. There are many convenient services for creating such boards. We have prepared a large article on how to use them correctly.
Psychologist Nick Wignal recommends planning things and preparing for the morning of the next day in the evening. Schedule tasks for tomorrow, organize food containers if you take it with you, and gather clothes in advance in which you will go to work. By unloading the morning hours from the routine, you will free up your most productive time for more important things.
Limit the number of large tasks
You need to experience first hand how many difficult things you can take on during the day. Watch how you manage to cope with a different number of large tasks. Usually this number ranges from one to three. For example, Dmitry Green, vice president of the Rybakov Fund, advises setting one major task per day. A similar scheme is suggested by the “1-3-5 principle”: one large-scale case, three medium ones and five small ones. Chris Bailey in his book recommends highlighting three important things every day and focusing all your attention on them.