10 Daily Habits to be Effective at Work

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. ~Aristotle

What are the habits you should acquire so that you can be effective at work every day? I can think of the following:

1. Check your monthly planner: As you have organized your tasks in advance in your monthly planner, you just need to check the planner every morning and see what you need to do for the day and get it done.

2. Check your tickler file: You also need to check your tickler file every morning for items that are due for the day to take action.

3. To-do list for the day: Among all the items you have recorded in the list, perhaps there are one or only a few tasks that are important. You will do these and ignore the rest.

4. Use the right tools: Use the most effective tools to get things done. Find out which one works better for you. As an example, your to-do list should be handwritten and it is in your shirt pocket so that you can always refer to it every now and then. You can also take advantage of technology to get things organized and store the to-do- list in your iPod, iPad, or iPhone.

5. Seek Improvement: Every day thinks of improving the way you do things. Get rid of unnecessary paperwork, simplify procedures, or change methods. Be creative and innovative to make progress.

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all. ~ Peter F. Drucker

6. Clear all your email messages: Check your inbox when you have accomplished all your important tasks of the day. Attend and delete all messages of the day when you leave the office.

7. Complete today’s work today: Do what you can do today and do not postpone until the next day because when tomorrow comes there will be more things to do. The most important thing is to write things down like taking a telephone message and do it now.

8. Delegate: You may be the best person to do it but when you delegate, the other person is happy that he or she is being trusted to do the job. Things get done and you have more time for other important tasks.

9. Stay organized and maintain a clutter-free desk: Do proper filing so that you can retrieve an item quickly and easily. A clutter-free desk allows you to work with peace of mind and efficiently.

10. Back up your work: Use two pen drives instead of one to back up your work at the end of a working day. One for even days of the week and the other one for odd days of the week. It is unlikely that your hard disk crashes and your two pen drives are out of order all at the same time.

Achieve success in any area of life by identifying the optimum strategies and repeating them until they become habits. ~Charles J. Givens

Be Effective and Happy at Work

Are you reluctant to get up and go to work? Do you tell yourself that you have to go to work? If your answer is yes, you are most probably not happy at work.  Are you struggling at work to get things done? It is likely that there is a lack of effectiveness in doing your job. What can you do about it?  Here are some suggestions:

• Change: Perhaps you cannot make changes in the workplace. But you can change the way you look at your job. Can you find out more about your work and develop an interest in it? For example, as a counter sales assistant, you can gather more information about the products that you are selling instead of doing nothing when there is no customer. The more you know about the products the more you are able to promote the right products to your customers. Very soon you will establish a good connection with customers and generate more sales. Your boss will be pleased with your proactive approach at work and offer you a raise or a promotion.   

• Develop your capabilities:  What are your skills and talents? Get the right job to do what you are good at and enjoy what you do and be happy. 

• Be mindful: Cultivate focus and concentration at work. Avoid distractions and problems not relating to the task at hand to disturb your peace of mind. 

• One thing at a time: Multitasking tires the mind and reduces the power to concentrate. Avoid errors and work more efficiently on one job at a time.  

• Write it down: Do not cram your mind and try to remember everything. It is better to write things down such as telephone messages, things to do later, and a sudden surge of ideas. 

• Be creative: You are at a distinct advantage and ahead of others when you are creative and be more productive because your idea is original, different from others and it is working. Be resourceful to solve problems effectively.

• Continue to learn: Equip yourself with more skills to enhance your value at the workplace. Employers are looking for people with multi-skills to cut costs.

• Better communication: The ability to listen, understand, and express yourself is essential to be effective at work. Listen with full attention to show that you are interested, repeat the message to understand fully, and express yourself clearly and precisely to be understood.

• A to-do list: You can see clearly what you need to do when it is written. You can then decide on the most important things to do, the rest of the tasks you can either do later or delegate. This is a productive way to manage  time  

• Manage your boss: The aim is to work closely with your boss to achieve the goals of the company. Support your boss but offer valuable input, when you have different ideas, to impress the boss. Keep your boss posted about your progress at work. Be noticed by your boss. 

• Getting things done through others: Involve others in your decision-making, solicit suggestions and implement workable ideas. They will be more committed to getting things done. 

7 More Tips for Office Efficiency and Effectiveness

Work Smarter

 “Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.”

Peter Drucker, management consultant

Here are a few tips to enjoy your work, avoid stress, get more things done smoothly, and achieve your desired results:

1. Arrive early: When you arrive early at the office it means for a while you are not being disturbed. You can mentally organize yourself to tackle tasks for the day by looking at your to-do list - things to do, people to call, people to meet, and meetings to attend.

2. An organized workstation: Everything that you need to do should be beside you. You don’t have to move around to get items you need every now and then. You don’t want to waste time unnecessarily. Put a pot of plant on your desk. According to research it will delight you and make you happy at work.

3. Your off-peak period: In the late afternoon do things that are not demanding such as checking e-mail and reviewing your to-do list. You will be happy and satisfied to note that most of the important tasks in the to-do list are checked off. This is also the right time to get ready another to-list for the following day.

4. Take breaks: It is important that you take a break whenever when you are under stress. Get away from your desk and have a cup of coffee to clear the clutter in your mind. You will work better later.

5. Attention to detail: Whatever you do, do not take shortcuts or the easy way out. As a good example when you make an accounting entry in the book provide as much detail as possible. You will be able to look for an item quickly and easily a few months later.

6. Focus: Avoid doing too many things at the same time. Do only one job at a time. You will avoid making mistakes and you will complete the job faster with your full concentration.

7. Effective use of time: You may not need an hour to have your lunch. Use the available time to catch up with some reading. Read important articles in the newspapers or magazines relevant to your job or career.

Always put on your thinking cap to get creative ideas to do more in less time. When you have more time to yourself you have more time for creative thoughts.

Related posts:

10 Office Efficiency Tips

Happiness at the Workplace - The Plant Factor